CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL IN
HEALTHCARE QUALITY (CPHQ)
EXAMINATION QUESTION AND
CORRECT ANSWERS (VERIFIED
ANSWERS) PLUS RATIONALES 2026 Q&A
INSTANT DOWNLOAD PDF
1. Which organization is responsible for accrediting hospitals in the United
States?
A. CMS
B. WHO
C. NCQA
D. The Joint Commission
Answer: D. The Joint Commission
Rationale: The Joint Commission is the primary accrediting body for
hospitals and healthcare organizations in the U.S.
2. The primary goal of quality improvement in healthcare is to:
A. Reduce staffing costs
B. Improve patient outcomes
C. Increase documentation
D. Meet regulatory requirements
Answer: B. Improve patient outcomes
Rationale: Quality improvement focuses on enhancing patient safety,
outcomes, and satisfaction.
,3. Which methodology emphasizes reducing variation and defects?
A. PDSA
B. Lean
C. Six Sigma
D. Root Cause Analysis
Answer: C. Six Sigma
Rationale: Six Sigma aims to reduce defects and variation using data-
driven methods.
4. Donabedian’s model includes structure, process, and:
A. Outcome
B. Cost
C. Satisfaction
D. Efficiency
Answer: A. Outcome
Rationale: Donabedian defined healthcare quality through structure,
process, and outcome.
5. Which tool is best for identifying the root cause of an adverse event?
A. Flowchart
B. Pareto chart
C. Root Cause Analysis
D. Histogram
Answer: C. Root Cause Analysis
Rationale: RCA systematically identifies underlying causes of adverse
events.
6. Benchmarking is best described as:
A. Auditing compliance
B. Comparing performance with best practices
C. Measuring patient satisfaction
D. Reviewing policies
Answer: B. Comparing performance with best practices
, Rationale: Benchmarking compares organizational performance to
industry leaders or standards.
7. Which indicator measures the rate of hospital-acquired infections?
A. Structure indicator
B. Financial indicator
C. Process indicator
D. Outcome indicator
Answer: D. Outcome indicator
Rationale: Infection rates reflect patient outcomes.
8. The PDSA cycle stands for Plan, Do, Study, and:
A. Act
B. Assess
C. Apply
D. Audit
Answer: A. Act
Rationale: PDSA ends with acting on findings to implement or refine
changes.
9. Which data source is considered primary data?
A. Claims data
B. Medical record review
C. Published reports
D. Registries
Answer: B. Medical record review
Rationale: Primary data are collected directly for a specific purpose.
10.Risk management primarily focuses on:
A. Improving efficiency
B. Reducing liability and harm
C. Increasing revenue
D. Staff education
Answer: B. Reducing liability and harm
HEALTHCARE QUALITY (CPHQ)
EXAMINATION QUESTION AND
CORRECT ANSWERS (VERIFIED
ANSWERS) PLUS RATIONALES 2026 Q&A
INSTANT DOWNLOAD PDF
1. Which organization is responsible for accrediting hospitals in the United
States?
A. CMS
B. WHO
C. NCQA
D. The Joint Commission
Answer: D. The Joint Commission
Rationale: The Joint Commission is the primary accrediting body for
hospitals and healthcare organizations in the U.S.
2. The primary goal of quality improvement in healthcare is to:
A. Reduce staffing costs
B. Improve patient outcomes
C. Increase documentation
D. Meet regulatory requirements
Answer: B. Improve patient outcomes
Rationale: Quality improvement focuses on enhancing patient safety,
outcomes, and satisfaction.
,3. Which methodology emphasizes reducing variation and defects?
A. PDSA
B. Lean
C. Six Sigma
D. Root Cause Analysis
Answer: C. Six Sigma
Rationale: Six Sigma aims to reduce defects and variation using data-
driven methods.
4. Donabedian’s model includes structure, process, and:
A. Outcome
B. Cost
C. Satisfaction
D. Efficiency
Answer: A. Outcome
Rationale: Donabedian defined healthcare quality through structure,
process, and outcome.
5. Which tool is best for identifying the root cause of an adverse event?
A. Flowchart
B. Pareto chart
C. Root Cause Analysis
D. Histogram
Answer: C. Root Cause Analysis
Rationale: RCA systematically identifies underlying causes of adverse
events.
6. Benchmarking is best described as:
A. Auditing compliance
B. Comparing performance with best practices
C. Measuring patient satisfaction
D. Reviewing policies
Answer: B. Comparing performance with best practices
, Rationale: Benchmarking compares organizational performance to
industry leaders or standards.
7. Which indicator measures the rate of hospital-acquired infections?
A. Structure indicator
B. Financial indicator
C. Process indicator
D. Outcome indicator
Answer: D. Outcome indicator
Rationale: Infection rates reflect patient outcomes.
8. The PDSA cycle stands for Plan, Do, Study, and:
A. Act
B. Assess
C. Apply
D. Audit
Answer: A. Act
Rationale: PDSA ends with acting on findings to implement or refine
changes.
9. Which data source is considered primary data?
A. Claims data
B. Medical record review
C. Published reports
D. Registries
Answer: B. Medical record review
Rationale: Primary data are collected directly for a specific purpose.
10.Risk management primarily focuses on:
A. Improving efficiency
B. Reducing liability and harm
C. Increasing revenue
D. Staff education
Answer: B. Reducing liability and harm
