Quality Assurance & Standards Flashcards
7 cards from real EMS practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Quality Assurance & Standards flashcards as text
An EMS agency tracks that only 60% of cardiac arrest patients received high-quality CPR per protocol. The BEST next step is:
Answer: Analyze the root cause and develop a targeted education intervention
A root cause analysis followed by targeted education addresses why the gap exists and is the evidence-based quality improvement approach.
Which federal regulation requires EMS agencies receiving Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement to maintain quality assurance programs?
Answer: Conditions of Participation (CoP)
Medicare Conditions of Participation require healthcare providers, including ambulance suppliers, to maintain active quality assurance and performance improvement programs.
What does the term 'process measure' mean in EMS quality management?
Answer: A metric that evaluates steps taken during care delivery
A process measure evaluates whether specific care steps were performed correctly, such as whether aspirin was given to chest pain patients.
Which accreditation body offers the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services (CAAS) standard?
Answer: CAAS itself as an independent organization
CAAS is an independent accreditation organization that sets high-performance standards for ground ambulance services.
In EMS quality assurance, what is a 'run report audit trail'?
Answer: A record showing who accessed, created, or modified a patient care report
An audit trail documents every access and modification to a patient care report, supporting accountability, legal defensibility, and HIPAA compliance.
Which of the following is an example of a 'structure measure' in EMS quality assessment?
Answer: Whether the agency has a written QI policy
Structure measures assess the infrastructure, policies, and resources in place rather than the process of care or patient outcomes.
How does a 'near miss' reporting system contribute to EMS quality improvement?
Answer: It allows identification of system vulnerabilities before serious harm occurs
Near miss reporting captures events where harm almost occurred, allowing organizations to fix system weaknesses proactively rather than reactively after injury.