What is root cause analysis in patient safety?

• A. A method to assign blame to individuals after an incident.
• B. A structured method to identify underlying causes of an adverse event and prevent recurrence.
• C. A process for documenting patient satisfaction surveys.
• D. A routine checklist for daily nursing tasks.

Answer: (B)

Root cause analysis in patient safety is a structured approach to investigate adverse events with the goal of uncovering underlying system or process factors that allowed the event to occur and to put changes in place to prevent recurrence. It shifts focus from blaming individuals to understanding conditions, workflows, training, communication, equipment, and policies that contributed, so that corrective actions target the system as a whole. This is why it’s not about assigning blame, not about documenting patient satisfaction surveys, and not a routine checklist for daily tasks. By examining data, reconstructing what happened, and identifying contributing factors, teams implement improvements that reduce the risk of similar events happening again.