Using aviation safety measures to enhance patient outcomes

Recent media reports have put a spotlight on the increasing number of medical errors occurring in US health care institutions. In contrast to health care's increasing error rate, the aviation industry is experiencing a decreasing error rate. Could the safety techniques used in the aviation industry be applied to health care? This article explores that question. The dynamics of the surgical suite are not unlike those of the cockpit of an airplane; therefore, perioperative services was selected to pilot test the aviation model of safety training.