Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) Practice Exam

The distinction between information and data is pivotal in understanding how knowledge is generated and utilized within Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) practices. Information is characterized by its context and meaning. When data, which are raw facts or figures, are processed and organized with proper context, they transform into information. This contextualization provides the insights necessary for making informed decisions, which is essential in CQI for evaluating processes and outcomes. For example, a series of numbers representing patient wait times lacks meaning until you interpret that data with context—such as average wait times and benchmarks—which allows stakeholders to assess performance and identify areas for improvement. This transformation highlights the importance of context in deriving actionable insights from data.