A new way to figure out what went wrong
A new way to figure out what went wrong
It's SWIFT — just like it implies
Most organizations that are looking for what went wrong after an error are familiar with the Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) method.
It's widely used by risk management. But a method used in the United Kingdom is catching on here and may also be of use to quality improvement and patient safety professionals.
Alan Card, MPH, a consultant based in Granger, IN, published a paper about the new method, called the Structured What If Technique (SWIFT) in a recent issue of the Journal of Risk Management.1
The new method came out of efforts in the United Kingdom to create a new toolkit for doing prospective hazard analysis (PHA) for pointing out potential risks.
To use this method, include members of all the groups that use a system or process, says Card. It is most akin to a brainstorming session. While using SWIFT for risk analysis focuses on what might go wrong, for quality professionals it could be used as a method for figuring out potential solutions to problems.
"If you come up with an intervention, then you ask what are the barriers to that intervention, what are the bad things that could happen," he says. "None of the other techniques really go the extra step of asking what you do about a risk or barrier."
While SWIFT does have some specific tools associated with it, Card says that there is a pilot study in the UK that is looking at this approach in a more generic fashion.
"We are investing so much time here in FMEA, and it's seen as the gold standard," he says. "But there are no indications that that extra time leads to better results. I think SWIFT could be well accepted here because it is so much faster."
For more information on this topic, contact Alan Card, MPH, Granger, IN. Telephone: (863) 877-0122.
Reference
- Card, AJ, Ward JR, Clarkson PJ. Beyond FMEA: The structured what-if technique. J Healthc Risk Manag. 2012;31(4):23-9. doi: 10.1002/jhrm.20101.
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