CHL Patient Safety and Risk Management 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following is an example of a sentinel event as defined by The Joint Commission?
- A patient develops a mild skin rash from a new medication
- Wrong-site surgery performed on a patient (Correct answer)
- A patient experiences a 2-hour delay in receiving a meal
- A nurse documents vital signs 30 minutes late
Correct answer: Wrong-site surgery performed on a patient
Wrong-site surgery is classified as a sentinel event because it is a serious, largely preventable patient safety event that signals a need for immediate investigation and response.
Question 2: The 'Swiss Cheese Model' of accident causation in healthcare illustrates that:
- Multiple layers of defense can still allow errors to pass through when their gaps align (Correct answer)
- A single strong safety measure can prevent all errors
- Only frontline staff are responsible for patient safety
- Technology eliminates all human error risks
Correct answer: Multiple layers of defense can still allow errors to pass through when their gaps align
The Swiss Cheese Model shows that accidents occur when holes in multiple defensive layers simultaneously align, allowing a hazard to reach the patient.
Question 3: Which medication safety approach involves a pharmacist reviewing physician orders for accuracy and appropriateness before dispensing?
- Barcode medication administration
- Pharmacy verification review (Correct answer)
- Automated dispensing cabinet use
- Tall-man lettering
Correct answer: Pharmacy verification review
Pharmacy verification review is a safety check where a pharmacist reviews physician orders for accuracy and clinical appropriateness before medications are dispensed.
Question 4: Under HIPAA, a covered entity must report a breach affecting 500 or more individuals to which body within 60 days?
- State licensing board
- HHS Office for Civil Rights (Correct answer)
- The Joint Commission
- Centers for Disease Control
Correct answer: HHS Office for Civil Rights
HIPAA's Breach Notification Rule requires covered entities to notify the HHS Office for Civil Rights of breaches affecting 500 or more individuals within 60 days of discovery.
Question 5: What is the primary purpose of a healthcare organization's incident reporting system?
- To identify and discipline negligent employees
- To collect data on errors and near misses to drive safety improvements (Correct answer)
- To provide evidence for malpractice litigation
- To satisfy insurance documentation requirements
Correct answer: To collect data on errors and near misses to drive safety improvements
Incident reporting systems are designed to capture data on errors, near misses, and unsafe conditions to drive quality improvement and prevent future patient harm.
Question 6: Which patient identification protocol is recommended by The Joint Commission to prevent identification errors before providing care?
- Use the patient's room number and bed assignment
- Verify using at least two patient identifiers such as name and date of birth (Correct answer)
- Ask the patient's diagnosis to confirm identity
- Check the patient's wristband color only
Correct answer: Verify using at least two patient identifiers such as name and date of birth
The Joint Commission recommends using at least two patient identifiers (such as name and date of birth) to reliably identify patients before providing any care or treatment.
CHL Patient Safety and Risk Management 2
Which of the following is an example of a sentinel event as defined by The Joint Commission?