Identification of key risk areas and failure modes using the FMEA method for the prevention and control of major infectious diseases in a stomatology department

Abstract Purpose To perform risk assessment and analysis of potential infection during stomatology workflow in a hospital in the context of a major infectious disease outbreak, and to determine the key failure modes and measures to prevent and control infection. Method Following the Failure Modes an...

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Main Authors: Suqing Yang, Lingfei Yang, Yen-Ching Chuang, Gulidanna Asihaer, Xiaonan Lin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-01-01
Series:BMC Oral Health
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12903-024-05321-3
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author Suqing Yang
Lingfei Yang
Yen-Ching Chuang
Gulidanna Asihaer
Xiaonan Lin
author_facet Suqing Yang
Lingfei Yang
Yen-Ching Chuang
Gulidanna Asihaer
Xiaonan Lin
author_sort Suqing Yang
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Purpose To perform risk assessment and analysis of potential infection during stomatology workflow in a hospital in the context of a major infectious disease outbreak, and to determine the key failure modes and measures to prevent and control infection. Method Following the Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) method based on the stomatology workflow, the opinions of 30 domain-experts in related fields were collected through questionnaires to determine all potential failure modes in the severity (S), occurrence (O), and detectability (D) dimensions. The group score was then integrated through the median method and the risk priority number (RPN) was obtained. Finally, combined with expert experience, a score above 100 was considered to define a key potential failure mode. The data collection period for this study was from August to September 2023. Results The key failure modes identified were “Patient concealed epidemiological history (A 110) (RPN: 149.6; Rank: 1),” “At the pre-examination door, safe distancing cannot be practiced due to the large number of visitors (A 120) (RPN: 147; Rank: 2),” “The patient does not cooperate in checking the health code or itinerary code (A 18) (RPN: 128, Rank: 3),” “The patient provides a non-personal health code or itinerary code (A 19) (RPN:121.5; Rank: 4),” “Pre-examination personnel did not strictly implement the inquiry of epidemiological history (A 12) (RPN: 120; Rank: 5),” and “The patient did not wear a mask according to the specification (A 111) (RPN:108.0; Rank: 6)”. The key risk area was “Before diagnosis and treatment (A)”. Conclusion Insufficient records of patient epidemiological history may increase the spread of COVID-19 in the oral diagnosis and treatment environment. High-density areas where patients gather are prone to become sources of infection. Finally, improper use of personal protective equipment increases the risk of cross-infection with COVID-19. However, in the face of the potential spread of major infectious diseases in the future, the government and hospitals need to build a more comprehensive epidemiological notification system to provide the population with early action trajectories and warning reports.
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issn 1472-6831
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series BMC Oral Health
spelling doaj-art-a16ac97e5604464a817079da4bbf6ee72025-01-12T12:42:07ZengBMCBMC Oral Health1472-68312025-01-0125111610.1186/s12903-024-05321-3Identification of key risk areas and failure modes using the FMEA method for the prevention and control of major infectious diseases in a stomatology departmentSuqing Yang0Lingfei Yang1Yen-Ching Chuang2Gulidanna Asihaer3Xiaonan Lin4Customer Service Center, Taizhou Central Hospital (Taizhou University Hospital)Customer Service Center, Taizhou Central Hospital (Taizhou University Hospital)Institute of Public Health and Emergency Management, Taizhou UniversityInstitute for Hospital Management, Tsing Hua UniversityDepartment of Stomatology, Taizhou Central Hospital (Taizhou University Hospital)Abstract Purpose To perform risk assessment and analysis of potential infection during stomatology workflow in a hospital in the context of a major infectious disease outbreak, and to determine the key failure modes and measures to prevent and control infection. Method Following the Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) method based on the stomatology workflow, the opinions of 30 domain-experts in related fields were collected through questionnaires to determine all potential failure modes in the severity (S), occurrence (O), and detectability (D) dimensions. The group score was then integrated through the median method and the risk priority number (RPN) was obtained. Finally, combined with expert experience, a score above 100 was considered to define a key potential failure mode. The data collection period for this study was from August to September 2023. Results The key failure modes identified were “Patient concealed epidemiological history (A 110) (RPN: 149.6; Rank: 1),” “At the pre-examination door, safe distancing cannot be practiced due to the large number of visitors (A 120) (RPN: 147; Rank: 2),” “The patient does not cooperate in checking the health code or itinerary code (A 18) (RPN: 128, Rank: 3),” “The patient provides a non-personal health code or itinerary code (A 19) (RPN:121.5; Rank: 4),” “Pre-examination personnel did not strictly implement the inquiry of epidemiological history (A 12) (RPN: 120; Rank: 5),” and “The patient did not wear a mask according to the specification (A 111) (RPN:108.0; Rank: 6)”. The key risk area was “Before diagnosis and treatment (A)”. Conclusion Insufficient records of patient epidemiological history may increase the spread of COVID-19 in the oral diagnosis and treatment environment. High-density areas where patients gather are prone to become sources of infection. Finally, improper use of personal protective equipment increases the risk of cross-infection with COVID-19. However, in the face of the potential spread of major infectious diseases in the future, the government and hospitals need to build a more comprehensive epidemiological notification system to provide the population with early action trajectories and warning reports.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12903-024-05321-3COVID-19Risk assessmentHospital infectionFailure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA)Stomatology workflow
spellingShingle Suqing Yang
Lingfei Yang
Yen-Ching Chuang
Gulidanna Asihaer
Xiaonan Lin
Identification of key risk areas and failure modes using the FMEA method for the prevention and control of major infectious diseases in a stomatology department
BMC Oral Health
COVID-19
Risk assessment
Hospital infection
Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA)
Stomatology workflow
title Identification of key risk areas and failure modes using the FMEA method for the prevention and control of major infectious diseases in a stomatology department
title_full Identification of key risk areas and failure modes using the FMEA method for the prevention and control of major infectious diseases in a stomatology department
title_fullStr Identification of key risk areas and failure modes using the FMEA method for the prevention and control of major infectious diseases in a stomatology department
title_full_unstemmed Identification of key risk areas and failure modes using the FMEA method for the prevention and control of major infectious diseases in a stomatology department
title_short Identification of key risk areas and failure modes using the FMEA method for the prevention and control of major infectious diseases in a stomatology department
title_sort identification of key risk areas and failure modes using the fmea method for the prevention and control of major infectious diseases in a stomatology department
topic COVID-19
Risk assessment
Hospital infection
Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA)
Stomatology workflow
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12903-024-05321-3
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