CCQM study plan

Define each step of PDSA, DMAIC, and Lean A3 in your own words and map where they diverge on problem scoping and measurement.

Build a one-page comparison table of seven basic quality tools (flowchart, check sheet, Pareto, cause-and-effect, histogram, scatter plot, control chart) listing when each is and is not appropriate.

Select two published improvement case narratives and annotate which tools and cycles the teams actually used versus what they claimed.

Draft a personal glossary of 25 improvement-method terms with one worked example each.

Construct a complete worked PDSA cycle for a hypothetical clinic process problem, including aim statement, measures, and prediction.

Interpret control charts: distinguish common-cause from special-cause variation and identify shift, trend, and stratification rules in eight sample chart descriptions.

Apply root cause analysis (five whys, fishbone, fault tree) to two failure scenarios and separate proximate from systemic causes.

Design a small test-of-change plan with a run chart and decision rules for adopt, adapt, or abandon.

Differentiate structure, process, outcome, and balancing measures and classify 30 example indicators into the correct type.

Construct operational definitions for five indicators, specifying numerator, denominator, exclusions, data source, and collection frequency.

Evaluate indicator quality using validity, reliability, feasibility, and actionability criteria, and critique three weak indicator definitions.

Explain risk adjustment, observed-to-expected ratios, and small-number instability, and describe when each threatens fair comparison.

Build a measurement plan linking each project aim to at least one process and one outcome measure with a stated baseline and target.

Calculate and interpret basic statistics for quality reporting: rates, percentages, standardized ratios, and simple confidence intervals.

Design a sampling approach for monthly auditing that balances sample size against feasibility, and justify the choice in writing.

Draft a one-page performance dashboard layout that distinguishes signal from noise and avoids misleading aggregation.

Apply a structured safety-event analysis (e.g., a cause-and-effect and contributing-factors framework) to three written incident vignettes.

Distinguish error types, near misses, and harm events, and select the appropriate response for each of ten scenarios.

Design a failure mode and effects analysis outline for one high-risk process, scoring severity, occurrence, and detection.

Explain how just culture, psychological safety, and non-punitive reporting interact, and draft a reporting-policy summary.

Map the major regulatory and accreditation requirement categories (governance, patient rights, infection control, medication management, data integrity) to the quality professional's responsibilities.

Outline a mock survey preparation timeline from self-assessment through corrective action plan, identifying owners and evidence needed.

Describe the elements of a quality management system: quality policy, document control, competency, audit, and management review.

Draft a leadership brief that translates a compliance gap into a business and safety case for executive sponsors.

Assess governance structures and describe how a quality committee charter, reporting lines, and escalation paths should be designed.

Build a stakeholder map for a change initiative, identifying influence, interest, and engagement strategy for each group.

Apply a change-management model to a planned improvement, anticipating resistance and specifying mitigation actions.

Draft a communication plan with audience-specific messages, channels, cadence, and feedback loops.

Synthesize all domains into a single integrated case study: measure, analyze, intervene, and report.

Practice timed mixed-domain question sets and review every error against source reasoning rather than memorized answers.

Rehearse explaining a quality result to a non-technical executive in under three minutes, both verbally and in writing.

Finalize a personal weak-area list with three concrete remediation actions to pursue after the exam.