tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-801618487043526926.post1965496666202161772..comments2023-07-30T03:36:33.519-07:00Comments on Science of Improvement: Time to Retire the 16th Century Root Cause Phrase and Thinking An UpdateClifford Normanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05151760523111437149noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-801618487043526926.post-55126402798919385012017-10-29T08:34:19.764-07:002017-10-29T08:34:19.764-07:00Funny, as I always thought of RCA as identificatio...Funny, as I always thought of RCA as identification of multiple causes, not limiting it to the "grand" one. That defies logic in my thinking when we are talking about systems and processes plural.BlueRosehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08769181477370627237noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-801618487043526926.post-88205681702924674272017-10-29T07:09:42.305-07:002017-10-29T07:09:42.305-07:00Toyota people have taught me that complex systems ...Toyota people have taught me that complex systems rarely have a single, magical root cause. Improving the system requires many improvements and tests of change. "Voting" on a top cause is dubious unless that's tested in some experimental way. Does a countermeasure for that cause lead to meaningful improvement in the system? Too many "find" a root cause without testing countermeasures in scientific ways. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07966197279623727085noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-801618487043526926.post-38382118075931835592017-03-28T10:12:31.084-07:002017-03-28T10:12:31.084-07:00Thanks Serge for the comment. The idea of single c...Thanks Serge for the comment. The idea of single cause thinking gives psychological comfort. People can generally handle one thing going on, sometimes some person or group behaving badly. Few are equipped to consider multiple factors and levels in designing an experiment that more accurately fits the multivariate world in which we operate. 16th century is far more comforting. Clifford Normanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05151760523111437149noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-801618487043526926.post-22010163408848812282017-03-28T09:47:15.948-07:002017-03-28T09:47:15.948-07:00Indeed, RCA is, as is the scientific method, a red...Indeed, RCA is, as is the scientific method, a reductionist approach. <br /><br />In complex systems, such as healthcare, it is important to have a systems view <br />and gain a better understanding of the interactions among pertinent variables. Constructing a correlation matrix or an ANOCOVA or DES can help provide some focus in that effort.<br /><br />Serge LacerteSergehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04369003481204529910noreply@blogger.com