Explain each of the six steps used to conduct an RCA, as defined by IHI.
Most often and RCA team involves four to six individuals from a mix of different professions. Each person should have fundamental knowledge of the problems and procedure involved in the accident. There is a total of six steps. The first step is to identify what happened. The team needs to explain what happened by organizing the information to clarify exactly what took place. The second step is to determine what should have happened. The team can create a chart to better understand what should have happened in an ideal situation. Number three is to determine causes (“Ask why five times”). This is how the team determines the factors that lead to the event. They look at the direct causes and the contributory factors as to why the incident happened. The fourth step is to develop causal statements. This is how they explain how the contributory factors lead to the bad outcomes. Step number five is to generate a list of recommended steps to prevent the recurrence of the event, which are changes that the team thinks will aid in preventing the error from happening again. The final sixth step is, write a summary and share it. This can help to engage people to aid in the steps of improvement (Institute for Healthcare Improvement).