According to the provided matrix, surgical site infections have high relative weight in both risk and volume, and also score the highest in terms of cost, indicating that they are frequent, carry significant risk, and are costly. While customer satisfaction is lower for urinary tract infections (UTIs), the higher relative weight and cost associated with surgical site infections suggest they have a more significant impact on overall quality and resource use. Therefore, focusing on reducing surgical site infections aligns with prioritizing initiatives that have the potential for the greatest impact on patient safety and resource utilization.
References:This recommendation is consistent with the NAHQ's emphasis on using data to prioritize quality initiatives, focusing on areas that have the highest impact on patient outcomes and healthcare costs. The NAHQ Healthcare Quality Competency Framework also discusses the importance of data analysis in the Performance and Process Improvement domain to prioritize improvements in healthcare quality and safety.

The primary focus of Six Sigma methodology is reducing variation in processes. Six Sigma aims to improve the quality of outputs by identifying and eliminating the causes of defects and minimizing variability in manufacturing and business processes. By striving for near-perfect processes, Six Sigma helps organizations deliver consistent, high-quality products and services, which is critical in healthcare for improving patient outcomes.
* Complying with standards (B): While Six Sigma can help meet standards, its focus is on reducing process variation.
* Eliminating waste (C): This is a primary focus of Lean methodology, not Six Sigma.
* Improving patient safety (D): While reducing variation can improve safety, Six Sigma's core goal is to minimize defects and variability.
References
* NAHQ Body of Knowledge: Process Improvement and Six Sigma
* NAHQ CPHQ Exam Preparation Materials: Six Sigma Methodology in Healthcare
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Using clinical guidelines based on scientific evidence is most likely to improve practice patterns12345. Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) are systematically developed statements aimed at helping people make clinical, policy-related, and system-level decisions1. They are perceived to present the best evidence for managing clinical matters, including conditions or symptoms, and are upheld as the gold standard of high-quality healthcare1.
CPGs are intended to improve the quality of care provided to patients while containing healthcare costs and reducing variability in clinical practice1. They offer a way of bridging the gap between what is known to be the best evidence, policy, and good practice standards in healthcare1. By using these guidelines, healthcare practitioners can critically assess research data, clinical guidelines, and other information resources to correctly identify the clinical problem, apply the most high-quality intervention, and re-evaluate the outcome for future improvement5.
Therefore, the answer is option A: Improve practice patterns. This is because the use of evidence-based clinical guidelines helps to standardize care, reduce variability, and improve the quality and consistency of patient care12345.