DHCA Doctor Exam study plan

Map the governance structures, board roles, and leadership accountability models that appear in health care organizations

Outline the revenue cycle end-to-end, labeling each stage and the leadership decision points within it

Define and contrast payer mix, reimbursement methodologies (fee-for-service, capitation, bundled, value-based), and their margin implications

Build a one-page glossary of finance and governance terminology you will reuse all eight weeks

Work through budget construction: operating vs. capital budgets, variance analysis, and break-even calculation

Compute contribution margin, days in accounts receivable, and cost per case from sample figures you construct yourself

Explain how payer contracts, denials, and charity care shift net revenue

Draft three practice calculation problems and solve them without notes

Connect strategic planning methods (SWOT, portfolio analysis, scenario planning) to governance oversight

Draft a strategy for a hypothetical service line including market assessment, capacity, and financial projection

Sequence an operations improvement effort using capacity, throughput, and scheduling concepts

Identify which strategic decisions require board approval versus management authority

Compare quality frameworks and measurement approaches, and distinguish structure, process, and outcome measures

Trace how a patient safety event is reported, analyzed (root cause analysis), and closed with corrective action

Select and justify at least four metrics for a quality dashboard tied to a stated aim

Design a small Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle for one identified process failure

Summarize core legal concepts: informed consent, negligence elements, privacy and security obligations, and fraud and abuse basics

Apply an ethical decision framework to two constructed dilemmas involving resource allocation and end-of-life care

Describe health information system components (EHR, interoperability standards, clinical decision support) and the data governance issues they raise

Interpret basic analytic outputs: rates, risk-adjusted comparisons, and the difference between association and causation

Explain major policy mechanisms affecting access, payment, and coverage, and how they flow into organizational behavior

Build a community health needs assessment outline including data sources, prioritization, and intervention selection

Link population health metrics (incidence, prevalence, social determinants) to organizational strategy

Identify the legal and ethical constraints on using patient data for population analytics

Analyze organizational behavior concepts: motivation, team dynamics, conflict, and change management

Design a staffing and workforce plan for a unit, including productivity measures and retention tactics

Draft a change communication plan for an initiative that will meet resistance

Practice giving structured feedback and handling a performance conversation scenario

Synthesize all domains by solving integrated scenarios that combine finance, quality, and governance decisions

Re-test your weakest three domains using self-written questions and identify remaining gaps

Rehearse timing and pacing on a full-length practice set you assemble from your own notes

Consolidate a one-page summary sheet of formulas, frameworks, and key definitions for final review