What is the most common method of evaluating major incidents, sentinel events, and medical errors?

• A. Root cause analysis (RCA)
• B. Failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA)
• C. After-action review
• D. SWOT analysis

Answer: (A)

Root cause analysis is the method used to comprehensively uncover the chain of events and the underlying system factors that allowed a major incident, sentinel event, or medical error to occur, and to design fixes that prevent recurrence. It relies on a structured, multi-disciplinary process: define the problem, gather and review data, reconstruct the sequence of events, identify contributing factors, determine root causes, and plan corrective actions followed by monitoring the impact. This systemic focus—improving processes, policies, communication, staffing, equipment, and the environment—makes RCA the standard for analyzing safety events and fulfilling accountability requirements without blaming individuals. Proactive approaches like failure mode and effects analysis aim to anticipate failures before they happen, not analyze what occurred after the fact; quick after-action reviews provide learning opportunities but often stop short of rigorous root-cause determination; and SWOT analysis is a broad strategic tool not designed for incident investigation.