Application of root cause analysis technique in surgery: A qualitative study of weaknesses, strengths and challenges

Root cause analysis is one of the most important tools in disaster management that aims to identify the real causes of an issue and find ways to eliminate them. Surgery is one of the areas in which the possibility of clinical error is significant. Therefore, the study aims to explain the weaknesses and challenges of root cause analysis in surgical events and identify the experience of staff around the technology.

This qualitative study was conducted through interviews in 2021. Twenty members of the root cause analysis team working in teaching hospitals affiliated to Iran University of Medical Sciences were interviewed. After conducting the interviews, MAXQDA software version 10 was used to analyze the thematic content and extract concepts related to the research objectives.

The majority of participants were female, head nurse, aged 30 to 40, work experience of 11 to 15, and employed in Hasheminejad Hospital. The most important weaknesses identified for root cause analysis included the lack of proper implementation of the root cause analysis process and the lack of participation of individuals, hospitals and universities in this process.

Health managers and policymakers should address the weaknesses of root cause analysis by explaining the necessity of the process, root cause analysis immediately after each clinical event, evaluating the effectiveness of root cause analysis, and providing adequate feedback from the authorities. Upstream therapy, creating a culture of root cause analysis, providing the necessary facilities to perform these analyzes, providing clear instructions to encourage and punish employees.