The British journal of oral & maxillofacial surgery
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Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg · Jun 2019
ReviewLeading article: What has an Airbus A380 Captain got to do with OMFS? Lessons from aviation to improve patient safety.
The understanding of why air accidents occur and all the factors involved with them has been a strong and constantly evolving driver for improving flight safety. While they are diverse professions, there are many similarities between flying commercial aircraft and surgery, particularly in relation to minimising risk and managing potentially fatal or catastrophic complications. ⋯ A 2018 Quality Care Commission report stated that never events are wholly preventable and expressed the need to learn from other industries. In this article we discuss various transferable lessons and procedures advocated from aviation that could be applied to OMFS in an attempt to improve team culture and safety for our patients.