What is a basic purpose of a quality improvement program in health care?

• A. To increase patient wait times
• B. To identify and reduce errors and improve patient safety and outcomes
• C. To reduce staff training
• D. To expand hospital marketing

Answer: (B)

Quality improvement in health care is about making care safer and more effective by systematically finding and fixing problems. The basic purpose is to identify where errors can happen, analyze why those errors occur, and implement changes that reduce errors, improving patient safety and outcomes. It’s a data-driven, iterative process that tests changes, monitors results, and uses what’s learned to keep improving care. Choices that aim to increase wait times, reduce staff training, or focus on marketing don’t address patient safety or outcomes, so they don’t fit the core goal of quality improvement.