CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL IN
HEALTHCARE QUALITY (CPHQ)
EXAMINATION QUESTION AND
CORRECT ANSWERS (VERIFIED
ANSWERS) PLUS RATIONALES 2026 Q&A
INSTANT DOWNLOAD PDF
1. A primary goal of healthcare quality management is to
A. Reduce staffing costs
B. Increase patient volume
C. Ensure safe, effective, patient-centered care
D. Improve marketing performance
Answer: C
Rationale: Healthcare quality focuses on safety, effectiveness, timeliness,
efficiency, equity, and patient-centeredness, not financial or marketing outcomes
alone.
2. Which organization administers the CPHQ credential?
A. American Hospital Association
B. National Association for Healthcare Quality
C. Joint Commission
D. Institute for Healthcare Improvement
,Answer: B
Rationale: The National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ) administers
and oversees the CPHQ examination.
3. Donabedian’s model of quality includes structure, process, and
A. Cost
B. Outcome
C. Utilization
D. Satisfaction
Answer: B
Rationale: Donabedian’s framework evaluates healthcare quality through
structure, process, and outcomes.
4. Which is an example of a structure measure?
A. Surgical site infection rate
B. Hand hygiene compliance
C. Nurse-to-patient ratio
D. Length of stay
Answer: C
Rationale: Structure measures describe the environment of care, such as staffing
levels and facilities.
5. Root cause analysis (RCA) is primarily used to
A. Assign blame
B. Identify underlying system causes
C. Measure performance benchmarks
D. Track financial losses
,Answer: B
Rationale: RCA focuses on identifying system-level causes of adverse events to
prevent recurrence.
6. Which quality improvement methodology emphasizes waste reduction?
A. Six Sigma
B. Lean
C. PDSA
D. FMEA
Answer: B
Rationale: Lean methodology targets elimination of waste and non–value-added
activities.
7. A sentinel event is best defined as
A. Any patient complaint
B. A near miss with no harm
C. An unexpected event involving death or serious injury
D. A medication error with minor harm
Answer: C
Rationale: Sentinel events are unexpected occurrences involving death or serious
physical or psychological injury.
8. Which data type is best for understanding patient perceptions of care?
A. Administrative data
B. Clinical registry data
C. Patient-reported outcome data
D. Financial data
, Answer: C
Rationale: Patient-reported data capture the patient’s perspective on outcomes
and experiences.
9. The Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle is primarily used for
A. Accreditation surveys
B. Continuous quality improvement
C. Regulatory compliance audits
D. Risk financing
Answer: B
Rationale: PDSA is an iterative method used to test and implement quality
improvements.
10.Which is an example of a balancing measure?
A. Reduction in infection rates
B. Staff overtime hours
C. Compliance with guidelines
D. Mortality rate
Answer: B
Rationale: Balancing measures assess unintended consequences, such as
increased staff workload.
11.Clinical practice guidelines are best described as
A. Mandatory laws
B. Evidence-based recommendations
C. Financial policies
D. Utilization review tools
HEALTHCARE QUALITY (CPHQ)
EXAMINATION QUESTION AND
CORRECT ANSWERS (VERIFIED
ANSWERS) PLUS RATIONALES 2026 Q&A
INSTANT DOWNLOAD PDF
1. A primary goal of healthcare quality management is to
A. Reduce staffing costs
B. Increase patient volume
C. Ensure safe, effective, patient-centered care
D. Improve marketing performance
Answer: C
Rationale: Healthcare quality focuses on safety, effectiveness, timeliness,
efficiency, equity, and patient-centeredness, not financial or marketing outcomes
alone.
2. Which organization administers the CPHQ credential?
A. American Hospital Association
B. National Association for Healthcare Quality
C. Joint Commission
D. Institute for Healthcare Improvement
,Answer: B
Rationale: The National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ) administers
and oversees the CPHQ examination.
3. Donabedian’s model of quality includes structure, process, and
A. Cost
B. Outcome
C. Utilization
D. Satisfaction
Answer: B
Rationale: Donabedian’s framework evaluates healthcare quality through
structure, process, and outcomes.
4. Which is an example of a structure measure?
A. Surgical site infection rate
B. Hand hygiene compliance
C. Nurse-to-patient ratio
D. Length of stay
Answer: C
Rationale: Structure measures describe the environment of care, such as staffing
levels and facilities.
5. Root cause analysis (RCA) is primarily used to
A. Assign blame
B. Identify underlying system causes
C. Measure performance benchmarks
D. Track financial losses
,Answer: B
Rationale: RCA focuses on identifying system-level causes of adverse events to
prevent recurrence.
6. Which quality improvement methodology emphasizes waste reduction?
A. Six Sigma
B. Lean
C. PDSA
D. FMEA
Answer: B
Rationale: Lean methodology targets elimination of waste and non–value-added
activities.
7. A sentinel event is best defined as
A. Any patient complaint
B. A near miss with no harm
C. An unexpected event involving death or serious injury
D. A medication error with minor harm
Answer: C
Rationale: Sentinel events are unexpected occurrences involving death or serious
physical or psychological injury.
8. Which data type is best for understanding patient perceptions of care?
A. Administrative data
B. Clinical registry data
C. Patient-reported outcome data
D. Financial data
, Answer: C
Rationale: Patient-reported data capture the patient’s perspective on outcomes
and experiences.
9. The Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle is primarily used for
A. Accreditation surveys
B. Continuous quality improvement
C. Regulatory compliance audits
D. Risk financing
Answer: B
Rationale: PDSA is an iterative method used to test and implement quality
improvements.
10.Which is an example of a balancing measure?
A. Reduction in infection rates
B. Staff overtime hours
C. Compliance with guidelines
D. Mortality rate
Answer: B
Rationale: Balancing measures assess unintended consequences, such as
increased staff workload.
11.Clinical practice guidelines are best described as
A. Mandatory laws
B. Evidence-based recommendations
C. Financial policies
D. Utilization review tools
