A Cross-Sectional Study on the Relationship Between Utilization of Root Cause Analysis and Patient Safety at 139 Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Centers

Large, high-spending VAMCs conduct more RCAs per year than smaller, low-spending facilities. VAMCs that do more RCAs develop more corrective actions. VAMCs that complete fewer than four RCAs per year have higher rates of postoperative complications. It is unclear if RCAs are associated with a functional patient safety program or directly improve patient safety.