What is Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA)?
Informal Definition of FMEA: A standardized technique for prioritizing the improvement activities for potential problems in a process. Everything else is commentary.
In healthcare applications, the focus is on process rather than design. As in any other industry, the emphasis is on prevention, not correction.
Healthcare Failure Mode & Effects Analysis (HFMEA®) constitutes a sound business practice:
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Transform risk management from a reactive process to proactive one
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Decrease claims and reduce risk exposure
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Enhance your Report Card for better public confidence
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Provide an opportunity to market patient safety awareness
- Offer the potential to shift Risk Management to a PROFIT CENTER enterprise
FMEAs are intended to result in preventative actions; they are not "after-the-fact" exercises done to satisfy a customer, meet JCAHO accreditation requirements or fix a process which has already gone awry.
Time and resources for a comprehensive FMEA should be allocated during process development, when changes can most easily and inexpensively be implemented. Here are the differences between Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and Failure Mode & Effects Analysis (FMEA): RCA versus FMEA.
HFMEA® is the acronym for Healthcare Failure Mode and Effects Analysis, and has become widely used in the healthcare environment. HFMEA is a registered trademark of CCD Health Systems.
What are the basic steps in conducting a healthcare FMEA?