# Presentation: 007674

## Root Cause Analysis –Faculty Development  

**Edward J. Dunn, MD, MPH and Craig Renner, MPH**
**VA National Center for Patient Safety**
_**edward.dunn@med.va.gov**_**     **_**www.patientsafety.gov**_

**Notes:**
Note:

## “Location” in the Curriculum Toolkit

_**Alternative Education Formats**_
-  Pt Safety Case Conference (M&M)
-  Pt Safety on Rounds (Modulettes)
-  One-month Elective
-  Etc.

_**Instructor Preparation**_
- Swift and Long Term Trust
-  “Selling the Curriculum” to Peers and Leadership for Lasting Change
-  Etc.

_**Content**_
-  Pt. Safety Introduction
** **Human Factors Engineering
-  Pt Safety Interventions
** ****Root Cause Analysis**

## Overview

- What is RCA?
- Why do an RCA
- Why involve residents in RCA?
- As team member
- As implementer of key action plan
- tangible entry for ACGME “procedure log”
- Tips on getting started w/ RCA

**Notes:**
[Human beings are hard-wired not to be able to do a good root cause analysis.]

Adult learning = experiential is most effective

Root cause analysis is potentially a learning tool for a resident to become a better doctor – as well as a way to identify and fix system hazards.

## Objectives for Learners

- 1) Create teachable moment for systems thinking
- 2) Introduce them to a tool/process that they will be part of in the future
- 3) Demonstrate common pitfalls when trying to do critical safety analysis

## What is Root Cause Analysis?(RCA)

- Process for identifying contributing/ causal factors that underlie variations in performance associated with **adverse events** or **close calls **
- Process that features interdisciplinary involvement of those closest to and/or most knowledgeable about the situation

## Where Did it Come From?

- Derivative of **Failure Mode Effect Analysis (FMEA) **- reliability engineering for US Military (1949) to determine effect of system and equipment failures
- FMEA use by NASA for Apollo space program (1960s)
- FMEA in US manufacturing (1960s-70s)
- US Auto Industry FMEA Standards implemented (1993)

## NCPS RCA Model

- A rigorous,legally protected and confidential approach to answering:* *
- 		- What happened? (event or close call)
- 			What happened _that day_?
- 			What _usually_ happens?  (norms)
- 			What _should_ have happened? (policies)
- 		- Why did it happen?
- 		- What are we going to do to prevent
- 		  it from happening again? (actions/outcomes)
- 		- How will we know that our actions improved 	 	  patient safety? (measures/tracking)

## RCA Goals

- Find out:
- What happened?
- Why did it happen?
- What do you do to prevent it from happening again?
- How do we know we made a difference?
- For details see either:  http://vaww.ncps.med.va.gov/RCAtrain.html
- 	http://www.patientsafety.gov/tools.html

## RCA Goals (expanded)	

- A tool in the systems approach to prevention, not punishment, of adverse events
- A tool in the effort to build a “culture of safety”
- A process for identifying basic or contributing causes
- A process for identifying what can be done to prevent recurrence
- A process for measuring and tracking outcomes

## Why involve residents in RCA?

- Residents know what happens at the microprocess level
- Residents are future leaders in healthcare
- Either as team member or as implementer of key action plan
- Resident/Fellow Participation in Patient Safety Activities - Baseline
- Analysis of National RCA database (many caveats)
- Residents as RCA team members < 30 (< 0.1%)
- All physicians ~ **15%!**
- Questionnaire of **7** VA sites
- RCA team members = 7   (four from Atlanta)
- RCA interviewee or consultant = 18
- HFMEA interviewee or consultant = 6
- Misc activities (action plans, safety committee) = 31

## ACGME “procedure log”

- One of only a few “tangible” items for a log
- Research-type or QI-type projects more involved
- Pragmatics make these more difficult than RCA
- RCA is about as “real” as you can get
- Involvement and innovativeness in RCA can be measured (e.g., competency)
- ACGME core competency – “Systems based Practice”

## RCA Model

- Focuses on prevention, not blame or punishment (cornerstone:  no one comes to work to make a mistake or hurt someone)
- Focuses on system level vulnerabilities rather than individual performance
- 	  - Communication           - Environment/Equipment
- 	  - Training                       - Rules/Policies/Procedures
- 	  - Fatigue/Scheduling     - Barriers

## RCA Model 

- An analysis which identifies changes that can be made in systems through either **re-design or development of new** **processes, equipment** **or approaches*** that will **reduce** **the risk** of the event or close call recurrence.
-    *Human Factors Engineering actions work best
-      (But, training, writing policies, and reminders to “pay more attention” are generally ineffective)

## When is an RCA Done?

- For any adverse event or close call*
- - determined by leadership or SAC score
- For all JCAHO designated “sentinel events”
- 	*Close calls occur dozens to hundreds of times more frequently than the adverse event they are the harbinger of ... it makes sense to learn from close calls, instead of waiting for a catastrophe to occur.

## When two planes nearly collide, they call it a “near miss.” It’s a NEAR HIT. A collision is a “near miss.” BOOM! “Look, they nearly missed!”			George Carlin			The Absurd Way We Use Language			<www.georgecarlin.com>

## Slide 16

**Notes:**
Example of a “near miss” – meaning a hit!

## A Decision Making Tool (SAC)

- The Safety Assessment Code (SAC) score is a risk estimate that considers both the _actual_ and _potential_ consequences of a situation.  Close calls can point out system level vulnerabilities as powerfully as actual events.  All actual and potential SAC = 3 need an RCA.
- 3 = highest risk        2 = intermediate risk        1 = lowest risk

## Why is an RCA Important?

- It’s a method that helps to:
- 	- Keep our focus on designing-in safety for all staff, rather than modifying an individual’s performance ... it moves us **beyond blame**
- 	- Stay honest about safety as a **real priority** - - not just an “official” priority - - through the strength of actions taken and outcomes measured

## Why Use a Particular Method?

- Because none of us can think of all the questions relevant to complex systems on our own
- Because we each bring our own personal and professional knowledge and biases to the table
- Why reinvent the wheel every time?

## When not to do an RCA?

- Intentionally unsafe acts
- Criminal acts
- Situations involving alcohol/ substance abuse by employees
- Alleged or sustained patient abuse
- 	If any of these 4 situations come up during an RCA, the RCA is halted. The CEO/Facility Director is then advised to take an independent administrative approach. (RCA findings remain confidential/protected, and are not shared with the CEO or others, as prescribed by law.)

## How RCAs Work

- An event or close call meriting an RCA occurs
- CEO/Facility Director signs the Charter Memo, initiating the RCA Team
- RCA Team completes the work (within 45 calendar days of when the facility became aware an RCA was needed)
- CEO is de-briefed by the Team and concurs or non-concurs with proposed actions, and signs-off on the RCA (CEO non-concurrence requires explanation and additional or revised actions by the RCA Team)
- RCA actions will be measured for effectiveness in preventing future adverse events or close calls

## Key RCA Roles

**Top Leaders **-  The success of any and all patient safety initiatives depends upon visible leadership support (e.g., town meetings, storytelling, “coaching”, greeting teams, participating on a Team, participating in de-briefs, incentives/awards, etc.)
**Advisor **- Ensures a “no blame” approach, provides Just-In-Time training and ongoing consultation (e.g., flow charting, development of root causes, actions, outcome measures)
**Team Leader **- Keeps the team on task to ensure root causes are found and effective preventive actions are developed, on time

## Key RCA Roles 

**Recorder** - Responsible for entering information into RCA document (live, real time documentation during Team’s meetings)
**Team Members **- Full and active participation and commitment to the RCA process (simulate the event/close call, review documents and literature,conduct interviews, develop root cause statements and action plan, participate in leadership de-briefing)

## Overview of Steps

- Charter an inter-disciplinary team (4-6 people)
- Those familiar **and** un-familiar with the process
- Flow diagram of “what happened?”
- Triggering questions to expand this view
- Site visits and simulation to augment
- Interviews with those involved or those with similar job
- Resources (articles - NPSF, online databases – MAUDE)
- Root cause/contributing factors developed
- Five rules of causation to guide/push the team deep enough
- Cause and Effect Diagram, etc

## Overview of Steps (cont.)

- Feedback to reporter(s)
- Lessons learned (not necessarily focus of RCA)
- Development of Actions (remedies)
- Stronger – physical, permanent, human factors based
- Weaker – procedural, temporary, increase vigilance
- Development of Outcomes measurement
- Communicated to senior management and signed off

## Triage Cards

**Notes:**
[Human beings are hard-wired not to be able to do a good root cause analysis.]

Simulate logical sequence of RCA in preparation for RCA exercise. Ask participants to have book in front of them. Plan to briefly discuss content and utility of book that will be relevant to RCA exercise. Proceed in the following order:
1) Read case
2) Construct flow diagram of events in chronological sequence
3) Review initial triage questions (pages 1 and 2)
4) Identify issues in case relating to 6 categories of questions (communication,training, fatigue, environment/equipment, 	barriers, rules - policies) What are the issues in this case?
5) What are the gaps of information needed for understanding of this event? Where to look for answers?
Review literature
Interview individuals involved in the event
Consultation with experts on subject matter
“Field Trip” to site of event
6) Use triage questions to guide interviews, consultations, and literature
7) After you understand what happened, formulate causal statements – stay within 5 rules of causation
8) Reflect on lessons learned
9) Brainstorm about solutions to reduce/prevent probability for recurrence
10) Assign responsibility for implementation to one individual 
11) Develop measures for effectiveness of action steps and assign individual responsibility for measurement 

## RCA Team in Action

**Notes:**
In this photo group members work using a computer with projection so that everyone on the team can see what is being documented as the evaluation of the event or close call progresses.

inter-disciplinary : [ Ask for groups’ suggestions for who may participate – ideas:]  MD, Chief of Service, Resident; Dietary; Nurse, Medical Reference Librarian, Biomedical Engineer, Safety Engineer, Unit Clerk, Housekeeping, Ancillary Services – RT, PT etc., Social Work

## RCARole Play

##  Case Summary

- 82y/o female
- 200cc coffee ground emesis
- BP: 90/60 restored to 117/60
- Temp:  97 degrees F
- Pulse:  90 and regular
- HCT: 30 (her baseline)
- WBC: 17,0000
- UGI: stomach filled w/ clots & Active bleeding from duodenal ulcer controlled w/ cauterization

- Tx Plan
- ICU, blood transfusion, serial HCTs, IV Protonix
- What happened?
- HCT dropped
- Pt became hypotensive
- Pt went into respiratory distress
- Blood not available
- Pt expired

**Notes:**
82 yo female admitted from Nursing Home through ER w/ chief complaint of weakness and Hx of 200 cc “coffee-ground” emesis 2 hours prior. Gastric lavage in ER – coffee-grounds to clear effluent. BP 117/60 decreased to 90/60 but restored w/ IV fluids. Temp 97 degrees, pulse 90 and regular. Hct 30 % (her baseline) and WBC 17,000. Sent to GI endoscopy suite.
UGI Endoscopy revealed: “stomach filled w/ clots. Active bleeding from duodenal ulcer controlled w/ cauterization... Rec. treatment plan – ICU for observation, blood transfusion, HCT every 6 hrs. X 3, IV Protonix.” Plan discussed w/ admitting medical resident who signed off to on-call resident at 5:30 PM.
ICU was full that evening. After discussion between residents, the patient was admitted to nursing unit on Medicine service ~ 6 PM. At 11:30 PM, nurse found patient to be in respiratory distress and hypotensive. On-call Medical resident called to bedside (1st time he had seen this patient – busy night w/ 4 admissions). After quickly reviewing the chart, he ordered a 2 unit stat blood transfusion and asked for most recent Hct. Hct 19% (nurse had not seen this report – she had 7 patients that night). Blood Bank reported back to unit that the patient had not had a type and cross-match, and that no blood was available for this patient. CPR initiated, but the patient expired @ 11:55 PM.

##  			Cast RCA Team Leader	 (Patient Safety Manager) .....Craig Renner Staff Nurse (RN Team Leader on 4 North) .....Linda Williams Chief Medical Resident(Resident, Internal Medicine).....John Gosbee RCA Team Advisor (Chief of Medical Staff) .....Ed Dunn RCA Team Recorder(Director of Pharmacy).....Mary Burkhardt Chief of Medicine (Residency Program Director) .....Margaret KirkegaardAdmitting Medical Resident ..... Carol SamplesGI Medicine Consultant ..... Rodney Williams Cast

** ****	****	****	**Cast** ****RCA Team Leader****	**** (Patient Safety Manager) .....Craig Renner ****Staff Nurse (RN Team Leader on 4 North) .....Linda Williams ****Chief Medical Resident(Resident, Internal Medicine).....John Gosbee**** ****RCA Team Advisor (Chief of Medical Staff) .....Ed Dunn ****RCA Team Recorder(Director of Pharmacy).....Mary Burkhardt ****Chief of Medicine (Residency Program Director)** **.....Margaret Kirkegaard****Admitting Medical Resident ..... Carol Samples****GI Medicine Consultant ..... Rodney Williams **Cast

**Notes:**
Cast – box will scroll when in presentation mode.

## Slide 31

##  RCA exercise (simulation)

- Integrates all the tools
- Note that the “mock cases” are quite detailed
- Because they have to be!
- Each of your tables will have an advisor/instructor who should also be the recorder in your exercise
- Start by reading the case and constructing a flow diagram on the flip chart

**Notes:**
Ed will fix this slide – 

## Pneumothorax Case

## Slide 34

## 82 yo female admitted from Nursing Home through ER w/ chief complaint of weakness and Hx of 200 cc “coffee-ground” emesis 2 hours prior. Gastric lavage in ER – coffee-grounds to clear effluent. BP 117/60 decreased to 90/60 but restored w/ IV fluids. Temp 97 degrees, pulse 90 and regular. Hct 30 % (her baseline) and WBC 17,000. Sent to GI endoscopy suite.

- UGI Endoscopy revealed: “stomach filled w/ clots. Active bleeding from duodenal ulcer controlled w/ cauterization... Rec. treatment plan – ICU for observation, blood transfusion, HCT every 6 hrs. X 3, IV Protonix.” Plan discussed w/ admitting medical resident who signed off to on-call resident at 5:30 PM.
- ICU was full that evening. After discussion between residents, the patient was admitted to nursing unit on Medicine service ~ 6 PM. At 11:30 PM, nurse found patient to be in respiratory distress and hypotensive. On-call Medical resident called to bedside (1st time he had seen this patient – busy night w/ 4 admissions). After quickly reviewing the chart, he ordered a 2 unit stat blood transfusion and asked for most recent Hct. Hct 19% (nurse had not seen this report – she had 7 patients that night). Blood Bank reported back to unit that the patient had not had a type and cross-match, and that no blood was available for this patient. CPR initiated, but the patient expired @ 11:55 PM.