Quality Assurance and Improvement Flashcards
7 cards from real FRACGP 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 and Improvement flashcards as text
A GP practice wants to reduce the rate of patients lost to follow-up after an abnormal Pap smear result. Which QI approach is MOST appropriate as a first step?
Answer: Conduct a baseline audit to quantify the current problem
Before implementing changes, a baseline audit establishes the current rate of follow-up loss, providing a benchmark against which improvement can be measured.
Which of the following BEST describes 'clinical governance' in general practice?
Answer: A framework through which health organizations are accountable for continuously improving quality and safeguarding standards of care
Clinical governance is a system of accountability for quality and safety, encompassing leadership, culture, processes, and outcomes.
When conducting peer review in general practice, the primary purpose is to:
Answer: Support reflective practice and continuous professional development
Peer review in general practice is primarily a formative, educational process aimed at supporting reflective practice and CPD, not disciplinary oversight.
A practice implements a new electronic reminder system for cervical screening. After 6 months, screening rates have not improved. According to quality improvement principles, the NEXT step is:
Answer: Analyze the system to understand why the change did not produce improvement
When a PDSA cycle does not produce the expected improvement, the next step is to analyze the failure to understand the cause before adjusting the intervention.
Which of the following is an example of a 'structure' measure in the Donabedian model of healthcare quality?
Answer: Availability of spirometry equipment in the practice
In Donabedian's model, structure measures assess the resources and organizational features of care delivery, such as equipment, staff, and facilities.
The concept of 'safety culture' in a GP practice is BEST demonstrated by:
Answer: Staff feeling safe to report errors and near misses without fear of blame
A true safety culture is characterized by psychological safety — where staff proactively report errors and near misses, generating learning opportunities.
In continuous quality improvement (CQI), 'special cause variation' differs from 'common cause variation' in that it:
Answer: Signals an unusual event or factor outside the normal process
Special cause variation arises from factors external to the normal process and signals something unusual that warrants investigation and specific action.