Which statement about the Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle is correct?

• A. Plan-Do-Study-Act; to test changes on a small scale, learn, and refine before broader implementation.
• B. Prepare-Define-Standardize-Act; to enforce compliance across departments.
• C. Predict-Document-Solve-Approve; to forecast patient outcomes.
• D. Pilot-Deliver-Sustain-Assess; to scale up implementation quickly.

Answer: (A)

PDSA cycles are about testing a change on a small scale to learn from results and refine before broader use. Plan sets the aim, predicts outcomes, and designs the test. Do carries out the test on a limited basis. Study analyzes the data to see whether the results matched predictions and what was learned. Act decides to adopt, modify, or abandon the change and prepares for the next cycle to continue improving. This iterative learning loop helps improve processes while reducing risk.

The other descriptions don’t capture this learning-and-refinement loop. They either misstate the sequence, focus on enforcing compliance, or emphasize rapid scaling without the data-driven evaluation and iterative testing that characterize PDSA.