CALA Quality Assurance & Improvement Flashcards
6 cards from real CALA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 CALA Quality Assurance & Improvement flashcards as text
What does the PDSA cycle stand for in quality improvement methodology?
Answer: Plan, Do, Study, Act
PDSA (Plan, Do, Study, Act) is a cyclical quality improvement framework where changes are planned, implemented on a small scale, studied for effectiveness, and then acted upon to spread or adjust the improvement.
Which type of data is most useful for tracking trends in quality indicators over time in an assisted living facility?
Answer: Quantitative data collected consistently over defined time periods and displayed in run charts or control charts
Quantitative data collected consistently over time and displayed in run charts or control charts allows administrators to identify trends, patterns, and whether interventions are producing improvement.
What is an 'adverse event' in the context of assisted living quality reporting?
Answer: An unintended harmful outcome experienced by a resident, such as a fall, medication error, or elopement
An adverse event is an unintended harmful outcome affecting a resident, such as a fall resulting in injury, medication error, or unexpected decline in health status.
Which quality improvement concept focuses on reducing unnecessary variation in care processes to improve consistency and outcomes?
Answer: Standardization of care processes and protocols
Standardizing care processes reduces unnecessary variation, ensuring that evidence-based practices are consistently applied across all staff and shifts, which improves resident outcomes.
In a quality meeting, an administrator presents data showing the fall rate increased after a staffing change. What should the quality team do next?
Answer: Analyze possible causal relationships between the staffing change and falls, then test a targeted intervention
The team should analyze the potential relationship between the staffing change and the fall rate increase, then design and test a targeted intervention to address the identified root cause.
What is the purpose of an 'incident report' in assisted living quality assurance?
Answer: To record details of adverse events or near-misses for analysis, tracking, and quality improvement purposes
Incident reports document the details of adverse events and near-misses, providing data essential for trend analysis, root cause investigation, regulatory compliance, and quality improvement planning.