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Curious Cat Management Improvement Library - Dictionary

Root Cause Analysis - systemic process to find the fundamental cause of a result.
In order to improve the system effectively the root cause of problems must be addressed not merely the proximate cause of the problem. The use of Root Cause Analysis is an attempt to find the root cause of the problem rather than viewing a symptom of the root cause as the cause. Then a solution that will improve the system most effectively can be developed address the root cause rather than just one symptom of that root cause.
One approach is to keep asking why until it seems like the root cause has been reached, a rule of thumb is to ask why at least 5 times. Also see related terms for more tools to aid in finding the root cause.

Related terms:

• Pareto Analysis
• Cause and Effect Diagram
• Variation
• Lean Thinking
• Control Chart

Online Resources:

• Symptom or Root Cause
• 5-Why Analysis
• Root Cause Analysis by Bill Wilson
• Find the Root Cause Instead of the Person to Blame by John Hunter
• Root Cause Analysis by Peter Abilla, 2006.
• Using Root Cause Analysis to Make the Patient Care System Safe by John Robert Dew, 2003.
• Root Cause Analysis, Chapter 5 of Making Health Care Safer created for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 2001.