Which of the following is NOT a function of an analyst?

• A. Maintain data integrity and reliability
• B. Facilitate data aggregation and analysis
• C. Identify outcomes
• D. Improve patient satisfaction

Answer: (D)

In nursing informatics, the analyst’s work centers on data—making sure it’s accurate, consistent, and usable, and turning it into actionable insights. Maintaining data integrity and reliability means establishing quality controls, validating data, and cleaning errors so reports and analyses reflect the truth of what happened. Facilitating data aggregation and analysis involves pulling data from multiple sources, linking datasets, and running analyses to reveal patterns, trends, and performance. Identifying outcomes is about defining the right measures, tracking them over time, and presenting them in a way that shows whether interventions or processes are improving care.

Improving patient satisfaction, while a vital goal of care quality efforts, is not a primary analytic function. An analyst provides the data and analyses that inform satisfaction initiatives, but driving those improvements is typically led by quality improvement or patient-experience teams and involves changes to processes, communication, and service design.