Certified Medical Assistant Practice Exam

Which type of medical record filing system offers the most privacy?

1. Alphabetic

2. Numeric

3. Color-coded

4. Chronological

The correct answer is: Numeric

The numeric filing system offers the most privacy among the various options for organizing medical records. In this system, patient records are assigned a unique number instead of being indexed by names or other identifiers. This means that someone looking to access a patient's records would not automatically know whose records they are viewing simply based on the name. This can significantly enhance confidentiality, as it requires individuals to know the specific patient number to retrieve information, reducing the chances of unauthorized access. In contexts where privacy is paramount, such as healthcare, the numeric filing system helps protect patient information more effectively than systems organized by names, colors, or dates. Other systems, like alphabetic or chronological, rely more on names or date stamps, which can make it easier for someone to discern patient identities without appropriate authorization. Color-coding may improve efficiency in locating files but does not fundamentally change the way patient information is accessed in comparison to numeric systems.