CMD Study Guide 2026
Everything you need to pass the CMD exam in one place: the exam format, every topic to study, real practice questions with explanations, flashcards, and full-length practice tests. Free, no sign-up needed.
📋 CMD Exam Format at a Glance
📚 CMD Topics to Study (69)
✍️ Sample CMD Questions & Answers
1. Which element of a business continuity plan specifically addresses maintaining clinical operations when the EHR system is unavailable?
Downtime procedures define how clinical care continues safely using manual/paper processes when electronic systems are unavailable.
2. A Medical Director is evaluating a voice-activated ambient clinical documentation tool that transcribes physician-patient conversations into structured notes. The primary regulatory concern is:
Ambient documentation tools capture PHI through audio recording, requiring clear patient consent policies, business associate agreements, and secure data handling under HIPAA.
3. Under the concept of 'just culture' in patient safety, how should a Medical Director respond when a nurse self-reports a near-miss medication error?
Just culture principles prioritize transparent reporting and systemic analysis over individual punishment, recognizing that most errors stem from system failures rather than individual negligence.
4. A newly hired attending physician at your facility has no prior long-term care experience. As Medical Director, you should MOST appropriately:
The Medical Director is responsible for orienting new physicians to PALTC-specific regulatory requirements and facility policies to ensure safe and compliant care delivery.
5. A nurse practitioner on your team consistently documents assessments that do not reflect the clinical findings described in nursing notes. As medical director, your primary concern is:
Documentation discrepancies represent a patient safety risk and potential fraud concern requiring immediate clinical and administrative review.
6. A state survey cites a skilled nursing facility for failure to ensure adequate physician services. The Medical Director is MOST likely to be held accountable if:
The Medical Director is accountable for ensuring physician visit schedules and coverage structures exist and are monitored—systemic failure to establish these constitutes a deficiency.