FRACGP Quality Assurance and Improvement 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In a clinical audit cycle, what is the correct sequence of steps?
- Collect data, set standards, implement change, re-audit
- Set standards, collect data, analyze, implement change, re-audit (Correct answer)
- Implement change, set standards, collect data, analyze
- Analyze data, set standards, collect data, re-audit
Correct answer: Set standards, collect data, analyze, implement change, re-audit
The audit cycle follows: set standards, collect data, analyze against standards, implement change, then re-audit to close the loop.
Question 2: Which accreditation body sets standards for Australian general practice?
- Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care
- RACGP Standards for General Practices (Correct answer)
- National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards
- Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency
Correct answer: RACGP Standards for General Practices
The RACGP Standards for General Practices (currently 5th edition) are the benchmark for Australian GP accreditation.
Question 3: A significant event analysis (SEA) is BEST described as:
- A punitive review of clinician errors
- A structured reflective review of events that caused or could have caused harm (Correct answer)
- A formal complaint investigation process
- A mandatory reporting mechanism to AHPRA
Correct answer: A structured reflective review of events that caused or could have caused harm
SEA is a reflective, blame-free process used by teams to learn from events — whether harm occurred or was a near miss.
Question 4: Which tool is most appropriate for identifying the root cause of a recurrent medication error in a GP practice?
- Fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram (Correct answer)
- Gantt chart
- Run chart
- Balanced scorecard
Correct answer: Fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram
A fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram systematically maps contributing causes across categories such as people, process, equipment, and environment.
Question 5: In quality improvement, a 'run chart' is used to:
- Compare performance against a national benchmark at a single point in time
- Display data over time to detect trends and patterns in a process (Correct answer)
- Calculate the statistical significance of an intervention
- Map patient flow through a clinical pathway
Correct answer: Display data over time to detect trends and patterns in a process
A run chart plots measures over time, allowing teams to see whether a process is improving, stable, or worsening.
Question 6: The Model for Improvement (IHI framework) asks three fundamental questions. Which of the following is NOT one of them?
- What are we trying to accomplish?
- How will we know that a change is an improvement?
- Who is responsible if the change fails? (Correct answer)
- What changes can we make that will result in improvement?
Correct answer: Who is responsible if the change fails?
The IHI Model for Improvement asks about aim, measures, and change ideas — accountability attribution is not one of its three core questions.
Question 7: In the PDSA cycle, the 'Study' phase involves:
- Planning the change and predicting the outcome
- Carrying out the planned change on a small scale
- Analyzing data and comparing results to predictions (Correct answer)
- Deciding whether to adopt, adapt, or abandon the change
Correct answer: Analyzing data and comparing results to predictions
The Study phase involves reviewing data collected during the Do phase and comparing results to predictions made in the Plan phase.
