Techniques for improving the performance of healthcare teams: learning from aviation and other HROs

Over the last two decades the healthcare industry has increasingly adopted human factors and systems oriented approaches to improving safety. The majority of these approaches are not unique to healthcare, with their origins in other high hazard organizations such as civilian aviation. If correctly adapted to healthcare, these approaches can have a positive impact on patient safety. However, without care, there is a risk of developing an ineffective approach that is a waste of time and resources. The aim of this discussion symposium is to debate the issues around adapting research and practice from high hazard industries to healthcare. Particular emphasis will be on critical appraisal of applying techniques from aviation to healthcare including crew resource management, behavioral markers, simulation, sterile cockpit, and human error classification.