title: Application of failure mode and effect analysis in a radiology department.
abstract: With increasing deployment, complexity, and sophistication of equipment and related processes within the clinical imaging environment, system failures are more likely to occur. These failures may have varying effects on the patient, ranging from no harm to devastating harm. Failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA) is a tool that permits the proactive identification of possible failures in complex processes and provides a basis for continuous improvement. This overview of the basic principles and methodology of FMEA provides an explanation of how FMEA can be applied to clinical operations in a radiology department to reduce, predict, or prevent errors. The six sequential steps in the FMEA process are explained, and clinical magnetic resonance imaging services are used as an example for which FMEA is particularly applicable. A modified version of traditional FMEA called Healthcare Failure Mode and Effect Analysis, which was introduced by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for Patient Safety, is briefly reviewed. In conclusion, FMEA is an effective and reliable method to proactively examine complex processes in the radiology department. FMEA can be used to highlight the high-risk subprocesses and allows these to be targeted to minimize the future occurrence of failures, thus improving patient safety and streamlining the efficiency of the radiology department.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 1 Deaconess Rd, Boston, MA 02215, USA. eavanthornton@gmail.com
authors.forename: Eavan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Thornton
authors.forename: Olga R
authors.initials: OR
authors.lastname: Brook
authors.forename: Mishal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mendiratta-Lala
authors.forename: Donna T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Hallett
authors.forename: Jonathan B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Kruskal
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D019300:Medical Errors / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D011872:Radiology Department, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012308:Risk Management; D017751:Safety Management / Q000458:organization & administration*