Quality Assurance & Improvement Flashcards
7 cards from real CPT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Quality Assurance & Improvement flashcards as text
A CPT practitioner discovers that a high defect rate is caused by unclear work instructions rather than inadequate skill. This finding is best categorized as a:
Answer: Environmental/workplace factor
Unclear work instructions represent an environmental or workplace factor — a condition in the work environment that prevents performance regardless of worker ability.
Which principle of Total Quality Management (TQM) emphasizes that preventing defects is less costly than detecting and correcting them after the fact?
Answer: Quality at the source
Quality at the source (or defect prevention) holds that building quality into the process is always cheaper than inspecting for and fixing defects downstream.
A performance technologist calculates an ROI of 120% for a lean process improvement initiative. What does this figure indicate?
Answer: The initiative returned $1.20 for every $1 invested above break-even
An ROI of 120% means the net benefits exceeded the total costs by 120%, or $1.20 in net benefit was returned for every dollar spent.
Which process improvement methodology uses value stream mapping to identify and eliminate non-value-added steps?
Answer: Lean
Lean methodology uses value stream mapping to visualize workflows and systematically remove waste (muda) that does not add customer value.
A quality review team uses a control chart and notices that several consecutive data points fall on the same side of the mean without exceeding control limits. This pattern is called a:
Answer: Run or trend
A run of consecutive points on one side of the centerline is a non-random pattern called a run or trend, signaling a potential process shift.
When benchmarking a quality improvement process, what is the primary reason for comparing against best-in-class external organizations rather than only internal standards?
Answer: External benchmarks reveal performance levels that may redefine what is achievable
External benchmarking exposes an organization to higher performance ceilings it may not have considered, enabling breakthrough rather than incremental improvement.
A CPT practitioner is asked to assess whether an improvement initiative achieved its intended outcomes AND whether those outcomes still align with current organizational goals. This is called:
Answer: Confirmative evaluation
Confirmative evaluation examines whether an intervention continues to produce desired results and whether those results remain relevant over time.