What is characteristic of a random audit?

In the context of auditing, a random audit is characterized by the principle that every service or claim within the audit's scope has an equal chance of being selected for review. This approach minimizes bias and ensures a representative sample of data is evaluated, which can provide a comprehensive picture of the overall compliance and performance across various services offered by a healthcare provider. The element of randomness is crucial in creating a fair audit process, as it helps to identify areas of improvement without targeting specific services or conditions.

The other options describe features that do not align with the random audit methodology. For example, targeting specific areas for improvement suggests a focused approach typically seen in targeted audits rather than the unbiased selection process of a random audit. Focusing solely on one type of service indicates a lack of diversity in the audit sample, which is contrary to the primary aim of randomness. Furthermore, while training may be beneficial for all audit types, the notion of extensive pre-audit training does not specifically pertain to the randomness characteristic of an audit, indicating a more structured or directed approach rather than a truly random sampling.