Airlines & Healthcare; what can we learn

We consider airlines safe so in healthcare we adopt some (and only some) of the techniques they use to be safe - like checklists used by pilots and engineers. I say @some@ because we often forgot some of the more basic and fundamental safety aspects employed by arilines - the often more complex human resources, financial aspects, organisational learning, training etc.

Putting safety aside I read the report by the USA Bureau of Transportation on the statistics for 2009. In 2009 of the 19 airlines who reported they had an average on-time arrival performance of 79.5%. Hmmm. What I like about this figure is it represents the complexity of different airlines, operating in different ways, to different airports - and all affected in some way by the things out of their control, like the weather. This sounds to me like the healthcare system - in public sector systems anyway. So the airline travel system in 2009 was designed for 1 late arrival in every 5 flights. This makes me feel a lot better about the flow of patients around the National Health Service in England. A way higher percentage experiences experiences on time care. I also feel that the NHS is able to work well in a crisis like bad weather.

Ever lost your baggage? Well in the USA in 2009 3.91 bags were mishandled (isn't that a lovely term!) in every 1000 handled. This was an improvement from the 5.26 in 2008 - well done. As rates go these mishandlings are very few. Of course, if it is your bag lost, then the amount of year on year improvement and the overall rate is of no interest. A failure is a failure. This reminds me of the way most healthcare projects adopt goals that are less than perfect. For instance, 95% of patients to be treated xxx. What this tells me is that the improvement project team and the organisation are opting to design for a certain amount of failure. And I am not sure I am happy with this. Mistakes I can forgive. Designed in failure rate, often large ones, are to me a sign of lack of confidence in the people and processes. And as a patient I am less confident being treated there.

We have a great deal to learn about and adopt from other sectors as part of improving healthcare. What have you adopted from another industry and how has it worked for you?