Lesson Topics

• The topics of this lesson are the six steps that make up the MERS-TM process. They are:
• Detection – noticing and recording the event
• Selection – determining the type of investigation needed
• Investigation – conducting a root cause analysis, if necessary
• Description & Classification – assigning descriptive codes to facilitate data comparison
• Computation – looking at the data in aggregate to see patterns and trends
• Interpretation – using the results to make measured organizational changes that reduce risk
• To carry out the MERS-TM process, there is a Discovery form for each event, a Causal form for selected events, and various tools (RAI, event code list, causal code list) provided to help complete the forms.