CMM CMM Patient Safety & Risk Management 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which tool is MOST commonly used during a prospective risk assessment to identify potential failure points before a process is implemented?
- Root cause analysis (RCA)
- Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) (Correct answer)
- Pareto chart
- Control chart
Correct answer: Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA)
FMEA is a proactive tool that systematically identifies potential failure modes in a process and assesses their likelihood and impact before harm occurs.
Question 2: Under HIPAA, a 'covered entity' that experiences a breach affecting 500 or more individuals must notify:
- Only the affected individuals within 180 days
- The affected individuals, HHS, and prominent media outlets without unreasonable delay (Correct answer)
- Only the Department of Justice
- Internal legal counsel exclusively
Correct answer: The affected individuals, HHS, and prominent media outlets without unreasonable delay
HIPAA Breach Notification Rule requires covered entities to notify affected individuals, HHS, and (for breaches ≥500 in a state/jurisdiction) local media promptly.
Question 3: A medical manager reviewing a 'near miss' report should treat it as:
- A minor incident requiring no formal action
- A valuable learning opportunity to prevent future patient harm (Correct answer)
- Proof that the current safety system is adequate
- Grounds for immediate staff termination
Correct answer: A valuable learning opportunity to prevent future patient harm
Near misses are critical learning opportunities because they reveal system vulnerabilities before actual harm occurs, enabling proactive correction.
Question 4: The National Patient Safety Goals (NPSGs) published annually by The Joint Commission are PRIMARILY focused on:
- Reducing hospital operating costs
- Addressing the most critical patient safety challenges in accredited organizations (Correct answer)
- Standardizing physician credentialing requirements
- Streamlining insurance billing procedures
Correct answer: Addressing the most critical patient safety challenges in accredited organizations
NPSGs target the highest-priority patient safety issues identified through sentinel event data and expert consensus, guiding accredited organizations' safety efforts.
Question 5: Which risk management strategy involves transferring financial liability for a specific risk to a third party?
- Risk avoidance
- Risk reduction
- Risk retention
- Risk transfer (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Risk transfer
Risk transfer shifts the financial burden of a risk to another party, most commonly through insurance policies or contractual agreements.
Question 6: A 'culture of safety' in a healthcare organization is BEST characterized by:
- Zero tolerance policies that punish all errors equally
- Leadership commitment, open communication, and psychological safety for reporting concerns (Correct answer)
- Reliance on individual staff vigilance rather than system design
- Strict hierarchy that limits frontline staff input
Correct answer: Leadership commitment, open communication, and psychological safety for reporting concerns
A culture of safety requires visible leadership commitment, non-punitive reporting, and psychological safety so staff can speak up about risks without fear.
CMM CMM Patient Safety & Risk Management 2
Which tool is MOST commonly used during a prospective risk assessment to identify potential failure points before a process is implemented?