Q.1 What is the primary goal of quality improvement in healthcare?
Increase hospital profits
Reduce healthcare staff workload
Enhance patient outcomes and safety
Expand hospital infrastructure
Explanation - Quality improvement focuses on systematic efforts to make healthcare safer, more effective, and centered on patient outcomes.
Correct answer is: Enhance patient outcomes and safety
Q.2 Which of the following is a key principle of patient safety?
Blame-focused culture
System-based thinking
Punishment of errors
Restricting teamwork
Explanation - Patient safety emphasizes system redesign and prevention rather than individual blame.
Correct answer is: System-based thinking
Q.3 The 'Swiss Cheese Model' in patient safety illustrates:
How teamwork prevents errors
How multiple system defenses can fail
How hospitals maximize profits
How patients choose providers
Explanation - The Swiss Cheese Model shows that errors occur when weaknesses in multiple layers of defense align.
Correct answer is: How multiple system defenses can fail
Q.4 Which method is commonly used to analyze medical errors?
Random sampling
Root cause analysis
Linear regression
Clinical trial design
Explanation - Root cause analysis investigates underlying system issues contributing to an error.
Correct answer is: Root cause analysis
Q.5 Which organization is most associated with global patient safety standards?
WHO
WTO
UNESCO
IMF
Explanation - The World Health Organization (WHO) leads initiatives on patient safety worldwide.
Correct answer is: WHO
Q.6 What does the term 'never event' refer to in healthcare?
Unavoidable patient complications
Rare but acceptable errors
Serious, preventable adverse events
Unexpected research findings
Explanation - Never events are errors that should never occur, such as wrong-site surgery.
Correct answer is: Serious, preventable adverse events
Q.7 The PDSA cycle stands for:
Plan-Do-Study-Act
Prepare-Deliver-Sustain-Assess
Practice-Design-Study-Apply
Plan-Discuss-Solve-Act
Explanation - The PDSA cycle is a framework for testing and implementing quality improvement changes.
Correct answer is: Plan-Do-Study-Act
Q.8 Which of the following is an example of a process measure?
Patient mortality rate
Hospital readmission rate
Percentage of hand hygiene compliance
Length of hospital stay
Explanation - Process measures assess whether best practices are followed, such as hand hygiene.
Correct answer is: Percentage of hand hygiene compliance
Q.9 Medication reconciliation primarily aims to:
Reduce hospital costs
Avoid medication errors during transitions
Encourage patient self-treatment
Eliminate use of generic drugs
Explanation - Medication reconciliation ensures accuracy of medications when patients move across care settings.
Correct answer is: Avoid medication errors during transitions
Q.10 Which of the following is a key dimension of healthcare quality as defined by the Institute of Medicine?
Profitability
Equity
Marketability
Popularity
Explanation - The Institute of Medicine defines six domains of quality: safety, effectiveness, patient-centeredness, timeliness, efficiency, and equity.
Correct answer is: Equity
Q.11 A hospital encouraging staff to report errors without fear is promoting:
A punitive culture
A just culture
A closed culture
A cost-cutting culture
Explanation - A just culture promotes accountability and learning while avoiding unnecessary blame.
Correct answer is: A just culture
Q.12 The 'bundle approach' in quality improvement refers to:
A collection of unrelated protocols
A set of evidence-based practices performed together
Packaging medical supplies efficiently
Combining patient bills
Explanation - Bundles are groups of interventions that, when implemented collectively, improve outcomes.
Correct answer is: A set of evidence-based practices performed together
Q.13 Which tool helps visualize steps in a process to identify inefficiencies?
Flowchart
Bar graph
Histogram
Pie chart
Explanation - Flowcharts are used in quality improvement to map processes and identify bottlenecks.
Correct answer is: Flowchart
Q.14 The term 'sentinel event' means:
A minor, reversible error
An event signaling a need for immediate investigation
An error without harm
A planned system audit
Explanation - Sentinel events are unexpected occurrences involving serious harm or death requiring urgent review.
Correct answer is: An event signaling a need for immediate investigation
Q.15 Which approach is most effective for preventing central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI)?
Antibiotic overuse
Daily central line checks and sterile technique
Limiting IV fluid use
Random staff rotations
Explanation - Strict adherence to sterile technique and line necessity checks significantly reduce CLABSI.
Correct answer is: Daily central line checks and sterile technique
Q.16 The primary focus of Lean methodology in healthcare is:
Reducing waste and increasing value
Maximizing revenue
Punishing errors
Encouraging competition
Explanation - Lean focuses on streamlining processes and eliminating inefficiencies to improve patient care.
Correct answer is: Reducing waste and increasing value
Q.17 Six Sigma methodology in healthcare emphasizes:
Eliminating defects and reducing variability
Increasing hospital size
Improving staff morale only
Encouraging overtime work
Explanation - Six Sigma focuses on achieving near-perfect quality by minimizing errors and variation.
Correct answer is: Eliminating defects and reducing variability
Q.18 What is the primary benefit of simulation-based training in patient safety?
Increases patient waiting times
Improves staff teamwork and preparedness
Reduces staff accountability
Lowers hospital rankings
Explanation - Simulation allows healthcare teams to practice critical skills safely before real scenarios.
Correct answer is: Improves staff teamwork and preparedness
Q.19 A 'near miss' in patient safety refers to:
An error that caused harm
An error that was intercepted before harm
A successful intervention
A false alarm
Explanation - Near misses are important learning opportunities because they reveal system vulnerabilities.
Correct answer is: An error that was intercepted before harm
Q.20 Which of the following is a structural measure of quality?
Mortality rate
Nurse-to-patient ratio
Patient satisfaction score
Medication error rate
Explanation - Structural measures assess healthcare system capacity, such as staffing ratios and facility resources.
Correct answer is: Nurse-to-patient ratio
Q.21 The 'Check' step in the PDCA cycle corresponds to:
Reviewing results of the intervention
Implementing a new idea
Planning improvements
Taking corrective action
Explanation - The Check (or Study) step evaluates the outcomes of implemented changes.
Correct answer is: Reviewing results of the intervention
Q.22 Which patient safety strategy helps reduce surgical errors?
Surgical safety checklist
Eliminating consent forms
Reducing surgical staff
Skipping pre-op evaluations
Explanation - The WHO Surgical Safety Checklist ensures essential safety steps are followed during surgeries.
Correct answer is: Surgical safety checklist
Q.23 What is the main purpose of morbidity and mortality (M&M) conferences?
Blaming staff for errors
Learning from adverse events to improve care
Improving billing systems
Rewarding high-performing staff
Explanation - M&M conferences encourage open discussion and learning from mistakes without blame.
Correct answer is: Learning from adverse events to improve care
Q.24 Which factor most contributes to medical errors?
Individual negligence
System failures
Patient attitudes
Hospital size
Explanation - Most medical errors arise from systemic issues rather than individual negligence.
Correct answer is: System failures
Q.25 What is the role of clinical guidelines in quality improvement?
Encourage variation in care
Provide evidence-based standards for practice
Reduce staff accountability
Increase hospital marketing
Explanation - Clinical guidelines standardize care and improve quality by following best evidence.
Correct answer is: Provide evidence-based standards for practice