1. Read the following abstract and select the statement that is correct.

   BACKGROUND: Even as financial pressures on hospitals increase due to changing reimbursement structures and heightened focus on quality and value, the association between patient safety performance and financial outcomes remains unclear. The purpose of this study is to investigate if hospitals with higher patient safety performance are associated with higher levels of profitability than are those with lower safety performance. METHODS: Using multinomial logistic regression, we analyzed data from the spring 2014 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Score Survey and the 2014 American Hospital Association Annual Survey to determine the association between Leapfrog Hospital Safety Score performance and three dimensions of organizational profitability: operating margin, net patient revenue, and operating income. RESULTS: Our findings suggest improved hospital safety scores are associated with a relative risk of being in the top versus bottom quartile of financial performance: 5.41 times greater (p < .001) for operating margin, 10.98 times greater (p < .001) for net patient revenue, and 4.03 times greater (p < .001) for operating income. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest improved patient safety performance, as evaluated within the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Score, is associated with improved financial performance at the hospital level. Targeted focus on patient safety may allow hospitals to improve financial performance, maximize scarce resources, and generate additional capital to continue to positively evolve care.

   		A) This study represents quantitative observational research.
   		B) This study represents qualitative observational research.
   		C) The study represents experimental research.
   		D) The study represents grounded theory research.
   		E) This study represents randomized controlled trial research.