Patient Safety: IHI QI 103 Testing and Measuring
Changes with PDSA Cycles Questions with
Detailed Verified Answers
Use the following scenario to answer the first two questions :
You volunteer at a student-run clinic associated with your academic health center. As
a member of the student board, you are constantly looking for ways to improve the
clinic. One common complaint is that it takes too long to check patients in once they
arrive, and you decide to tackle this problem.
Which of the following might be an outcome measure for this effort?
(A) Average number of minutes between patient arrival at the clinic and completion of
check-in
(B) Number of patients seen by the clinic
(C) Average number of students helping to check a patient in
(D) None of the above Ans: A
Outcome measures tell you how the system is performing. In this case, the aim of the
project is to decrease the time it takes to check in patients, so an appropriate
outcome measure for this project could be "average number of minutes between
patient arrival at the clinic and completion of check-in." The average number of
patients seen by the clinic and the average number of students helping to check in
patients might be useful to track as balancing and process measures, respectively.
,Which of the following is the best way to collect baseline data for this improvement
project?
(A) Look at a few patients every day for a week.
(B) Look at 10 percent of patients for a year.
(C) Look at 100 percent of patients for a month.
(D) There is no reason to collect baseline data. Ans: A
The best answer is to use a small sample and gather the data quickly. When measuring
for improvement, it's often unnecessary (and may defeat the goal of rapid, iterative
testing) to collect all available information over an extended period of time. Baseline
data is important for knowing whether changes you are making are, in fact, leading to
improvement.
Which of the following is an example of an effective measurement technique for
improvement?
(A) Always strive for perfection.
(B) Use quantitative and qualitative data.
(C) Always set aside designated time for data collection.
(D) All of the above Ans: B
© Get it right 2025 Getaway - Stuvia US All rights reserved
, The best answer is to use qualitative and quantitative data. Qualitative data, which is
not so much about numbers as it is about the depth of the information collected, can
be a rich source of knowledge in improvement projects. Interviews or focus groups
are common sources of qualitative data. Measurement is not the goal; improvement is
the goal. In order to move forward to the next step, a team needs just enough data to
know whether changes are leading to improvement. ("Seek usefulness, not perfection"
is a mantra at IHI.) To save time, integrate data collection into the daily routine as
much as possible.
Why should you consider collecting a family of measures when undertaking an
improvement?
(A) It makes the project more publishable.
(B) A single measure may not be enough to determine the impact of a change on the
system.
(C) All improvement projects are so complex that they require multiple measures.
(D) All of the above Ans: B
Health care systems are extremely complex. A small change in a complex system can
lead to many unexpected results, so using only one measure may not capture the
effect of the change upon the system. Using more measures will not necessarily
increase the likelihood of publication. Finally, it is health care that is complex, not
necessarily the improvement project itself. The most successful projects are often the
simplest ones.
You're working on an improvement project at a community mental health center.
Your project aim: "Within two months, 100 percent of our patients will wait less than
30 minutes to be seen by a physician." You decide to gather data on patient wait times
© Get it right 2025 Getaway - Stuvia US All rights reserved
Changes with PDSA Cycles Questions with
Detailed Verified Answers
Use the following scenario to answer the first two questions :
You volunteer at a student-run clinic associated with your academic health center. As
a member of the student board, you are constantly looking for ways to improve the
clinic. One common complaint is that it takes too long to check patients in once they
arrive, and you decide to tackle this problem.
Which of the following might be an outcome measure for this effort?
(A) Average number of minutes between patient arrival at the clinic and completion of
check-in
(B) Number of patients seen by the clinic
(C) Average number of students helping to check a patient in
(D) None of the above Ans: A
Outcome measures tell you how the system is performing. In this case, the aim of the
project is to decrease the time it takes to check in patients, so an appropriate
outcome measure for this project could be "average number of minutes between
patient arrival at the clinic and completion of check-in." The average number of
patients seen by the clinic and the average number of students helping to check in
patients might be useful to track as balancing and process measures, respectively.
,Which of the following is the best way to collect baseline data for this improvement
project?
(A) Look at a few patients every day for a week.
(B) Look at 10 percent of patients for a year.
(C) Look at 100 percent of patients for a month.
(D) There is no reason to collect baseline data. Ans: A
The best answer is to use a small sample and gather the data quickly. When measuring
for improvement, it's often unnecessary (and may defeat the goal of rapid, iterative
testing) to collect all available information over an extended period of time. Baseline
data is important for knowing whether changes you are making are, in fact, leading to
improvement.
Which of the following is an example of an effective measurement technique for
improvement?
(A) Always strive for perfection.
(B) Use quantitative and qualitative data.
(C) Always set aside designated time for data collection.
(D) All of the above Ans: B
© Get it right 2025 Getaway - Stuvia US All rights reserved
, The best answer is to use qualitative and quantitative data. Qualitative data, which is
not so much about numbers as it is about the depth of the information collected, can
be a rich source of knowledge in improvement projects. Interviews or focus groups
are common sources of qualitative data. Measurement is not the goal; improvement is
the goal. In order to move forward to the next step, a team needs just enough data to
know whether changes are leading to improvement. ("Seek usefulness, not perfection"
is a mantra at IHI.) To save time, integrate data collection into the daily routine as
much as possible.
Why should you consider collecting a family of measures when undertaking an
improvement?
(A) It makes the project more publishable.
(B) A single measure may not be enough to determine the impact of a change on the
system.
(C) All improvement projects are so complex that they require multiple measures.
(D) All of the above Ans: B
Health care systems are extremely complex. A small change in a complex system can
lead to many unexpected results, so using only one measure may not capture the
effect of the change upon the system. Using more measures will not necessarily
increase the likelihood of publication. Finally, it is health care that is complex, not
necessarily the improvement project itself. The most successful projects are often the
simplest ones.
You're working on an improvement project at a community mental health center.
Your project aim: "Within two months, 100 percent of our patients will wait less than
30 minutes to be seen by a physician." You decide to gather data on patient wait times
© Get it right 2025 Getaway - Stuvia US All rights reserved
