CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL IN PATIENT
SAFETY (CPPS)
Actual Questions and Answers
Expert-Verified Explanation
This Exam contains:
✪ Multiple-choice and True/False Format
✪ Expert-Verified Explanations
✪ Verified with Trusted Textbooks
1. What is the origin of the term "iatrogenesis"?
A. Latin for surgical error
B. Greek for originating from a physician
C. Hebrew for healing
D. French for clinical decision
Answer: B
EXPLANATION: "Iatrogenesis" comes from Greek, meaning harm caused by medical intervention,
typically originating from a physician's actions.
2. What defines a preventable adverse event?
A. Any event with unknown cause
B. Events caused by patient's behavior
C. Events due to negligence
D. Events occurring from failure to apply accepted prevention strategies
Answer: D
EXPLANATION: Preventable adverse events occur when harm results from a failure to apply known
and accepted safety strategies.
3. Which event could have been less harmful with different care, though not entirely preventable?
A. Near miss
B. Ameliorable adverse event
C. Sentinel event
D. Medical error
Answer: B
EXPLANATION: Ameliorable adverse events aren’t preventable but could have had less severe
outcomes with better care.
4. What defines an adverse event due to negligence?
A. Patient error
B. Random complication
C. Care below community standards
D. Acts of God
Answer: C
EXPLANATION: Negligent adverse events stem from substandard care that deviates from accepted
clinical norms.
,5. What is a near miss in patient safety?
A. Error caught after harm
B. Unsafe situation avoided just in time
C. Error that was unpreventable
D. Injury that resulted in death
Answer: B
EXPLANATION: A near miss is an unsafe event that could have caused harm but didn’t due to timely
intervention or luck.
6. An error in healthcare is best defined as:
A. A disease complication
B. An intentional act
C. Any hazardous action of commission or omission
D. A negligent mistake
Answer: C
EXPLANATION: Error includes acts of both doing something wrong (commission) and failing to do the
right thing (omission).
7. What is an adverse event?
A. An unavoidable injury
B. An injury caused by medical management
C. An error in documentation
D. A patient's noncompliance
Answer: B
EXPLANATION: Adverse events stem from medical management, not the disease itself, often leading
to extended hospitalization or disability.
8. What does commission mean in the context of medical error?
A. Not reporting symptoms
B. Ignoring alarms
C. Doing something wrong
D. Forgetting to wash hands
Answer: C
EXPLANATION: Commission refers to performing an incorrect action, which may result in harm to the
patient.
9. What does omission mean in patient care?
A. Repeating lab tests
B. Doing something dangerous
C. Failing to perform an appropriate action
D. Ignoring documentation
Answer: C
EXPLANATION: Omission involves not performing a necessary task, such as failing to give a required
medication.
, 10. CPOE stands for:
A. Clinical Patient Observation Event
B. Care Provider Order Electronic
C. Computerized Provider Order Entry
D. Clinical Protocol Ordering Engine
Answer: C
EXPLANATION: CPOE is a system allowing providers to electronically enter treatment orders,
reducing error risk.
11. What was one result of the 2009 HITECH Act regarding computer alerts?
A. Elimination of all errors
B. Complete automation
C. Alert fatigue among clinicians
D. Less reliance on technology
Answer: C
EXPLANATION: While alerts are helpful, overuse leads to alert fatigue, where clinicians may ignore or
override important warnings.
12. How can alert fatigue be minimized?
A. Turn off all alerts
B. Use one alert level for all situations
C. Make only high-level alerts interruptive
D. Require passwords for all alerts
Answer: C
EXPLANATION: Prioritizing and tiering alerts based on severity improves relevance and reduces
fatigue.
13. Which is NOT one of the three core influences on ambulatory safety?
A. Patient behavior
B. Provider-patient interaction
C. Hospital architecture
D. Community and health system role
Answer: C
EXPLANATION: While design can matter, the main influences are behavior, interaction, and
systemic/community factors.
14. The Medical Office Survey on Patient Safety Culture is designed to:
A. Grade provider performance
B. Assign legal liability
C. Assess safety culture in ambulatory care
D. Monitor medication errors only
Answer: C
EXPLANATION: This AHRQ survey evaluates safety culture and attitudes within ambulatory settings.
15. What is a key strategy in patient engagement?
A. Reading patient notes
B. Teach-back method for understanding
SAFETY (CPPS)
Actual Questions and Answers
Expert-Verified Explanation
This Exam contains:
✪ Multiple-choice and True/False Format
✪ Expert-Verified Explanations
✪ Verified with Trusted Textbooks
1. What is the origin of the term "iatrogenesis"?
A. Latin for surgical error
B. Greek for originating from a physician
C. Hebrew for healing
D. French for clinical decision
Answer: B
EXPLANATION: "Iatrogenesis" comes from Greek, meaning harm caused by medical intervention,
typically originating from a physician's actions.
2. What defines a preventable adverse event?
A. Any event with unknown cause
B. Events caused by patient's behavior
C. Events due to negligence
D. Events occurring from failure to apply accepted prevention strategies
Answer: D
EXPLANATION: Preventable adverse events occur when harm results from a failure to apply known
and accepted safety strategies.
3. Which event could have been less harmful with different care, though not entirely preventable?
A. Near miss
B. Ameliorable adverse event
C. Sentinel event
D. Medical error
Answer: B
EXPLANATION: Ameliorable adverse events aren’t preventable but could have had less severe
outcomes with better care.
4. What defines an adverse event due to negligence?
A. Patient error
B. Random complication
C. Care below community standards
D. Acts of God
Answer: C
EXPLANATION: Negligent adverse events stem from substandard care that deviates from accepted
clinical norms.
,5. What is a near miss in patient safety?
A. Error caught after harm
B. Unsafe situation avoided just in time
C. Error that was unpreventable
D. Injury that resulted in death
Answer: B
EXPLANATION: A near miss is an unsafe event that could have caused harm but didn’t due to timely
intervention or luck.
6. An error in healthcare is best defined as:
A. A disease complication
B. An intentional act
C. Any hazardous action of commission or omission
D. A negligent mistake
Answer: C
EXPLANATION: Error includes acts of both doing something wrong (commission) and failing to do the
right thing (omission).
7. What is an adverse event?
A. An unavoidable injury
B. An injury caused by medical management
C. An error in documentation
D. A patient's noncompliance
Answer: B
EXPLANATION: Adverse events stem from medical management, not the disease itself, often leading
to extended hospitalization or disability.
8. What does commission mean in the context of medical error?
A. Not reporting symptoms
B. Ignoring alarms
C. Doing something wrong
D. Forgetting to wash hands
Answer: C
EXPLANATION: Commission refers to performing an incorrect action, which may result in harm to the
patient.
9. What does omission mean in patient care?
A. Repeating lab tests
B. Doing something dangerous
C. Failing to perform an appropriate action
D. Ignoring documentation
Answer: C
EXPLANATION: Omission involves not performing a necessary task, such as failing to give a required
medication.
, 10. CPOE stands for:
A. Clinical Patient Observation Event
B. Care Provider Order Electronic
C. Computerized Provider Order Entry
D. Clinical Protocol Ordering Engine
Answer: C
EXPLANATION: CPOE is a system allowing providers to electronically enter treatment orders,
reducing error risk.
11. What was one result of the 2009 HITECH Act regarding computer alerts?
A. Elimination of all errors
B. Complete automation
C. Alert fatigue among clinicians
D. Less reliance on technology
Answer: C
EXPLANATION: While alerts are helpful, overuse leads to alert fatigue, where clinicians may ignore or
override important warnings.
12. How can alert fatigue be minimized?
A. Turn off all alerts
B. Use one alert level for all situations
C. Make only high-level alerts interruptive
D. Require passwords for all alerts
Answer: C
EXPLANATION: Prioritizing and tiering alerts based on severity improves relevance and reduces
fatigue.
13. Which is NOT one of the three core influences on ambulatory safety?
A. Patient behavior
B. Provider-patient interaction
C. Hospital architecture
D. Community and health system role
Answer: C
EXPLANATION: While design can matter, the main influences are behavior, interaction, and
systemic/community factors.
14. The Medical Office Survey on Patient Safety Culture is designed to:
A. Grade provider performance
B. Assign legal liability
C. Assess safety culture in ambulatory care
D. Monitor medication errors only
Answer: C
EXPLANATION: This AHRQ survey evaluates safety culture and attitudes within ambulatory settings.
15. What is a key strategy in patient engagement?
A. Reading patient notes
B. Teach-back method for understanding
