FRACGP Quality Assurance and Improvement 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In a clinical audit cycle, what is the correct sequence of steps?
- Collect data, set standards, implement change, re-audit
- Set standards, collect data, analyze, implement change, re-audit (Correct answer)
- Implement change, set standards, collect data, analyze
- Analyze data, set standards, collect data, re-audit
Correct answer: Set standards, collect data, analyze, implement change, re-audit
The audit cycle follows: set standards, collect data, analyze against standards, implement change, then re-audit to close the loop.
Question 2: Which accreditation body sets standards for Australian general practice?
- Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care
- RACGP Standards for General Practices (Correct answer)
- National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards
- Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency
Correct answer: RACGP Standards for General Practices
The RACGP Standards for General Practices (currently 5th edition) are the benchmark for Australian GP accreditation.
Question 3: A significant event analysis (SEA) is BEST described as:
- A punitive review of clinician errors
- A structured reflective review of events that caused or could have caused harm (Correct answer)
- A formal complaint investigation process
- A mandatory reporting mechanism to AHPRA
Correct answer: A structured reflective review of events that caused or could have caused harm
SEA is a reflective, blame-free process used by teams to learn from events — whether harm occurred or was a near miss.
Question 4: Which tool is most appropriate for identifying the root cause of a recurrent medication error in a GP practice?
- Fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram (Correct answer)
- Gantt chart
- Run chart
- Balanced scorecard
Correct answer: Fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram
A fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram systematically maps contributing causes across categories such as people, process, equipment, and environment.
Question 5: In quality improvement, a 'run chart' is used to:
- Compare performance against a national benchmark at a single point in time
- Display data over time to detect trends and patterns in a process (Correct answer)
- Calculate the statistical significance of an intervention
- Map patient flow through a clinical pathway
Correct answer: Display data over time to detect trends and patterns in a process
A run chart plots measures over time, allowing teams to see whether a process is improving, stable, or worsening.
Question 6: The Model for Improvement (IHI framework) asks three fundamental questions. Which of the following is NOT one of them?
- What are we trying to accomplish?
- How will we know that a change is an improvement?
- Who is responsible if the change fails? (Correct answer)
- What changes can we make that will result in improvement?
Correct answer: Who is responsible if the change fails?
The IHI Model for Improvement asks about aim, measures, and change ideas — accountability attribution is not one of its three core questions.
Question 7: In the PDSA cycle, the 'Study' phase involves:
- Planning the change and predicting the outcome
- Carrying out the planned change on a small scale
- Analyzing data and comparing results to predictions (Correct answer)
- Deciding whether to adopt, adapt, or abandon the change
Correct answer: Analyzing data and comparing results to predictions
The Study phase involves reviewing data collected during the Do phase and comparing results to predictions made in the Plan phase.
FRACGP Quality Assurance and Improvement 2
In a clinical audit cycle, what is the correct sequence of steps?