Quality Improvement Flashcards

A Pareto chart of patient complaints shows that 80% of complaints come from scheduling delays and billing errors. What should the QI team do first?

Answer: Focus improvement efforts on the few top categories

The Pareto principle says to target the vital few causes that produce most of the problems.

What is the main purpose of a run chart in clinical quality improvement?

Answer: To show performance over time and detect trends or shifts

Run charts plot data over time so teams can see whether a change produces a sustained improvement.

On a statistical process control chart, a single point outside the upper control limit most likely indicates:

Answer: Special-cause variation needing investigation

Points beyond control limits suggest special-cause variation that is not part of the stable process.

A CBP doctor re-measures the same set of lateral cervical films two weeks apart to check consistency. This assesses:

Answer: Intra-examiner reliability

Intra-examiner reliability is one examiner's consistency across repeated measurements of the same data.

Which is the BEST example of an outcome measure for a cervical lordosis rehabilitation program?

Answer: Change in absolute rotation angle C2-C7 on follow-up radiographs

Measured change in sagittal alignment is a direct result of care, which makes it an outcome measure.

What is the primary goal of root cause analysis after an adverse event, such as a patient fall in the clinic?

Answer: To find system-level causes and prevent recurrence

Root cause analysis looks for system and process failures rather than blaming individuals, so the same event does not happen again.

Benchmarking in a chiropractic practice means:

Answer: Comparing your performance metrics with best-practice standards or peer practices

Benchmarking compares internal performance with external standards to find gaps and chances to improve.