Flying with doctors: Experiences with the application of 6 techniques from aviation industry in the Rotterdam Eye Hospital

Intoduction. Aviation industry is often put forward as an example in creating safer health care. Comparing aviation and health care, there are similarities in using technology, working with highly specialized professional teams and the need for dealing with risk and uncertainties (Sexton 2000; Powell 2006; Kao & Thomas 2008). Rhetorical use of the resemblance however, does not directly contribute to the safety of the health care system. To measure the added value of the experiences in aviation for the health care sector, it is preferable to study in detail the use of aviation based principals in daily practice

Diffusing Aviation Innovations in a Hospital in the Netherlands

Background: Many authors have advocated the diffusion of innovations from other high-risk industries into health care to improve safety. The aviation industry is comparable to health care because of its similarities in (a) the use of technology, (b) the requirement of highly specialized professional teams, and (c) the existence of risk and uncertainties. For almost 20 years, The Rotterdam Eye Hospital (Rotterdam, the Netherlands) has been engaged in diffusing several innovations adapted from aviation. Methods: A case-study methodology was used to assess the application of innovations in the hospital, with a focus on the context and the detailed mechanism for each innovation. Data on hospital performance outcomes were abstracted from the hospital information data management system, quality and safety reports, and the incident reporting system. Information on the innovations was obtained from a document search; observations; and semistructured, face-to-face interviews. Innovations: Aviation industry-based innovations diffused into patient care processes were as follows: patient planning and booking system, taxi service/valet parking, risk analysis (as applied to wrong-site surgery), time-out procedure (also for wrong-site surgery), Crew Resource Management training, and black box. Observations indicated that the innovations had a positive effect on quality and safety in the hospital: Waiting times were reduced, work processes became more standardized, the number of wrong-site surgeries decreased, and awareness of patient safety was heightened. Conclusion: A near-20-year experience with aviation-based innovation suggests that hospitals start with relatively simple innovations and use a systematic approach toward the goal of improving safety