Canadian Health Information Management Association Practice Exam

Julius's plan to create a Patient Educator position likely depicts what type of organizational relationship?

1. Box line

2. Dotted line

3. Solid line

4. Wavy line

The correct answer is: Dotted line

In organizational structures, a dotted line relationship typically represents a situation where an employee reports to two supervisors or has a secondary reporting relationship. This is common in roles like a Patient Educator, who might primarily work within a specific department but also collaborate closely with another area, such as clinical services or administration, to support patient education initiatives. This type of relationship emphasizes collaboration and cross-departmental communication without altering the direct hierarchical structure. A dotted line indicates that while the individual has a primary supervisor, they may take guidance and share responsibilities with others, allowing for flexibility and a teamwork approach in fulfilling the organization’s goals related to patient education. The other types of relationships are characterized differently: a solid line usually indicates a direct reporting relationship within the hierarchy, a box line may suggest a more rigid structure, while a wavy line is not a standard representation in organizational diagrams. Therefore, the identification of a dotted line relationship appropriately captures the collaborative nature of the Patient Educator position within the organization.