Page 1 of 96
CAHIMS EXAM STUDY GUIDE COMPLETE
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT DETAILED
ANSWERS (VERIFIED ANSWERS) ALREADY
GRADED A+
Q1. Which of the following prompted the Institute of Medicine
(IOM) to outline six specific targets for the redesign of the
American healthcare system?
✅ Answer: That up to 98,000 U.S. deaths annually were
attributable to medical errors.
🧠 Rationale: The IOM’s landmark report To Err Is Human (1999)
revealed the staggering toll of medical errors and led directly to
the six aims for improvement: safe, effective, patient-centered,
timely, efficient, and equitable.
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Q2. A bundled payment is best described as:
✅ Answer: A single payment amount to a healthcare provider
for a patient’s specific episode of care.
🧠 Rationale: Bundled payments tie reimbursement to a defined
episode, such as a hip replacement or maternity care. This
contrasts with fee-for-service (payment for each service) and is
designed to promote care coordination and efficiency.
Q3. Which Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
function is most closely tied to improving patient safety and
healthcare outcomes?
✅ Answer: Providing evidence-based research to guide clinical
practice and health system improvement.
🧠 Rationale: AHRQ is a federal agency tasked with producing
evidence to make healthcare safer, of higher quality, more
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accessible, equitable, and affordable. It works closely with the
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to publish
annual health reports and develop quality metrics.
Q4. According to the IOM, which of the following is not one of
the six quality aims?
✅ Answer: Profitable.
🧠 Rationale: The six quality aims are safe, effective,
patient-centered, timely, efficient, and equitable. “Profitable”
relates to business performance and is not included in the IOM’s
framework for quality care.
Q5. A health plan that contracts with a network of doctors and
hospitals and encourages patients to use that network by
offering lower out-of-pocket costs is a(n):
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✅ Answer: Preferred Provider Organization (PPO).
🧠 Rationale: PPO participants pay less when they stay inside
the plan’s provider network, but they can still see out-of-network
providers at a higher cost. This flexibility distinguishes PPOs from
HMOs, which generally restrict coverage to a network.
Q6. The Joint Commission is an example of a(n):
✅ Answer: Accrediting body.
🧠 Rationale: The Joint Commission accredits and certifies nearly
21,000 healthcare organizations and programs in the United
States. While participation is voluntary for hospitals, it is often
required for Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement.
Q7. A single-payer healthcare system is one in which:
CAHIMS EXAM STUDY GUIDE COMPLETE
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT DETAILED
ANSWERS (VERIFIED ANSWERS) ALREADY
GRADED A+
Q1. Which of the following prompted the Institute of Medicine
(IOM) to outline six specific targets for the redesign of the
American healthcare system?
✅ Answer: That up to 98,000 U.S. deaths annually were
attributable to medical errors.
🧠 Rationale: The IOM’s landmark report To Err Is Human (1999)
revealed the staggering toll of medical errors and led directly to
the six aims for improvement: safe, effective, patient-centered,
timely, efficient, and equitable.
,Page 2 of 96
Q2. A bundled payment is best described as:
✅ Answer: A single payment amount to a healthcare provider
for a patient’s specific episode of care.
🧠 Rationale: Bundled payments tie reimbursement to a defined
episode, such as a hip replacement or maternity care. This
contrasts with fee-for-service (payment for each service) and is
designed to promote care coordination and efficiency.
Q3. Which Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
function is most closely tied to improving patient safety and
healthcare outcomes?
✅ Answer: Providing evidence-based research to guide clinical
practice and health system improvement.
🧠 Rationale: AHRQ is a federal agency tasked with producing
evidence to make healthcare safer, of higher quality, more
,Page 3 of 96
accessible, equitable, and affordable. It works closely with the
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to publish
annual health reports and develop quality metrics.
Q4. According to the IOM, which of the following is not one of
the six quality aims?
✅ Answer: Profitable.
🧠 Rationale: The six quality aims are safe, effective,
patient-centered, timely, efficient, and equitable. “Profitable”
relates to business performance and is not included in the IOM’s
framework for quality care.
Q5. A health plan that contracts with a network of doctors and
hospitals and encourages patients to use that network by
offering lower out-of-pocket costs is a(n):
, Page 4 of 96
✅ Answer: Preferred Provider Organization (PPO).
🧠 Rationale: PPO participants pay less when they stay inside
the plan’s provider network, but they can still see out-of-network
providers at a higher cost. This flexibility distinguishes PPOs from
HMOs, which generally restrict coverage to a network.
Q6. The Joint Commission is an example of a(n):
✅ Answer: Accrediting body.
🧠 Rationale: The Joint Commission accredits and certifies nearly
21,000 healthcare organizations and programs in the United
States. While participation is voluntary for hospitals, it is often
required for Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement.
Q7. A single-payer healthcare system is one in which:
