January 23, 2009: Canadian Failure Mode and Effects Analysis Framework Proactively Assessing Risk in Healthcare
ISMP Canada has developed the Canadian Failure Mode and Effects Analysis Framework® - Proactively Assessing Risk in Healthcare with support from Health Canada, through the Canadian Medication Incident Reporting and Prevention System, and with assistance from healthcare and human factors engineering consultants.Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) is a proactive safety technique that helps to identify process and product problems before they occur. It is one of several methods of proactive risk assessment that can be used in the healthcare setting, and it is also widely used as an integral aspect of improving quality and safety in a variety of other industries, e.g., automotive, aviation, and nuclear power.
Workshops on FMEA are provided by ISMP Canada; attendees participate in a simulated FMEA, which can be customized to meet the needs of the participants or of individual organizations. According to the feedback we have received from our workshops, the 8 steps for conducting an FMEA described in the Framework constitute a straightforward and understandable technique that users can readily apply to their own practice settings.
ISMP Canada also offers facilitation of site-specific FMEA projects.
For more information, contact ISMP Canada at fmea@ismp-canada.org or 1-866-54-ISMPC (1-866-544-7672).
