CHAP Quality Improvement & Risk Management Flashcards

What is a 'root cause analysis' (RCA) in healthcare quality management?

Answer: A systematic process for identifying the fundamental causes of an adverse event or near miss

RCA is a structured problem-solving method that identifies the underlying system or process failures (root causes) that contributed to an adverse event, rather than focusing on individual blame.

Which quality measurement tool displays process variation over time to distinguish normal variation from unusual patterns?

Answer: Control chart

A control chart (statistical process control chart) plots data over time with calculated upper and lower control limits to help identify whether process variation is normal or signals a special cause.

In healthcare risk management, what is 'liability' for a healthcare organization?

Answer: Legal responsibility for harm or injury caused to patients, staff, or visitors

Liability refers to the legal obligation of a healthcare organization to compensate parties harmed by negligence, errors, or failure to meet the standard of care.

What is the purpose of a 'failure mode and effects analysis' (FMEA) in healthcare?

Answer: To proactively identify potential process failures and their effects before they cause harm

FMEA is a proactive risk assessment tool that systematically identifies potential failure points in a process, assesses their likelihood and severity, and prioritizes prevention efforts.

Which term describes the consistent application of evidence-based practices that have been shown to prevent specific healthcare-associated complications?

Answer: Care bundles

Care bundles are sets of evidence-based interventions that, when implemented together consistently, significantly reduce the incidence of preventable complications such as infections.

What does 'never event' refer to in healthcare quality and safety?

Answer: Serious, largely preventable patient safety events that should never occur

Never events are serious, clearly identifiable, largely preventable patient safety events (such as wrong-site surgery) that should never occur in a properly functioning healthcare system.