Is it Necessary to Conduct a Failure Mode and Effects Analysis in Health Care - Essay Example

FMEA was first used by the United States Army in the 1940s and later on adopted by large industrial concerns which still maintain formal FMEA standards. With the advances in information technology and software it has assumed great significance and is a very accurate approach to streamline the functioning of an organization or process. The FMEA involves a dynamic methodology in which changes and updates are made to the concerned product or process visualizing any new failure modes brought about by events or changes in the organization, product or process.

The process itself involves defined steps in a sequential manner in which initially the product or process and its function are described. This is followed by the preparation of a block diagram which shows the different components of the process or product in a logical relationship. After this an FMEA form worksheet is prepared and vital aspects put under specific headings. Logical listing is done followed by identifying failure modes. Effects of the failure modes are described and a numerical ranking obtained for the severity of a particular effect.

Causes for failure modes are then identified and documented. Appropriate interventions are then planned by assigning risk priority keeping into consideration the probability of detection. Finally recommended actions are suggested and actions take analyzed. The risks involved in healthcare organizations are of such diversity and so unpredictable that it becomes impossible to enumerate them beforehand. Still FMEA is finding increasing use in the healthcare industry. In order to improve patient safety appropriate changes are required in health care systems.

In the health care version of FMEA the assessments of severity, likelihood, and detectibility are accomplished by employing a decision flowchart instead of a ranked points scale. The flowchart determines if action is required or if existing