NAHQ Updated CPHQ Exam Questions and Answers by lucien

Without specific data, the question implies the quality professional has reviewed performance metrics (e.g., readmissions, length of stay) and must determine the next action. In CPHQ practice, reviewing data typically leads to investigating why performance deviates from goals.

Option A (Develop a discharge planning program): Developing a program assumes a specific issue (e.g., poor discharge planning), premature without cause analysis.

Option B (Create dashboard to monitor for trends): A dashboard tracks data but is not the next step after reviewing data, as analysis is needed first.

Option C (Explore underlying causes): This is the correct answer. The NAHQ CPHQ study guide states, “After reviewing performance data, the next step is to explore underlying causes using tools like root cause analysis to identify why metrics are off-target” (Domain 2). This applies broadly to any data review.

Option D (Perform a literature review): Literature reviews inform solutions but follow cause identification.

CPHQ Objective Reference: Domain 2: Health Data Analytics, Objective 2.5, “Analyze data to identify causes,” emphasizes cause exploration post-review. The NAHQ study guide notes, “Cause analysis follows data review to drive improvement” (Domain 2).

Rationale: Exploring causes is the logical next step after data review, aligning with CPHQ’s analytics principles.

Multi-voting is a technique that helps a group narrow down a large list of options to a smaller list of the most important or preferred ones. It is also known as NGT voting or nominal prioritization 1.

Multi-voting is frequently used in the quality improvement process when there are many potential problems or solutions to choose from, and the group needs to focus on the most critical or feasible ones. It can help the group reach a consensus and avoid bias or domination by a few members 1.

According to the NAHQ Healthcare Quality Competency Framework, one of the skills required for healthcare quality professionals is to “use multi-voting to prioritize improvement opportunities” 2. This skill belongs to the domain of performance and process improvement, which involves identifying, analyzing, and implementing changes to improve outcomes and efficiency 3.

The steps of multi-voting are as follows 1:

Generate a list of options or ideas using brainstorming, affinity diagram, or other methods.

Display thelist on a flip chart, whiteboard, or computer screen so that everyone can see it.

Ask each group member to select a certain number of options (usually 3 to 5) that they think are the most important or relevant. They can use stickers, dots, or marks to indicate their choices.

Count the number of votes for each option and rank them from the highest to the lowest.

Eliminate the options that received the least votes (usually less than half of the highest vote) and repeat the voting process with the remaining options until the desired number of options is reached (usually 3 to 5).

Discuss the final list of options and agree on the priority order or the final selection. References:

2: NAHQ Healthcare Quality Competency Framework, Domain 3: Performance and Process Improvement, Skill 3.1.4

3: NAHQ Healthcare Quality Competency Framework Overview 4

1: What is Multivoting? NGT Voting, Nominal Prioritization | ASQ 1

Detailed Explanation:

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) set regulatory requirements for grievance processes that healthcare organizations must follow to maintain compliance and deemed status.

Option B: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

CMS establishes federal requirements that healthcare providers must meet, including those related to patient grievance processes.

The NAHQ CPHQ exam blueprint recognizes systematic random sampling as an acceptable form of random sampling when applied consistently across the entire population. Selecting every fifth patient from a complete, ordered list provides each record an equal probability of selection, assuming no hidden patterns.

Option A is correct because it represents systematic sampling, a recognized random technique used in healthcare audits.

Options B and C introduce selection bias. Option D limits the sample to one month and does not represent the full population.

The CPHQ framework emphasizes unbiased sampling to ensure valid and reliable audit results, making Option A the best choice.