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Table 1 Scoring scale given by ISMP, Canada for severity, frequency and detectability of failure modes (Source – FMEA framework, ISMP, Canada [13])

From: Application of failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) to improve medication safety in the dispensing process – a study at a teaching hospital, Sri Lanka

 

Definition

Score

Severity (S)

No effect (Failure is not noticeable and does not affect the patient or process)

1

Slight effect (Failure causes minor effects or is a trouble to the patient or process, without injury or increase in level of care required)

2

Moderate effect (Failure causes some performance loss and may increase the level of care (e.g., requiring hospitalisation or increasing the length of hospital stay)

3

Major effect (Failure causes a high degree of performance loss, with permanent impact on the patient)

4

Severe or catastrophic effect (Failure causes death or major, permanent loss of function)

5

Frequency (F)

Yearly

1

Monthly

2

Weekly

3

Daily

4

Hourly

5

Detectability* (D)

Always

1

Likely

2

Unlikely

3

Never

4

  1. *Detectability was defined as ‘Detectability of the error before it reaches to the patient’