Certified Professional in Patient Safety (CPPS) Practice Exam

Which method of analysis is generally used to identify potential failures before implementation?

1. Root cause analysis

2. Failure mode and effects analysis

3. Process analysis

4. Control chart analysis

The correct answer is: Failure mode and effects analysis

Failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) is a proactive approach that is specifically designed to identify potential failures within a system before they occur. This method helps teams assess what could go wrong, how it could happen, and the impact it might have on the process or patient safety. FMEA involves a systematic evaluation of the components and processes within a healthcare setting, allowing teams to assign risk levels to each identified failure mode based on the severity of its potential effects and the likelihood of its occurrence. With this information, organizations can prioritize the most critical areas for improvement and implement preventive measures effectively. This predictive nature is what sets FMEA apart as an essential tool for risk management in patient safety. While root cause analysis is focused on understanding the underlying causes of an event after it has occurred, and process analysis looks at current processes and their efficiency or effectiveness, both are reactive or descriptive in nature. Control chart analysis monitors ongoing processes to identify variations but does not specifically target potential failures that might occur before a process is fully implemented.