What are the experiences of team members involved in root cause analysis? A qualitative study

Background: Conducting root cause analysis (RCA) is complex and challenging. The aim of this study was to better understand the experiences of RCA team members and how they value their involvement in the RCA to inform future recruitment, conduct and implementation of RCA findings into clinical practice. Methods: The study was set in a health network in Adelaide, South Australia. A qualitative exploratory descriptive approach was undertaken to provide an in-depth understanding of team member’s experience in participating in an RCA. Eight of 27 RCA team members who conducted RCAs in the preceding 3-year period were included in one of three semi-structured focus groups. Thematic analysis was used to synthesise the transcribed data into themes. Results: We derived four major themes: Experiences and perceptions of the RCA team, Limitations of RCA recommendations, Facilitators and barriers to conducting an RCA, and Supporting colleagues involved in the adverse event. Participants’ mixed experience of RCAs ranged from enjoyment and the perception of worth and value to concerns about workload and lack of impact. Legislative privilege protecting RCAs from disclosure was both a facilitator and a barrier. Concern and a desire to better support their colleagues was widely reported. Conclusions: Clinicians perceived value in reviewing significant adverse events. Improvements can be made in sharing learnings to make effective improvements in health care. We have proposed a process to better support interviewees and strengthen post interview follow up.