Medical Auditing Practice Exam

The correct answer is a baseline audit. A baseline audit is specifically designed to assess the initial performance of new providers within a medical practice. This type of audit establishes a reference point for evaluating the quality of care delivered by these providers. By reviewing the medical and surgical services conducted, the audit facilitates an understanding of their practices and compliance with established protocols and standards. This initial assessment is crucial as it helps in identifying areas of strength or potential concerns early in the providers' tenure, allowing for timely interventions or support if necessary. The baseline serves as a benchmark for future comparisons, enabling ongoing quality assurance and improvement processes within the practice. Other types of audits, such as a compliance audit, focus more on adherence to regulations and guidelines rather than assessing the performance of new providers specifically. Random audits typically involve unscheduled checks across different areas of practice, not targeted evaluations of new providers. Follow-up audits are designed to review changes or improvements made after previous audits, rather than assessing initial practices.