Mini course · Intermediate level
Root Cause Analysis & Action Planning
Investigate a serious patient-safety event the right way — move from blame to systems thinking, build an evidence-based timeline, find contributing factors with Fishbone and 5 Whys, write strong causal statements, and design stronger corrective actions.
What is Root Cause Analysis & Action Planning?
A serious patient-safety event has occurred. Your team has been asked to investigate what happened — not to find someone to blame, but to understand why the system allowed the event to happen and design actions that reduce the chance of recurrence.
- Duration
- 1.7 hours
- Lessons
- 5
- Level
- Intermediate
- Format
- Online, self-paced
What you'll be able to do
- Define Root Cause Analysis and explain its purpose in healthcare.
- Differentiate individual blame from systems thinking.
- Build an evidence-based timeline and separate facts from assumptions.
- Identify contributing factors using a Fishbone diagram across six dimensions.
- Apply the 5 Whys technique to explore causal relationships.
- Write evidence-supported causal statements (condition → mechanism → outcome).
- Differentiate stronger system-level actions from weaker behaviour-dependent actions.
- Build an action plan with owners, deadlines, measures, baseline and target.
- Complete a full RCA on a realistic case and define meaningful success measures.
Who this course is for
Course content
5 lessons · 28 activities · 1.7 hours total · free preview available
1Introduction to RCA & Systems Thinking
5 minFree previewFrom Incident to Investigation
Introduction to RCA & Systems Thinking
An introduction to Root Cause Analysis: its purpose in healthcare, the difference between individual blame and systems thinking, and the basic RCA process — using the delayed-medication case.
2The Incident
3 minFrom Incident to Investigation
The Incident
Available after you enroll.
3Who Is to Blame?
4 minFrom Incident to Investigation
Who Is to Blame?
Available after you enroll.
4Does This Need an RCA?
5 minFrom Incident to Investigation
Does This Need an RCA?
Available after you enroll.
5Just Culture: Error, Risk, or Recklessness?
5 minFrom Incident to Investigation
Just Culture: Error, Risk, or Recklessness?
Available after you enroll.
6Building an Evidence-Based RCA Timeline
5 minBuilding the Timeline
Building an Evidence-Based RCA Timeline
Available after you enroll.
7Build the Timeline
6 minBuilding the Timeline
Build the Timeline
Available after you enroll.
8Fact or Assumption?
5 minBuilding the Timeline
Fact or Assumption?
Available after you enroll.
9Find the Missing Information
4 minBuilding the Timeline
Find the Missing Information
Available after you enroll.
10Timeline Review
3 minBuilding the Timeline
Timeline Review
Available after you enroll.
11Fishbone Diagram & 5 Whys
6 minFinding Root Causes
Fishbone Diagram & 5 Whys
Available after you enroll.
12The Core Dimensions
5 minFinding Root Causes
The Core Dimensions
Available after you enroll.
13Build the Fishbone
7 minFinding Root Causes
Build the Fishbone
Available after you enroll.
145 Whys Challenge
7 minFinding Root Causes
5 Whys Challenge
Available after you enroll.
15Root Cause or Contributing Factor?
6 minFinding Root Causes
Root Cause or Contributing Factor?
Available after you enroll.
16How to Write Effective Causal Statements
5 minWriting Causal Statements
How to Write Effective Causal Statements
Available after you enroll.
17What's Wrong With This Statement?
5 minWriting Causal Statements
What's Wrong With This Statement?
Available after you enroll.
18Build the Causal Statement
5 minWriting Causal Statements
Build the Causal Statement
Available after you enroll.
19Strong or Weak Causal Statement?
5 minWriting Causal Statements
Strong or Weak Causal Statement?
Available after you enroll.
20Causal Chain
5 minWriting Causal Statements
Causal Chain
Available after you enroll.
21Action Hierarchy & Effective Action Planning
6 minFrom Root Cause to Action
Action Hierarchy & Effective Action Planning
Available after you enroll.
22The Action Trap
4 minFrom Root Cause to Action
The Action Trap
Available after you enroll.
23Rank the Actions
6 minFrom Root Cause to Action
Rank the Actions
Available after you enroll.
24Build the RCA Action Plan
8 minFrom Root Cause to Action
Build the RCA Action Plan
Available after you enroll.
25Will It Prevent Recurrence?
5 minFrom Root Cause to Action
Will It Prevent Recurrence?
Available after you enroll.
26Complete the RCA
18 minFrom Root Cause to Action
Complete the RCA
Available after you enroll.
27Final Root Cause Analysis Assessment
12 minFrom Root Cause to Action
Final Root Cause Analysis Assessment
Available after you enroll.
28RCA Complete
1 minFrom Root Cause to Action
RCA Complete
Available after you enroll.
Earn a credential employers can check
This certificate confirms completion of the AIHCM micro-course Root Cause Analysis & Action Planning.
Issued: on completion
How it works
- Finish all 5 lessons at your own pace.
- Get your digital credential with a unique ID.
- Share it — employers can verify it at aihcm.us.
Questions people ask
How long does it take?
About 90–110 minutes, self-paced.
Is this blame-based?
No — the course teaches a systems-thinking, Just-Culture approach focused on learning and improvement.