RHIT Performance Improvement and Quality Management 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which performance improvement model follows the sequence of Plan, Do, Check, and Act?
- Six Sigma
- PDCA Cycle (Correct answer)
- Lean Methodology
- Root Cause Analysis
Correct answer: PDCA Cycle
The PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) Cycle, also called the Deming Cycle, is a foundational continuous improvement framework used in healthcare quality management.
Question 2: A hospital wants to reduce medication errors by eliminating waste and non-value-added steps. Which methodology is BEST suited for this goal?
- Lean (Correct answer)
- Six Sigma
- Balanced Scorecard
- Benchmarking
Correct answer: Lean
Lean methodology focuses on eliminating waste (muda) and streamlining processes to improve efficiency and reduce errors.
Question 3: Which accrediting body publishes National Patient Safety Goals (NPSGs) that hospitals must follow?
- CMS
- AHIMA
- The Joint Commission (Correct answer)
- AHRQ
Correct answer: The Joint Commission
The Joint Commission publishes and updates National Patient Safety Goals annually, which accredited organizations must implement to address specific patient safety concerns.
Question 4: A health information manager is measuring the percentage of records with complete physician signatures within 30 days of discharge. This is an example of a:
- Outcome indicator
- Sentinel event
- Process indicator (Correct answer)
- Structure indicator
Correct answer: Process indicator
A process indicator measures whether specific steps in care delivery or documentation are being performed correctly, such as completion of physician signatures within a set timeframe.
Question 5: In Six Sigma, what does the term 'DMAIC' stand for?
- Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control (Correct answer)
- Document, Monitor, Assess, Implement, Confirm
- Design, Manage, Analyze, Integrate, Complete
- Define, Monitor, Analyze, Implement, Check
Correct answer: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control
DMAIC stands for Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control — the structured problem-solving framework used in Six Sigma to improve existing processes.
Question 6: A hospital compares its infection rates against those of similar facilities nationally to identify areas for improvement. This practice is called:
- Root cause analysis
- Tracer methodology
- Benchmarking (Correct answer)
- Failure mode and effects analysis
Correct answer: Benchmarking
Benchmarking is the process of comparing an organization's performance metrics against industry standards or best-performing peers to identify improvement opportunities.
Question 7: Which quality management tool displays the frequency of problems in descending order to help prioritize improvement efforts?
- Scatter diagram
- Pareto chart (Correct answer)
- Control chart
- Fishbone diagram
Correct answer: Pareto chart
A Pareto chart is a bar graph that ranks problems from most to least frequent, based on the Pareto principle that roughly 80% of problems come from 20% of causes.
RHIT Performance Improvement and Quality Management 1
Which performance improvement model follows the sequence of Plan, Do, Check, and Act?