What is the primary purpose of Root Cause Analysis (RCA) in healthcare?

Root Cause Analysis (RCA) is primarily focused on identifying the fundamental causes of adverse events within healthcare settings. The process involves systematically investigating incidents, recognizing contributing factors, and uncovering the underlying issues that led to the event. This method serves as a proactive approach to enhance patient safety, as it allows healthcare organizations to understand not just what happened, but why it happened. By addressing these root causes, healthcare facilities can implement changes and preventive measures to reduce the likelihood of similar events occurring in the future, thereby improving overall quality of care and safety for patients.

The other choices may play roles in healthcare but do not accurately capture the primary goal of RCA. While patient satisfaction assessment, development of treatment protocols, and evaluation of staff performance are important aspects of healthcare operations, they do not specifically align with the core function of RCA, which is to focus on preventing adverse events by resolving the root causes behind them.