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NAHQ CPHQ Practice Exam – Questions & Answers
[Verified Answers] Plus Rationales (2026/27)
1. What is the primary goal of healthcare quality improvement?
A. Increase profits
B. Reduce staffing
C. Improve patient outcomes and safety
D. Expand services
Rationale: The core focus of quality improvement is better patient care and safety outcomes.
2. Which organization administers the CPHQ certification?
A. WHO
B. CDC
C. NAHQ (National Association for Healthcare Quality)
D. Joint Commission
Rationale: NAHQ oversees the CPHQ credential.
3. What does CQI stand for?
A. Control Quality Index
B. Continuous Quality Improvement
C. Certified Quality Initiative
D. Clinical Quality Inspection
Rationale: CQI emphasizes ongoing improvement processes.
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4. Which model is commonly used in quality improvement?
A. SWOT
B. PDSA (Plan-Do-Study-Act)
C. ROI
D. KPI
Rationale: PDSA is widely used to test and implement changes.
5. What is a sentinel event?
A. Minor incident
B. Unexpected event causing serious harm or death
C. Routine procedure
D. Billing error
Rationale: Sentinel events signal serious system failures.
6. Root Cause Analysis (RCA) is used to:
A. Assign blame
B. Identify underlying causes of errors
C. Increase profits
D. Improve marketing
Rationale: RCA focuses on system issues, not individuals.
7. Which dimension is part of healthcare quality (IOM)?
A. Profitability
B. Safety
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C. Marketing
D. Sales
Rationale: Safety is one of the six IOM quality domains.
8. What does KPI stand for?
A. Key Process Indicator
B. Key Performance Indicator
C. Known Performance Index
D. Key Patient Information
Rationale: KPIs measure performance outcomes.
9. Benchmarking means:
A. Marketing
B. Comparing performance against best practices
C. Hiring staff
D. Billing
Rationale: Helps identify improvement opportunities.
10. What is patient-centered care?
A. Doctor-focused
B. System-focused
C. Care that respects patient preferences and needs
D. Cost-focused
Rationale: Emphasizes patient involvement in care decisions.
NAHQ CPHQ Practice Exam – Questions & Answers
[Verified Answers] Plus Rationales (2026/27)
1. What is the primary goal of healthcare quality improvement?
A. Increase profits
B. Reduce staffing
C. Improve patient outcomes and safety
D. Expand services
Rationale: The core focus of quality improvement is better patient care and safety outcomes.
2. Which organization administers the CPHQ certification?
A. WHO
B. CDC
C. NAHQ (National Association for Healthcare Quality)
D. Joint Commission
Rationale: NAHQ oversees the CPHQ credential.
3. What does CQI stand for?
A. Control Quality Index
B. Continuous Quality Improvement
C. Certified Quality Initiative
D. Clinical Quality Inspection
Rationale: CQI emphasizes ongoing improvement processes.
,© Academic_Excellence
4. Which model is commonly used in quality improvement?
A. SWOT
B. PDSA (Plan-Do-Study-Act)
C. ROI
D. KPI
Rationale: PDSA is widely used to test and implement changes.
5. What is a sentinel event?
A. Minor incident
B. Unexpected event causing serious harm or death
C. Routine procedure
D. Billing error
Rationale: Sentinel events signal serious system failures.
6. Root Cause Analysis (RCA) is used to:
A. Assign blame
B. Identify underlying causes of errors
C. Increase profits
D. Improve marketing
Rationale: RCA focuses on system issues, not individuals.
7. Which dimension is part of healthcare quality (IOM)?
A. Profitability
B. Safety
, © Academic_Excellence
C. Marketing
D. Sales
Rationale: Safety is one of the six IOM quality domains.
8. What does KPI stand for?
A. Key Process Indicator
B. Key Performance Indicator
C. Known Performance Index
D. Key Patient Information
Rationale: KPIs measure performance outcomes.
9. Benchmarking means:
A. Marketing
B. Comparing performance against best practices
C. Hiring staff
D. Billing
Rationale: Helps identify improvement opportunities.
10. What is patient-centered care?
A. Doctor-focused
B. System-focused
C. Care that respects patient preferences and needs
D. Cost-focused
Rationale: Emphasizes patient involvement in care decisions.
