Evaluating inputs of failure modes and effects analysis in identifying patient safety risks

Mecit Can Emre Simsekler*, Gulsum Kubra Kaya, James R. Ward, P. John Clarkson

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleScientificpeer-review

32 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Purpose: There is a growing awareness on the use of systems approaches to improve patient safety and quality. While earlier studies evaluated the validity of such approaches to identify and mitigate patient safety risks, so far only little attention has been given to their inputs, such as structured brainstorming and use of system mapping approaches (SMAs), to understand their impact in the risk identification process. To address this gap, the purpose of this paper is to evaluate the inputs of a well-known systems approach, failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA), in identifying patient safety risks in a real healthcare setting. Design/methodology/approach: This study was conducted in a newly established adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder service at Cambridge and Peterborough Foundation Trust in the UK. Three stakeholders of the chosen service together with the facilitators conducted an FMEA exercise along with a particular system diagram that was initially found as the most useful SMA by eight stakeholders of the service. Findings: In this study, it was found that the formal structure of FMEA adds value to the risk identification process through comprehensive system coverage with the help of the system diagram. However, results also indicates that the structured brainstorming refrains FMEA participants from identifying and imagining new risks since they follow the process predefined in the given system diagram. Originality/value: While this study shows the potential contribution of FMEA inputs, it also suggests that healthcare organisations should not depend solely on FMEA results when identifying patient safety risks; and therefore prioritising their safety concerns.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)191-207
Number of pages17
JournalInternational Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance
Volume32
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 11 Feb 2019
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Patient safety
  • Risk management
  • System thinking

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