Quality Control & Process Improvement Flashcards

Which primary purpose does a continuous quality improvement (CQI) program serve in an OEC patrol?

Answer: To systematically review care delivery and identify opportunities for improvement

CQI programs systematically review patient care delivery to identify trends, gaps, and opportunities for improvement rather than to assign blame.

After a complex rescue, the patrol director conducts a structured review of all decisions made. This process is best described as:

Answer: Case review or after-action review

An after-action or case review is a structured debrief of a specific incident to evaluate decision-making, protocol adherence, and outcomes.

An OEC Technician notices the same splinting error occurring across multiple patrollers. The BEST quality improvement response is to:

Answer: Identify the root cause and update training for the entire patrol

Identifying a systemic pattern warrants a systemic solution—updating training—rather than individual disciplinary action.

Medical direction in an OEC program is MOST important because it:

Answer: Ensures care protocols are clinically appropriate and supervised by a licensed physician

Medical direction ensures that OEC protocols are developed, reviewed, and supervised by a licensed physician to guarantee clinical appropriateness.

Which metric is MOST useful for tracking skill maintenance quality in an OEC patrol over time?

Answer: Percentage of patrollers current on required recertifications and skill evaluations

Tracking recertification and skill evaluation currency directly measures whether the patrol maintains required competency standards.

A patroller omits a required assessment step during a patient encounter. The MOST appropriate initial quality improvement action is to:

Answer: Document the deviation, discuss it with the patroller, and provide remedial training

Documentation, private discussion, and targeted remedial training address the gap constructively while maintaining a non-punitive improvement culture.

Which of the following BEST describes a 'benchmark' in the context of OEC quality improvement?

Answer: A performance standard used to compare current practice against a defined target

A benchmark is a measurable performance standard that allows a patrol to compare its current practice against an established target or best practice.