When conducting a root-cause analysis, which aspect is primarily assessed?

In a root-cause analysis, the primary focus is on assessing the processes that led to an incident. This method is designed to uncover the underlying factors that contributed to an adverse event, such as a patient safety issue or a medical error. By evaluating the processes, the analysis aims to identify not just the immediate causes but also systemic issues that may need to be addressed to prevent recurrence.

Investigating the processes allows practitioners to understand how different components of care—such as communication, workflow, and institutional policies—interact and may lead to errors. This holistic view is crucial because improving processes can lead to enhanced safety and quality in patient care.

While staff behavior, medical equipment usage, and patient demographics are relevant to the broader context of healthcare delivery, they are not the primary focus of a root-cause analysis. These aspects may be examined as part of understanding the overall environment but understanding the processes is essential in effectively tackling the root causes of incidents.