1. Why use some aviation program? Doesn’t healthcare or business have something we can use?

While healthcare's culture has remained relatively unchanged for a very long time, the business of medicine, the tools used in medicine, the information available to patients and the patients themselves have changed significantly. In today's business climate process improvement has ignored the major factors that contribute to the success or failure of a company's mission: the human factors. Both business and healthcare continue to search for quality improvement culture with minimal success. Over 30 years ago aviation experienced similar realizations in the need to change their culture, change their way of operating in the face of increased automation and realize that there were countless sources of information and aid available, sometimes in the form of a subordinate. Aviation CRM was developed in response to the need to change its culture; to help manage modern flight decks and its people; manage the automation available and the high risk environment in which aviation operates.

2. How are the human factor skills needed in aviation, business and healthcare similar?

The tasks and environment in all three are surprisingly similar. the training In human factor skills have been minimal especially in the subjects of leadership skills, workload management, communication skills, assertiveness skills and group/self-critique techniques. It took several aircraft accidents to illustrate the need for such training for pilots. Training for commercial airline flight crews have been required by the FAA since the early 1980’s. To date no requirement exists to train those in healthcare or business in similar subjects.

3. Are there specific similarities between healthcare and aviation?

Aviation and medicine have very similar cultures and hierarchies. Like the airline captain, the doctor has nearly total responsibility for the conduct of the task. Like the doctor, a serious mistake by the pilot can have deadly results. Both experience routine workload and highly stressful situations where the need for total teamwork, leadership, and good communication skills are required. Finally until the mid-1980’s pilots had no human factor skills training. Healthcare still has no formal training programs for these skills.

4. Can human factor training benefit my business, clinic, staff or me?

The short answer is absolutely. Improving everyone's human interaction skills can result fewer mistakes (a requirement in healthcare), higher productivity, improved teamwork, better leadership and followership.

5. Isn’t this kind of training just another fad?

No. This training has been taughtand reinforced annually to commercial airline crews for more than 30 years and is incorporated into nearly all flight crew training programs throughout the world.

6. I don’t need this kind of training…or do I? Part 1

Back in 1980 when human factor training was first introduced to flight crews, it was met with similar skepticism. Several aviation accidents pointed out the lack of training required in an ever changing, increasingly automated environment. As the concept gradually became accepted fewer mistakes and fewer accidents and incidents occurred. With mistakes in healthcare facing an ever increasing public and legal scrutiny the real question is can you afford to ignore the training. In the business community who continues to search for the "magic" process improvement program, this training program will enhance every process program.

7. I don’t need this kind of training…or do I? Part 2

In aviation, risk management means managing the potential risks involved PRIOR to an actual event. In business and healthcare, risk management means managing the risks AFTER an incident. Using these aviation tested techniques changes the medical and business paradigm by teaching methods that will manage a situation before it becomes an incident. In improving human interaction, through better communication, teamwork, and workload management potential mistakes can be alleviated, mistakes made captured before they become issues or their outcomes minimized.