Quality Improvement & Patient Safety Flashcards
7 cards from real RHS 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 Improvement & Patient Safety flashcards as text
What does the SBAR communication framework stand for?
Answer: Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation
SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation) is a structured communication tool used to convey critical patient information efficiently and clearly between healthcare providers.
The concept of 'forcing functions' in patient safety system design refers to:
Answer: Physical or system constraints that prevent errors by making unsafe actions impossible or very difficult
Forcing functions are design features that make it physically impossible or extremely difficult to perform an incorrect action, such as using incompatible connectors for different medical gases.
Crew Resource Management (CRM) as applied in healthcare is primarily focused on:
Answer: Improving teamwork, communication, and decision-making to reduce errors
CRM, adapted from aviation, focuses on improving teamwork, communication, leadership, and situational awareness among healthcare teams to prevent errors and adverse events.
The National Quality Forum (NQF) is best known in patient safety for maintaining:
Answer: A list of Serious Reportable Events commonly known as 'Never Events'
The NQF maintains a list of Serious Reportable Events (formerly called 'Never Events') — preventable, serious errors that should never occur in properly functioning healthcare systems.
Six Sigma as applied to healthcare quality improvement primarily focuses on:
Answer: Reducing process variation and defects to improve quality and patient safety
Six Sigma is a data-driven methodology that uses statistical tools to reduce variation and defects in healthcare processes, thereby improving quality, safety, and efficiency.
Effective 'handoff communication' protocols in healthcare are designed primarily to prevent:
Answer: Information loss and miscommunication during transitions of patient care
Handoff communication ensures accurate and complete transfer of patient information between providers during care transitions, preventing gaps that could lead to errors or delays in treatment.
Mortality and Morbidity (M&M) conferences in healthcare organizations serve primarily to:
Answer: Review adverse outcomes to identify learning opportunities and improve future care quality
M&M conferences provide an educational, non-punitive forum for reviewing adverse patient outcomes to identify system failures, clinical learning points, and opportunities to improve care.