Reporting infection control indicators to a governing body requires a tool that clearly shows trends or improvements over time to demonstrate progress.
Option A (Scatter plot): Scatter plots show relationships between variables, not temporal trends, making them unsuitable for infection control trends.
Option B (Run chart): This is the correct answer. The NAHQ CPHQ study guide states, “Run charts display data over time, making them ideal for demonstrating trends and improvements in indicators like infection rates” (Domain 2). They are simple and effective for governing body reports.
Option C (Frequency plot): Frequency plots (e.g., histograms) show data distribution, not time-based trends.
Option D (Pie chart): Pie charts show proportions, not changes over time, making them inappropriate for improvement trends.
CPHQ Objective Reference: Domain 2: Health Data Analytics, Objective 2.3, “Select appropriate data display tools,” identifies run charts for temporal data. The NAHQ study guide notes, “Run charts are preferred for reporting performance trends to leadership due to their clarity and focus on change over time” (Domain 2).
Rationale: Run charts effectively demonstrate improvements in infection control indicators by showing trends, aligning with CPHQ’s data visualization principles for leadership reporting.
[Reference: NAHQ CPHQ Study Guide, Domain 2: Health Data Analytics, Objective 2.3., , , ]
