Pass the ASHRM Advancing Health Care Risk Management CPHRM Questions and answers with CertsForce

Under Health Care Risk Management standards aligned with ASHRM and the American Hospital Association Certification Center, employment interview questions must comply with federal and state anti-discrimination laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act ADA, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, and the Immigration Reform and Control Act.

Questions about prescription medications may violate ADA provisions by eliciting information about potential disabilities prior to a conditional offer of employment. Asking whether a candidate plans to have children may constitute unlawful discrimination based on sex or family status. Inquiring directly about citizenship may violate federal employment eligibility standards; employers may instead ask whether the applicant is legally authorized to work in the United States.

In contrast, asking whether a candidate can meet the organization’s attendance requirements is permissible because it relates directly to essential job functions and business necessity. Employers may inquire about the ability to perform job-related duties, provided questions are applied consistently to all applicants and are not designed to screen out protected classes.

Legal and regulatory objectives emphasize nondiscriminatory hiring practices and adherence to equal employment laws. Therefore, questions regarding attendance requirements are appropriate in a job interview setting.

In Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA), the Risk Priority Number (RPN) is commonly calculated as the product of three ratings:Severity (S)of impact,Occurrence (O)likelihood/probability, andDetection (D)ability to detect the failure before it causes harm (lower detectability increases risk). This structured scoring helps teams prioritize which failure modes deserve immediate mitigation. Risk management objectives include proactively identifying high-risk process steps (medication administration, specimen labeling, surgery scheduling), designing controls (standard work, forcing functions, redundancy), and tracking residual risk after changes. While cost and feasibility may influence selection of mitigations, they are not the core RPN elements. Using S–O–D improves transparency in prioritization, supports interdisciplinary alignment, and provides a defensible rationale for resource allocation toward patient safety improvements.

According to Health Care Risk Management standards supported by ASHRM and patient safety principles endorsed by The Joint Commission, the most likely root cause of medication errors is system or process failure. Modern patient safety frameworks emphasize that errors rarely result from isolated individual mistakes. Instead, they typically arise from weaknesses in processes, workflow design, communication systems, technology integration, or inadequate safeguards.

Illegible handwriting, manual systems, and look-alike or sound-alike drugs are recognized contributing factors. However, these elements represent components within a broader system. For example, illegible handwriting becomes problematic when standardized order entry systems are lacking. Look-alike medications pose risks when storage, labeling, or verification processes are insufficient. Manual medication delivery systems increase risk when redundancy and double-check mechanisms are absent.

Root cause analysis methodologies consistently demonstrate that unsafe system design, poor communication processes, lack of standardized procedures, and inadequate training contribute to medication errors. A systems-based approach aligns with just culture principles and focuses on improving processes rather than assigning individual blame.

Clinical and patient safety objectives emphasize system redesign, standardization, and continuous quality improvement. Therefore, system or process failure is the most likely root cause of medication errors.

According to Health Care Risk Management principles outlined by ASHRM and the American Hospital Association Certification Center, both deductibles and self-insured retentions are mechanisms used in risk financing to allocate a portion of loss to the insured organization. However, they function differently in relation to the insurer’s obligation.

A deductible is typically subtracted from the amount paid by the commercial carrier. In many policies, the insurer may pay the full claim amount and then seek reimbursement of the deductible from the insured, or the insured may pay the deductible portion while the insurer handles defense and indemnity payments above that amount. The key distinction is that coverage attaches immediately, but the insured ultimately bears the deductible portion.

A self-insured retention differs in that the insured must satisfy the retention amount before the insurer’s coverage is triggered. Until the retention is exhausted, the insured is responsible for payment and often for defense management.

Option B incorrectly describes a deductible as operating like a self-insured retention. Option C does not distinguish between the two mechanisms. Option D is incorrect because self-insured retention applies before, not after, carrier limits.

Therefore, the correct distinction is that a deductible is subtracted from amounts paid by the commercial carrier.

According to Health Care Risk Management standards outlined by ASHRM and the American Hospital Association Certification Center, the governing board has ultimate responsibility for organizational oversight, quality of care, and patient safety. As part of its fiduciary and governance duties, the board approves high-level policies that establish the organization’s philosophy, strategic direction, and commitment to safety and risk management.

A philosophy regarding medical error management reflects the organization’s approach to disclosure, reporting, just culture principles, accountability, and system improvement. Because this philosophy sets the tone for organizational culture and impacts patient safety, legal exposure, and regulatory compliance, it requires board-level approval to ensure alignment with governance expectations and accreditation standards.

In contrast, the risk management department’s annual budget is typically approved through financial governance processes rather than as a policy document. Risk analyses are operational tools conducted by management and do not require board approval. Departmental personnel job descriptions are administrative documents managed at the executive or human resources level.

Health Care Operations objectives emphasize board engagement in safety culture and oversight of enterprise risk management. Therefore, the philosophy regarding medical error management should be approved by the organization’s board of directors.