Implementation Manager (IM) Specialist CHTS Practice Test

A Regional Health Information Organization (RHIO) is an example of which model?

1. Decentralized Model

2. Centralized Model

3. Federated Model

4. Distributed Model

The correct answer is: Centralized Model

A Regional Health Information Organization (RHIO) typically operates under a decentralized model. In this context, a RHIO allows for the sharing of health information among local organizations while maintaining control over their individual data. This approach enables multiple healthcare providers to connect and collaborate without a single entity controlling the health data corpus, thus promoting greater privacy and localized governance. The decentralized model highlights autonomy and flexibility, where each organization retains ownership of its data while contributing to a larger collaboration. This is essential in healthcare settings where sensitive patient information must be handled with care and all participating entities need to comply with local regulations. In contrast, a centralized model would involve a single entity controlling all data, which is not in alignment with the RHIO’s framework. The federated model implies a combination of controlled and unique data sets across various entities, leading to collaboration while relying on individual data stewardship. Lastly, the distributed model indicates the data is stored across different locations or systems but may imply some level of shared governance, which doesn’t accurately represent the primary operating structure of a RHIO.