Root cause analysis.

M unoz, Lowry, and Smith (2012) reported the use of root cause analysis (RCA) as part of a continuous quality improvement project to reduce hypoglycemic episodes in patients following gynecological surgery. Root cause analysis is an important component of quality improvement, and nurses at all levels should understand the process and the outcomes of a RCA. Root cause analysis was used originally in the automobile industry to improve production quality and efficiency (Sherwin, 2011). The process has been adapted to health care and is required by The Joint Commission (2011) when a sentinel event occurs. The process also can be used for errors or problems that are not sentinel events. In this column, I will provide a brief introduction to this key quality improvement activity.