CPE Change Management in Healthcare 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A hospital's CMIO wants to implement a new EHR module. Which ADKAR element is addressed by providing hands-on training sessions before go-live?
- Awareness
- Desire
- Knowledge (Correct answer)
- Reinforcement
Correct answer: Knowledge
Knowledge in the ADKAR model refers to knowing how to change, which is directly built through training and education activities.
Question 2: When applying Lewin's change model, which phase involves establishing new processes as standard practice and updating policies accordingly?
- Unfreezing
- Moving
- Refreezing (Correct answer)
- Sustaining
Correct answer: Refreezing
Refreezing stabilizes the organization at the new state by embedding changes into policies, procedures, and culture.
Question 3: A physician executive notices that frontline staff are compliant with a new protocol but revert when auditors leave. This behavior most likely reflects a failure in which change dimension?
- Awareness
- Ability
- Reinforcement (Correct answer)
- Desire
Correct answer: Reinforcement
Reinforcement in the ADKAR model ensures that changes stick through recognition, feedback, and accountability systems.
Question 4: A large health system is merging two hospital cultures with conflicting values around patient care priorities. Which approach is MOST effective for the physician executive to take first?
- Issue a mandate standardizing all workflows immediately
- Conduct a cultural assessment to identify shared values and points of tension (Correct answer)
- Replace leadership at the acquired hospital to accelerate alignment
- Focus exclusively on financial integration before addressing culture
Correct answer: Conduct a cultural assessment to identify shared values and points of tension
A cultural assessment identifies commonalities and conflicts that inform a merger integration strategy and prevents premature mandates that generate resistance.
Question 5: Which type of change is BEST described as incremental improvements within an existing system without altering its fundamental structure?
- Transformational change
- Transitional change
- Developmental change (Correct answer)
- Disruptive change
Correct answer: Developmental change
Developmental change improves current processes or practices without challenging the underlying organizational framework.
Question 6: A physician executive is leading a value-based care transition. Physicians resist because they fear loss of clinical autonomy. Which strategy BEST addresses this specific barrier?
- Emphasize financial penalties for non-adoption
- Co-design care protocols with physician input to preserve clinical judgment (Correct answer)
- Remove resistant physicians from care teams
- Accelerate the timeline to reduce prolonged uncertainty
Correct answer: Co-design care protocols with physician input to preserve clinical judgment
Co-designing protocols with physicians addresses autonomy concerns by giving them ownership of the change rather than having it imposed.
Question 7: In Kotter's 8-step model, what is the PRIMARY purpose of creating short-term wins?
- To signal the project is complete and resources can be reassigned
- To build credibility, maintain momentum, and silence skeptics (Correct answer)
- To reward only high performers and motivate competition
- To demonstrate ROI to payers and external stakeholders
Correct answer: To build credibility, maintain momentum, and silence skeptics
Short-term wins in Kotter's model are designed to provide evidence that the change effort is working, which sustains energy and counters resistance.
CPE Change Management in Healthcare 2
A hospital's CMIO wants to implement a new EHR module.
Which ADKAR element is addressed by providing hands-on training sessions before go-live?