Failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA) is a structured way to examine a process and identify where it might fail before patients or staff come to harm. Use it to find risks early and design them out, rather than respond to incidents after they happen.
When to use FMEA
FMEA suits situations where prevention matters more than reaction. Common uses include:
- assessing a new process before you roll it out
- evaluating a proposed change to an existing process
- reviewing an existing process where failures would cause serious harm.
What FMEA examines
Working through an FMEA, your team reviews and records:
- the steps in the process
- failure modes (what could go wrong)
- failure causes (why a failure could happen)
- failure effects (the consequences if it does).
You then focus on failures most likely to happen, or those that would cause the greatest harm. Together, you agree on changes to prevent them.
Who should be involved
Bring together people from every part of the process under review. Frontline staff, supervisors and anyone affected by the outcome give you the full picture. This range of perspectives helps you design improvements that work in practice.
Why it helps
FMEA shifts your team from reacting after harm has occurred to preventing it in the first place. Mapping potential failure points early reduces risk to both patients and staff.