Corrective and preventive action (CAPA)
In Oversight, quality & inspection
A CAPA is the structured response to a problem: correct what went wrong, and change something so it does not happen again. The corrective part fixes the immediate issue; the preventive part addresses the root cause. Retraining one person is usually a weak CAPA, because it rarely changes the system that allowed the error.
Example
Consent forms were signed on an outdated version. Corrective: re-consent affected participants on the current version. Preventive: add a version check to the visit checklist and remove superseded versions from the site file.
Related terms
Turn the vocabulary into a career
The free CRLN Career Finder maps your background to a clinical-research role and builds a step-by-step roadmap. No cost, no card.
Get your free roadmap →Educational reference only. Where regional rules differ, follow the regulation and the written procedures that apply where you work.