ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS EXAM 2025
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
What is the JCAHO? - ....ANSWER ...-Independent, not-for-profit organization
that accredits and certifies over 21,000 healthcare institutions in the United States
(T/F) JCAHO requires healthcare facilities to conduct an RCA in response to
recognition of sentinel events - ....ANSWER ...-True
What is RCA? - ....ANSWER ...-A process for identifying the basic or casual factors
that underlie variation in performance, including the occurrence or possible risk of a
sentinel event
What is a sentinel event? - ....ANSWER ...-Patient safety event (not primarily
related to natural course of the patient's illness or underlying condition) that reaches a
patient and results in death, permanent harm, or severe temporary harm
What is the goal of a RCA? - ....ANSWER ...-Produce an action plan with
measurable success
What is the root cause? - ....ANSWER ...-Fundamental reason(s) failure occurs
What is common usage? - ....ANSWER ...-Cause = effect
What is RCA usage? - ....ANSWER ...-Cause = potential relationship
...©️ 2025, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1
, What are the benefits of RCA? - ....ANSWER ...-- Development of new
design/processes
- Improve efficiency and effectiveness
- Improve quality efforts
- Improve safety of care
What are active failures? - ....ANSWER ...-- Obvious reasons error occured
- Proximal to event
What are latent conditions? - ....ANSWER ...-- Aspects of a process that can allow
an error to occur
- Aggregate; contributory
What are potential sources of active failure? - ....ANSWER ...-- Outdated drug
- Mislabeling
- Misidentification
- Improper administration technique
What are potential sources of latent conditions? - ....ANSWER ...-- Manufacturing
- Storage setup
- Communication problems
- Inadequate medication procurement
How soon must RCAs be completed? - ....ANSWER ...-Within 45 days of the event
...©️ 2025, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
What is the JCAHO? - ....ANSWER ...-Independent, not-for-profit organization
that accredits and certifies over 21,000 healthcare institutions in the United States
(T/F) JCAHO requires healthcare facilities to conduct an RCA in response to
recognition of sentinel events - ....ANSWER ...-True
What is RCA? - ....ANSWER ...-A process for identifying the basic or casual factors
that underlie variation in performance, including the occurrence or possible risk of a
sentinel event
What is a sentinel event? - ....ANSWER ...-Patient safety event (not primarily
related to natural course of the patient's illness or underlying condition) that reaches a
patient and results in death, permanent harm, or severe temporary harm
What is the goal of a RCA? - ....ANSWER ...-Produce an action plan with
measurable success
What is the root cause? - ....ANSWER ...-Fundamental reason(s) failure occurs
What is common usage? - ....ANSWER ...-Cause = effect
What is RCA usage? - ....ANSWER ...-Cause = potential relationship
...©️ 2025, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1
, What are the benefits of RCA? - ....ANSWER ...-- Development of new
design/processes
- Improve efficiency and effectiveness
- Improve quality efforts
- Improve safety of care
What are active failures? - ....ANSWER ...-- Obvious reasons error occured
- Proximal to event
What are latent conditions? - ....ANSWER ...-- Aspects of a process that can allow
an error to occur
- Aggregate; contributory
What are potential sources of active failure? - ....ANSWER ...-- Outdated drug
- Mislabeling
- Misidentification
- Improper administration technique
What are potential sources of latent conditions? - ....ANSWER ...-- Manufacturing
- Storage setup
- Communication problems
- Inadequate medication procurement
How soon must RCAs be completed? - ....ANSWER ...-Within 45 days of the event
...©️ 2025, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
