CPHQ Trivia 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which federal program publicly reports hospital quality data to encourage transparency and improvement?
- Hospital Compare (Care Compare) (Correct answer)
- Medicare Advantage Quality Rating
- National Practitioner Data Bank
- Leapfrog Hospital Survey
Correct answer: Hospital Compare (Care Compare)
CMS's Hospital Compare (now Care Compare) publicly reports quality measures to help consumers make informed decisions.
Question 2: The IHI 'Triple Aim' framework focuses on improving which three dimensions simultaneously?
- Safety, Quality, and Cost
- Population health, Patient experience, and Per capita cost (Correct answer)
- Access, Efficiency, and Equity
- Prevention, Treatment, and Rehabilitation
Correct answer: Population health, Patient experience, and Per capita cost
IHI's Triple Aim targets better population health, better patient experience, and lower per capita cost simultaneously.
Question 3: What is the primary role of a 'root cause analysis' (RCA) following a sentinel event?
- Assign blame to the clinician who made the error
- Identify systemic factors that contributed to the event (Correct answer)
- Determine financial penalties for the responsible department
- Document the event for malpractice litigation purposes
Correct answer: Identify systemic factors that contributed to the event
RCA is a systems-focused process that identifies underlying causes and contributing factors rather than placing individual blame.
Question 4: Which accreditation body issues a 'Gold Seal of Approval' to healthcare organizations?
- National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA)
- The Joint Commission (TJC) (Correct answer)
- Utilization Review Accreditation Commission (URAC)
- Det Norske Veritas (DNV)
Correct answer: The Joint Commission (TJC)
The Joint Commission awards its Gold Seal of Approval to organizations that meet its rigorous performance standards.
Question 5: In Lean methodology, 'muda' refers to which concept?
- Continuous improvement through small incremental changes
- Waste or non-value-added activity in a process (Correct answer)
- Standardized work instructions for clinical procedures
- Error-proofing mechanisms to prevent defects
Correct answer: Waste or non-value-added activity in a process
Muda is a Japanese term meaning waste — any activity that consumes resources without adding value for the patient.
Question 6: Which statistical control chart is most appropriate for monitoring the proportion of defective items in a process?
- X-bar chart
- P-chart (Correct answer)
- C-chart
- I-MR chart
Correct answer: P-chart
The p-chart monitors the proportion (percentage) of nonconforming items in a sample over time.
Question 7: What is the key distinction between 'quality assurance' (QA) and 'quality improvement' (QI)?
- QA is prospective while QI is retrospective
- QA focuses on meeting minimum standards while QI focuses on continuous improvement (Correct answer)
- QA applies only to nursing while QI applies to all departments
- QA uses quantitative data while QI uses qualitative data only
Correct answer: QA focuses on meeting minimum standards while QI focuses on continuous improvement
QA is primarily about meeting established minimum standards, whereas QI continuously seeks to exceed those standards through ongoing improvement.
CPHQ Trivia 3
Which federal program publicly reports hospital quality data to encourage transparency and improvement?