WSJ Health Blog: Aviation Is an Inspiration for Improving Patient Safety

Laura Landro

Searching for ways to reduce medical errors and keep patients safe?

Look up.

That’s the idea of some patient-safety experts, who today will discuss the formation of an independent patient-safety agency modeled on the National Transportation Safety Board, and other strategies to reduce errors at a summit in Washington.

Many of the safety and error-prevention strategies used in aviation are applicable to health care, such as investigating the root causes of accidents and developing programs to reduce fatalities, experts say. One pilot who will share lessons from aviation’s best practices at the summit: retired US Airways pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, who coolly brought down stricken Flight 1549 into the Hudson River with no loss of life.

Read more here.