Learning from Adverse Events in Obstetrics: Is a Standardized Computer Tool an Effective Strategy for Root Cause Analysis?

OBJECTIVE: Adverse events occur in up to 10% of obstetric cases, and up to one half of these could be prevented. Case reviews and root cause analysis using a structured tool may help health care providers to learn from adverse events and to identify trends and recurring systems issues. We sought to establish the reliability of a root cause analysis computer application called Standardized Clinical Outcome Review (SCOR). METHODS: We designed a …