Certified Professional in Patient Safety (CPPS) Practice Exam

In a healthcare setting, what is the purpose of routine studies of close calls?

1. To promote staff accountability.

2. To analyze trends in patient feedback.

3. To identify preventive actions for system designs.

4. To evaluate staff performance metrics.

The correct answer is: To identify preventive actions for system designs.

Routine studies of close calls in a healthcare setting focus on identifying preventive actions for system designs. Close calls, or near misses, provide invaluable insights into the processes and systems in place within an organization. These studies help healthcare professionals understand how and why close calls occur, revealing areas where the system may be vulnerable or flawed. By analyzing close calls, organizations can develop strategies to modify systems and processes, thereby preventing similar incidents from reaching patients. This proactive approach prioritizes patient safety by addressing the root causes of potential errors before they lead to harm. Such systematic improvements contribute to a safety culture that emphasizes learning from incidents rather than punishing individuals, ultimately reducing the likelihood of actual adverse events. In contrast, promoting staff accountability primarily concerns individual performance and responsibility rather than system-level improvements. Analyzing trends in patient feedback focuses on patient satisfaction and perceptions of care rather than close calls specifically. Evaluating staff performance metrics relates to measuring individual employee performance against set standards, which may not directly address systematic issues highlighted by close calls.