Epic Skills Assessment Verbal Reasoning 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: DISCREPANCY most nearly means ____.
- Agreement between two records
- An inconsistency or difference between things that should match (Correct answer)
- A summary of patient data
- A required field in a clinical form
Correct answer: An inconsistency or difference between things that should match
A discrepancy is a lack of compatibility or a difference between things that should be the same — for example, a discrepancy between a patient's medication list and their pharmacy records.
Question 2: Identify the logical flaw: 'We retrained all nurses on Epic documentation in March. By June, audit scores improved by 12%. The retraining is the only possible explanation for the improvement.'
- The argument is valid because the timeline proves causation.
- The argument fails because audit scores cannot measure documentation quality.
- The argument assumes correlation equals causation and ignores other variables that may have contributed. (Correct answer)
- The argument is flawed because three months is too long a period to measure change.
Correct answer: The argument assumes correlation equals causation and ignores other variables that may have contributed.
Assuming one event caused another simply because it preceded it is the post hoc fallacy. Other factors — such as staff turnover, software updates, or increased supervisor feedback — could also explain the improvement.
Question 3: Select the sentence that is grammatically correct and logically clear:
- The physician, along with her residents, were reviewing the discharge summary.
- Each of the providers are required to complete annual Epic certification.
- Before placing the order, the nurse verified the patient's allergies in the chart. (Correct answer)
- Between you and I, the workflow needs to be revised immediately.
Correct answer: Before placing the order, the nurse verified the patient's allergies in the chart.
Option C is grammatically correct: the participial phrase 'Before placing the order' correctly modifies 'the nurse,' and the sentence is logically clear. Option A has faulty subject-verb agreement, Option B uses 'are' with the singular subject 'each,' and Option D incorrectly uses 'I' instead of 'me' after the preposition 'between.'
Question 4: MITIGATE most nearly means ____.
- To worsen or intensify a problem
- To ignore a clinical finding
- To lessen the severity or seriousness of something (Correct answer)
- To document an adverse event
Correct answer: To lessen the severity or seriousness of something
To mitigate means to make something less severe or serious. In healthcare contexts, organizations implement safeguards to mitigate patient safety risks.
Question 5: SUPERFLUOUS most nearly means ____.
- Essential and required
- Exceeding what is necessary; redundant (Correct answer)
- Difficult to understand
- Relating to a clinical workflow
Correct answer: Exceeding what is necessary; redundant
Superfluous means more than what is needed or wanted — for example, superfluous fields in an Epic order form can slow down clinician workflows by adding unnecessary steps.
Question 6: Identify the logical flaw: 'Dr. Patel has never had a documentation complaint in five years. Therefore, her charts do not need to be included in the quarterly peer review.'
- The argument is sound because a perfect track record justifies exemption from review.
- The conclusion is valid if approved by the department head.
- The argument incorrectly assumes past performance eliminates the need for ongoing oversight, and ignores that peer review serves systemic quality purposes beyond catching individual errors. (Correct answer)
- The argument is flawed only if Dr. Patel works part-time.
Correct answer: The argument incorrectly assumes past performance eliminates the need for ongoing oversight, and ignores that peer review serves systemic quality purposes beyond catching individual errors.
Past performance, however strong, does not guarantee future accuracy or eliminate the value of systemic review. Peer review serves quality improvement and consistency goals that apply to all providers regardless of individual track record.
Epic Skills Assessment Verbal Reasoning 1
DISCREPANCY most nearly means ____.