What is the primary purpose of Failure Modes Analysis (FMA)?

• To discover potential risk in a product or system by identifying all the ways in which it might fail

• • A risk assessment method based on the simultaneous analysis of failure modes, their consequences, and their associated risks.

• To evaluate performance of each individual in the system and ways for them to improve

• To enhance the system performance increases efficiency

Which of the following best describes failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA)

• To discover potential risk in a product or system by identifying all the ways in which it might fail

• • A risk assessment method based on the simultaneous analysis of failure modes, their consequences, and their associated risks.

• To evaluate performance of each individual in the system and ways for them to improve

• To enhance the system performance increases efficiency

Failure is when a component or a collection of components of a system behave in a way that is not included in its specified performance criteria

• True

• False

What is the purpose of Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA)?

• To assign blame for system failures

• To document the history of a system's performance

• To predict potential failures in a system and their impacts

• To identify all past failures in the system

When was failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA) applied to patient safety

• 1960s

• 1980s

• 1950s

• 1990s

Answer explanation

Application to patient safety started in 1990.

It was first used in engineering in 1960s

Failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA) is only used in the design stage of a system.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

It can be used in the design stage of a system or in post hoc analysis. The design stage would be for prevention

Human error is unpredictable and therefore not suitable for FMEA.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

Human error should be applied to medication error prevention. Human error is NOT drawn from infinite sets of possibilities

HFMEA combines FMEA and hazard analysis.

• True

• False

Which of the following steps are included in the HFMEA process?

• Select a topic and assemble a team

• Develop actions and outcome measures

• Graphically design the process

• Conduct a hazard analysis

• All of these are steps in the HFMEA process

HFMEA requires a systemic level of thinking

• True

• False