NAHQ CPHQ Exam - Topic 3 Question 81 Discussion

A quality improvement team is a group of people who work together to identify and solve problems in healthcare, improve service provision, and provide better outcomes for patients1.

One of the most widely used tools for the continuous improvement model is the plan-do-check-act (PDCA) cycle, which is a four-step quality assurance method2.

The PDCA cycle involves planning an improvement, testing it on a small scale, checking the results, and acting on the findings to either implement the change on a wider scale or start the cycle again with a different plan2.

The quality professional should stress the importance of making small changes in each cycle of change because this allows theteam to learn from each test, adapt to the local context, and avoid wasting resources on ineffective or harmful interventions3.

Making small changes also reduces the risk of resistance or backlash from stakeholders who may be affected by the change, as they can be involved in the testing and feedback process4.

Additionally, making small changes enables the team to measure the impact of each change and compare it with the baseline data, which helps to determine whether the improvement is achieving the desired outcomes5.

Therefore, the correct answer is A. making small changes in each cycle of change, as this is consistent with the principles and methods of quality improvement.Reference:

1: Quality improvement into practice | The BMJ

2: Continuous Improvement Model - Continual Improvement Tools | ASQ

3: PDSA Quality Improvement: A Scientific Method of Change

4: Different approaches to making and testing change in healthcare | The BMJ

5: Utilization of Improvement Methodologies by Healthcare Quality Professionals During the COVID-19 Pandemic | Journal for Healthcare Quality