Canadian Health Information Management Association Practice Exam

An example of a value set would be which of the following?

1. Date of birth

2. Marital status

3. Name

4. All of the above

The correct answer is: Marital status

A value set refers to a specific collection of permissible values for a particular data element within health information management. In this context, marital status serves as an example of a value set because it includes a defined range of acceptable responses, such as single, married, divorced, or widowed. Each of these options represents a distinct status that can be recorded and categorized. On the other hand, date of birth doesn't qualify as a value set in the same sense because it represents a singular data point based on a calculation from a date format, not a defined list of possible values. Similarly, name is a unique identifier for an individual rather than a value set, as it does not have a limited range of acceptable responses but can vary widely from person to person. Thus, focusing on the specific and discrete options that can be selected, marital status is the clear example of a value set.