Which of the following is NOT one of the four functions of health information systems?

• A. Data generation
• B. Data storage
• C. Compilation
• D. Analysis

Answer: (B)

The key idea here is understanding which activities are regarded as the core functions of a health information system. The four primary functions are generating new data, compiling or aggregating data from multiple sources, analyzing that data to produce meaningful information, and disseminating or using the information for decision making. Data storage is essential, but it is best viewed as the infrastructure that supports all these activities rather than one of the core functions itself. It provides the place where data are kept so they can be generated, compiled, analyzed, and shared. Hence, data storage is not counted among the four core functions.