Free NAHQ CPHQ Practice Exam with Questions & Answers | Set: 17

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract:

Under the Patient Safety domain, the most effective and sustainable approach to preventing serious errors is to implement system-level and design-based solutions rather than relying solely on education or policy changes.

Selecting and purchasing equipment designed with engineering controls (e.g., tubing connectors that are incompatible between oral and IV routes) eliminates the possibility of misconnections, addressing the root cause of the sentinel event.

Labeling or education (options A and B) are weaker controls that depend on human compliance, while reducing overtime (option C) may mitigate fatigue but does not remove the mechanical risk. The hierarchy of safety controls prioritizes engineering and design changes as the strongest preventive measures.

The NAHQ CPHQ exam blueprint emphasizes stratifying population health data to identify health disparities and target interventions where outcomes remain poorest.

Option A is correct because the Hispanic population has the highest post-intervention HbA1c value (9.2%), which remains well above the target of <8%. This indicates persistent unmet need despite education.

White and Asian populations have achieved target levels. While Black, Non-Hispanic patients remain above target, their aggregate HbA1c is lower than the Hispanic group.

The CPHQ framework prioritizes equity-focused improvement, directing resources to populations with the greatest gaps in outcomes.

A performance improvement plan (PIP) is a set of focused activities designed to monitor, analyze, and improve the quality of processes and outcomes in a healthcare organization12.

A PIP should be aligned with the strategic goals of the organization, which are the long-term objectives that reflect the vision, mission, and values of the organization3.

To align a PIP with strategic goals, a healthcare quality professional should consider the following factors45:

Customer expectations: These are the needs, preferences, and perceptions of thepatients, families, and other stakeholders who receive or are affected by the healthcare services. Customer expectations are a key driver of quality improvement, as they reflect the degree of satisfaction and loyalty of the customers. Customer expectations can be measured by surveys, feedback, complaints, and compliments6 .

Benchmarking data: These are the comparative data that show how the organization performs relative to other similar or best-in-class organizations in terms of quality, efficiency, and effectiveness. Benchmarking data can help identify gaps, opportunities, and best practices for improvement. Benchmarking data can be obtained from external sources, such as national databases, accreditation agencies, or professional associations, or from internal sources, such as historical data, peer groups, or departments .

Patient outcome data: These are the data that show the results or impacts of the healthcare services on the health status, quality of life, and satisfaction of the patients. Patient outcome data are the ultimate indicators of quality improvement, as they reflect the effectiveness and value of the healthcare services. Patient outcome data can be measured by clinical indicators, such as mortality, morbidity, complications, or readmissions, or by patient-reported indicators, such as functional status, symptomrelief, or experience of care .

By considering these factors, a healthcare quality professional can align a PIP with strategic goals in the following ways45:

Identify the strategic goals and priorities of the organization and ensure that they are clear, specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).

Assess the current performance of the organization in relation to the strategic goals and priorities, using customer expectations, benchmarking data, and patient outcome data as sources of information and evidence.

Identify the gaps and opportunities for improvement based on the assessment of the current performance and the comparison with the strategic goals and priorities.

Develop and implement improvement actions that address the gaps and opportunities for improvement, using evidence-based methods and tools, such as the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle, root cause analysis, or process mapping.

Monitor and evaluate the improvement actions and their effects on the performance of the organization, using customer expectations, benchmarking data, and patient outcome data as measures of success and feedback.

Communicate and disseminate the improvement results and the lessons learned to the relevant stakeholders, such as the leadership, staff, customers, and partners, and celebrate the achievements and recognize the contributions.

Review and revise the improvement actions and the PIP as needed, based on the monitoring and evaluation results and the changing needs and expectations of the customers and the organization.