In 2022, medical errors were among the top 10 causes of death, according to the WHO.* These incidents are partly due to communication breakdowns, failures in information transmission, distractions, and task interruptions.*
To improve the reliability of healthcare and optimize patient safety, it is essential to implement reliability practices that take human factors into account. These practices are often inspired by other high-risk industries, such as aviation, which has been teaching its teams the art of cooperation since the 1980s.
Cross-checking, inspired by aviation
In an airliner, there are always two pilots. One is responsible for the actual piloting; this is the pilot flying. The other checks, monitors, and controls the actions of the first pilot while also handling ancillary tasks; this is the pilot monitoring. He plays a key role, as he must be constantly vigilant to best advise the pilot flying. Both have tasks assigned to them in advance, allowing them to avoid any risks and ensure air safety. This is called cross-checking. It is a form of mirrored verification, a double check that is part of a risk management strategy, serving as a tool for prevention and recovery. Everything is monitored to avoid risks. Cross-checking fosters teamwork. It is essential that pilots communicate with and listen to one another. Aviation is a true team effort where each individual has a role to play. It is therefore essential to identify areas of vulnerability where cross-checking must be mandatory and systematic. Adapting cross-checking to healthcare activities src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/61f1c5bbc327ec3679e7457c/62cd97890cbaca5c72eb6c88_Controle%20crois%C3%A9%203.png" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy">
As in aviation, it is necessary to identify moments of vulnerability in healthcare. In the context of surgical care, the WHO has recommended since 2010 the implementation of a surgical checklist in which the different phases correspond to areas of vulnerability and where cross-checking is necessary, if not essential: Phase 1: Before induction of anesthesia, the pause before anesthesia. Phase 2: Before the surgical procedure, the pause before the incision. Phase 3: After the surgical procedure, the pause before leaving the operating room. The surgical checklist is only effective if it is carried out by a team, with cross-checking by the various healthcare professionals involved in the patient’s care. This tool promotes cross-checking and structures teamwork by providing status updates through briefings and debriefings. The checklist provides a shared mental framework with clear objectives at each stage of the patient’s care pathway. It encourages all stakeholders to discuss the procedure, thereby fostering teamwork and communication. Simulation for training healthcare professionals: Simulation is integrated into relevant new teaching methods for training healthcare professionals. It has also long been used in other fields such as aeronautics* and can be seen as a tool for testing one’s work environment.
SafeTeam Academy and STAN Institute are training organizations that use simulation-based teaching methods and, drawing on their expertise in simulation, innovate to offer new ways of learning.
The STAN Institute uses realistic simulations to train students. Drawing on its experience in the aviation industry, the STAN Institute team—comprising experts in human factors, safety, and lessons learned—has applied its expertise to the medical field.
The founders of SafeTeam Academy, for their part, developed perceived simulation: much like in a movie, learners are immersed in an immersive video during which practices and routines are examined. SafeTeam Academy uses simulation as a tool to improve the reliability of healthcare practices by leveraging a long-established industry in France: cinema. Realism and perceived authenticity are key drivers of learning. The tool offered by SafeTeam Academy also reflects a forward-looking vision of simulation: the development of mobile debriefing teams.
In both cases, these experiential learning tools help analyze practices and acquire new skills within organizations, thereby promoting professional development in healthcare.
The e-learning training programs offered by SafeTeam Academy have been designed to be supplemented by live simulations.
In this sense, simulation centers like the STAN Institute and simulation trainers are true agents of change and work together seamlessly to offer the most effective blended learning experience available today.
If you would also like to help improve the quality of care within your organizations, please contact us: contact@safeteam.academy; info@stan-institute.com
* WHO | 10 facts on patient safety. WHO. http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/patient_safety/en/ (accessed 27 Jan 2019).
* Joint Commission Center for Transforming Healthcare releases targeted solutions tool for hand-off communications. Jt Comm Perspect Jt Comm Accreditation Healthc Organ 2012;32:1, 3.
* How to Better Train and Assess Medical and Health Sciences Students?, Thierry Pelaccia, Foreword by Jacques Tardif
