Which investigative technique helps map patient flow and identify failure points?

Which investigative technique helps map patient flow and identify failure points?

• A. Process mapping or flowcharting
• B. SWOT analysis
• C. Trend analysis
• D. Root cause analysis

Answer: (A)

Process mapping or flowcharting visualizes each step in the patient journey—from admission to discharge—so you can see the exact sequence, who performs each task, where delays occur, and where decisions split the path. By laying out the process as a diagram, you can spot bottlenecks, redundant steps, and handoffs that create failures or gaps. This direct view of how care moves makes it the best tool for mapping patient flow and identifying where things go wrong, so you can design targeted improvements and test new workflows.

SWOT analysis focuses on strategic factors like strengths and threats, not on how care moves through the system. Trend analysis looks at data over time to find patterns, rather than showing the actual process steps. Root cause analysis digs into why a problem happened after the fact, but it doesn’t provide a full map of the workflow to identify all potential failure points.