CPHQ: Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality Certification and Preparation Fundamentals

The National Association of Healthcare Quality (NAHQ) offers the Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ) certificate. This Board Certification is related to nursing with skills and knowledge in four quality improvement spaces: patient safety, organizational leadership, health data analytics, and performance improvement.

Healthcare quality improvement proves to be a great career choice for nurses seeking an opportunity to use their problem-solving skills and critical thinking abilities to improve care delivery.

Healthcare providers and organizations continuously strive to comply with regulatory guidelines, so nurses are in more need to use data and process development to guide practices.

CPHQ applicants need to register themselves for the exam via the online portal of the NAHQ.

This exam is valued by the employers. It is a basic requirement in the job posting relevant to quality healthcare and relevant leadership roles in NAHQ. 

• Perform a better level of proficiency at all eight levels of the NAHQs healthcare Quality proficiency framework as compared to non-CPHQs.
• Aim to be an influential figure in the field of healthcare quality.
• Secure more jobs at higher levels in quality healthcare as compared to non-CPHQs. These jobs may include vice president, director, and executive director positions.

Certification

There is no vocational and educational requirement set by the NAHQ to appear in this certification examination. However, it is suggested to have a minimum two years of experience in the healthcare quality profession where the candidate regularly performs the abilities mentioned in the test outline. 

A declaration statement of adherence to the code of ethics and conduct for healthcare quality professionals is required for all the candidates applying for the test.

Renewal

The certificate has a validation period of two years (January of the year getting the certification to December of next year).

For the renewal process of the certificate, the nurses must meet the CE requirement set by the HQCC (Healthcare Quality Certification Commission) the NAHQ certifying body. 

In the year 2022, the requirement for the renewal of the certificate is set to completion of 30 CE hours in two years with a renewal fee for the certificate.

The exam content outline must be followed in all the CE hours.

The requirements for the candidates applying for recertification after December 2022 are:

• 30 CE must be documented over a 2-year recertification cycle, 8 of which must be CE activities approved by NAHQ.
• The professional assessment must be completed once for each cycle of recertification. This earns 2 CEs for the candidate that they can use to fulfill 8 NAHQ-approved CE criteria.

The kind of activities that can be used to fulfill the NAHQ activity criterion are described in full in the competent authority’s CE approval program.

Cost for Renewal

The renewal fee before 30 September 2022 for NAHQ members is 175 USD while for non-members the fee is 230 USD.

The renewal fee between October to December for NAHQ members is 225 USD and for non-members, the renewal fee is 280 USD.

The renewal fee from January 1^st to 31^st for NAHQ members is 275 USD and for non-members, the fee is 330 USD.

Cognitive level of exam questions

Recall – this is a skill to remember the material that you have learned previously.

Application – The skill to use the already learned material in unique ways.

Analysis – The capability to dissect the data and identify the connection between various components.

A computer-based examination consists of 140 MCQs giving you three hours to complete the test. Out of 140, 125 questions will be used to determine the score.

You can submit a written request for special testing space if you need them for problems that fall under the Americans with Disability Policy. This request needs to be made 45 days before scheduling the exam.

Facilities such as access to a wheelchair, recorder, separate testing room/space, larger text font, reader, and extended test time are available.

Admission requirements

This certification examination is suitable for the following personnel:

• Quality directors
• Medical and nursing directors
• Quality managers
• Pharmacists
• Risk managers
• Quality coordinators and officers
• Healthcare managers and administrators
• Senior nurses
• CEOs
• Case managers
• Accreditation officers
• Physicians
• Lab technicians
• Healthcare professionals seeking opportunities in quality and managerial jobs.

The candidates should appear in the workshop with basic knowledge in areas highlighted in the outline for the exam.

Process to register for the examination?

Applying for the examination

The easiest way to apply for this certification is to register online and pay the fee via credit card. If a candidate cannot do that, they have the option to print and fill out the application form and mail it with the fee check. Paying via check costs an additional 25 USD charges.

After successfully applying, the candidate will receive an email with the guidelines to schedule for the test. 90 days will be given to schedule the test.

Cost of this certification examination

The cost for this exam is 479 USD for NAHQ members with USA residency and for people outside USA, it costs 529 USD.

For those who are non-members, the cost is $579 for USA applicants and $629 for people outside the USA.

Location and dates for the examination

Continuous dates are announced for examination, Monday to Friday excluding the National days (Independence Day, Labour Day, Dr. Martin Luther King, Memorial Day, Jr. Day Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, Christmas Eve), and New Year’s Day. There are test centers in different parts of the United States and other countries as well.

What are the dos and don’ts of this examination?

Arrive 30 minutes before the test starts. Reaching the examination centre 15 minutes late will disadvantage you and you will not be allowed to sit for the exam.

Take two proofs for your identification that include your photo, name, and your signature. One of them must include all and the other should have at least your name and signature.

You are not allowed to take a calculator in the center.

You cannot wear watches, coats, and hats in the center.

What happens after the test?

The candidate will receive an unofficial report of your score after you complete the test. This report will be available before you leave the exam center. You will receive an ID card, certificate and pin within 8 weeks of the test if you score passing marks.

What if I fail the examination?

If a candidate fails in first attempt of the test, they can retake the test after waiting for 90 days. A candidate can retake this examination three times in one year. If the candidates fail in three continuous attempts, they need to wait for 12 months to reapply to participate in the examination.

How to prepare for the exam?

Supply:

• CPHQ Preparation Courses

Tools:

• CPHQ Live Classes
• CPHQ Study Material

Materials: CPHQ PDF Study Material CPHQ Video Classes

Structure of the exam

Five domains are covered in the International Health Care Quality Professional Certificate test:

1. Quality Management: Teamwork skills, ethics of healthcare quality, health information management, leadership role in quality, and change management.
    
2. Performance Improvement: Sustaining and selecting solutions, tools, and methods for performance improvement, process analysis, and problem identification.
    
3. Data Management: Charts and graphs, benchmarks and targets, performance measures, data collection and authentication, and applying statistics.
    
4. Patient Safety: Failure mode and analysis of effects, safety culture, risk management, analysis of root cause, high-reliability organization.
    
5. JCI Accreditation: Tracer methodology, measurable and standard elements, the role of certification in quality.

Benefits of this certification

The candidate will prove their commitment to improving the healthcare quality through this examination.

The candidate will have the following after becoming certified:

• Display your proficiency in providing high-quality healthcare and dedication to the profession.
• Set out from other quality-focused healthcare professionals.
• Improve your reputation among coworkers and a larger network.
• Indicate that you are prepared to provide improved results.
• Getting ready for new roles and opportunities in healthcare quality.
• Evaluate the state of recent operations and activities related to healthcare in the hospitals.
• Clear the exam conducted by NAHQ in the first attempt.
• Practice, review, and understand the requirements of various international standards for healthcare.
• Identify the underlying problems in the healthcare system as well as the opportunities available in the sector.
• Determine the critical performance indicators for measuring the efficiency of the healthcare system in hospitals.
• Minimize the percentage of mistakes in treatment, diagnosis, and healthcare checkups.
• Minimize the mistakes in operational procedures in healthcare.
• Propose effective plans for healthcare for non-conformists writing audits and reports.
• Ensuring the stability in performance and improvement of the healthcare system.
• International recognition.
• International acknowledgment.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)