Quality Assurance & Improvement Flashcards
7 cards from real ACC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Quality Assurance & Improvement flashcards as text
A scatter diagram is used in an activity quality improvement project to examine the relationship between:
Answer: The number of staff on duty and resident activity participation rates
Scatter diagrams plot two variables to visually identify whether a correlation exists between them, such as staffing levels and participation rates.
Which element is MOST critical when writing a measurable quality improvement goal for an activity program?
Answer: Specifying a numeric target, population, and timeframe (SMART format)
SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) require a numeric target, defined population, and clear timeframe to evaluate success.
After implementing a new evening activity program to increase participation, the activity consultant should evaluate its effectiveness by:
Answer: Comparing evening participation rates before and after the program launched using collected data
Data comparison before and after an intervention is the evidence-based standard for evaluating whether a quality improvement effort achieved its goal.
A control chart is used in healthcare quality management primarily to:
Answer: Distinguish normal process variation from special cause variation over time
Control charts plot a metric over time with upper and lower control limits, allowing teams to identify points outside normal variation that require investigation.
Resident and family council feedback indicating that activity choices feel repetitive is BEST used in a quality improvement framework as:
Answer: Qualitative data informing a structured review of programming diversity
Qualitative feedback from residents and families is a valid data source that should trigger a structured review of programming variety and individualization.
Which of the following BEST describes 'process improvement' versus 'quality assurance' in the context of an activity department?
Answer: Quality assurance monitors compliance with standards; process improvement proactively seeks to raise performance beyond minimum standards
Quality assurance focuses on meeting established standards (compliance), while performance/process improvement focuses on proactively exceeding those standards through data-driven change.
An activity consultant reviewing documentation finds that individualized care plan goals for 12 of 30 residents are identical, word-for-word. This finding indicates a deficiency in:
Answer: Person-centered individualized care planning
Copy-pasted, generic care plan goals indicate that individualization is not occurring, which violates both OBRA requirements and person-centered care principles.