What is a primary focus of concurrent audits?

Concurrent audits are primarily focused on reviewing data in real-time up to the final stages of processes or transactions. This approach allows organizations to identify and address compliance issues as they occur, rather than after the fact. By engaging in real-time review, auditors can detect discrepancies, process inefficiencies, or areas of non-compliance before they escalate into more significant problems. This timely feedback mechanism is essential for improving operational workflows and ensuring adherence to healthcare regulations.

The other options reflect different auditing strategies. For example, looking back at past transactions is characteristic of retrospective audits, which evaluate historical data. Analyzing long-term trends pertains to trend analysis, focusing on the broader view across multiple periods rather than the immediacy required in concurrent auditing. Lastly, limiting the analysis to data from the previous quarter implies a specific time frame that doesn't align with the ongoing oversight nature of concurrent audits. Each of these contrasts with the primary aim of concurrent audits, which is to maintain current compliance and control throughout operational processes.