title: Generating Options for Active Risk Control (GO-ARC): introducing a novel technique.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  After investing significant amounts of time and money in conducting formal risk assessments, such as root cause analysis (RCA) or failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA), healthcare workers are left to their own devices in generating high-quality risk control options. They often experience difficulty in doing so, and tend toward an overreliance on administrative controls (the weakest category in the hierarchy of risk controls). This has important implications for patient safety and the cost effectiveness of risk management operations. This paper describes a before and after pilot study of the Generating Options for Active Risk Control (GO-ARC) technique, a novel tool to improve the quality of the risk control options generation process.
  
  
  METHODS
  The quantity, quality (using the three-tiered hierarchy of risk controls), variety, and novelty of risk controls generated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Use of the GO-ARC technique was associated with improvement on all measures.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  While this pilot study has some notable limitations, it appears that the GO-ARC technique improved the risk control options generation process. Further research is needed to confirm this finding. It is also important to note that improved risk control options are a necessary, but not sufficient, step toward the implementation of more robust risk controls.
authors.forename: Alan J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Card
authors.forename: James R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.forename: P John
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Clarkson
mesh_terms: D003659:Decision Making, Organizational; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D061214:Patient Safety; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011567:Psychiatric Department, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012308:Risk Management / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration*; D060891:Root Cause Analysis; D000092864:Suicide Prevention
keywords: organizational decision making; patient safety; quality improvement; risk management; safety management