Healthcare Quality & Safety
MIDTERM EXAM READINESS
GUIDE
Q&S
©2024/2025
, 1. Which of the following is a primary goal of healthcare
quality improvement initiatives?
a) Reduce staffing levels
b) Increase patient stay duration
c) Improve patient outcomes
d) Enhance administrative workload
Answer: c) Improve patient outcomes
Rationale: The main objective of healthcare quality
improvement is to enhance the health outcomes for
patients, ensuring they receive the safest, most effective
care possible.
2. What is a major focus of the Six Sigma methodology in
healthcare?
a) Reducing variation in processes
b) Increasing patient satisfaction scores
c) Implementing electronic health records
d) Standardizing nurse-to-patient ratios
Answer: a) Reducing variation in processes
Rationale: Six Sigma aims to identify and eliminate causes
of variations in processes to improve quality and efficiency.
3. Which measure is commonly used to evaluate patient
safety in hospitals?
©2024/2025
, a) Patient readmission rates
b) Length of stay
c) Medication adherence
d) Nurse-to-patient ratio
Answer: a) Patient readmission rates
Rationale: Higher readmission rates can indicate potential
issues with the quality and safety of patient care, and are
therefore an essential measure for evaluation.
4. What is the purpose of a root cause analysis (RCA) in
healthcare settings?
a) To allocate resources
b) To find blame for errors
c) To identify underlying causes of adverse events
d) To measure patient satisfaction
Answer: c) To identify underlying causes of adverse
events
Rationale: An RCA aims to uncover the root causes of an
adverse event to prevent future occurrences.
5. What does the acronym "PDSA" stand for in the context
of healthcare quality improvement?
a) Plan-Do-Study-Act
b) Prioritize-Decide-Schedule-Analyze
c) Prepare-Deliver-Sustain-Assess
d) Plan-Detail-Support-Adjust
©2024/2025