PHA Failure Mode Effect Analysis

A failure mode effect analysis (FMEA) may be defined as a "systematic method of identifying and preventing process and product problems before they occur."
Healthcare HFMEAs focus on preventing defects, enhancing safety, increasing positive outcomes and increasing patient satisfaction.

The objective of the HFMEA is to look for all ways a process or product can fail. The question is "What Could happen?" not "What does happen?"

PHA tools for conducting a HFMEA that include definitions, process steps, and worksheets either in Excel or Word can be found by clicking on ---

• Healthcare Failure Mode Effect Analysis
  A PROACTIVE Approach in identifying & preventing problems
• Failure Mode Effects Analysis Worksheet (note: this is an Excel worksheet that has formulas contained within in to calculate your totals)

A nationwide surge in emergency department ambulance diversions in 2000-01
raised concerns about access and quality of care for critically ill patients, but the
diversion problem has improved markedly over the past two years, according to
findings from the Center for Studying Health System Change’s (HSC) 2002-03 site

Emergency Department Deviversion: Hospital and Community Strategies Alleviate Crisis

Source: HSC, funded principally by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, is affiliated with Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.

Additional information, definitions and tools can be found at the following links:

• Veterans Administration - National Center for Patient Safety (NCPS) -
  www.ncps.gov
• Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) - www.qualityhealthcare.org
• The Joint Commission (Requires one prospective risk assessment to be completed yearly since 2002) - www.The Joint Commission.org
• HCPRO - www.hcpro.com
  

For more information regarding resources or to make peer review contact changes please email us at: pha@gha.org