The Case for a National Patient Safety Board: Learning from Aviation to Save Lives

The tragic mid-air collision between an American Airlines regional jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter over Washington, D.C., on January 29, 2025, has once again brought aviation safety into the national spotlight. Sixty-seven lives were lost in this catastrophic event, and the nation is rightly mourning. However, as devastating as this tragedy is, it pales in comparison to the silent crisis unfolding every day in hospitals and healthcare facilities across the United States. While aviation accidents are rare and often lead to sweeping investigations and reforms, the healthcare system quietly loses hundreds of thousands of lives each year to preventable medical errors, with little public outcry or systemic change.

This stark contrast raises an urgent question: Why do we have robust systems in place to investigate and prevent aviation accidents, but no equivalent national body to address the epidemic of preventable harm in healthcare? The time has come to establish a National Patient Safety Board, modeled after the systems that have made aviation one of the safest industries in the world. Such a board could save countless lives by addressing the systemic failures that lead to medical errors and harm.

The Silent Epidemic of Medical Errors

Medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the United States, claiming an estimated 250,000 to 400,000 lives annually. These errors include misdiagnoses, medication mistakes, surgical complications, and failures in communication or coordination of care. Unlike aviation accidents, which occur in dramatic, highly visible events, medical errors happen quietly, one patient at a time, behind the closed doors of hospitals and clinics. As a result, they rarely capture the public’s attention or spark widespread calls for reform.

Consider this: If a commercial airliner crashed every day, killing 250 people, the nation would be in an uproar. The aviation industry would grind to a halt, and every resource imaginable would be mobilized to address the crisis. Yet, the equivalent number of deaths occurs daily in healthcare, and the response is muted. There is no national alarm, no coordinated effort to investigate and prevent these tragedies, and no accountability for the systemic failures that allow them to persist.

Lessons from Aviation Safety

The aviation industry has long been a model of safety, thanks in large part to its proactive approach to risk management and its commitment to learning from mistakes. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) work together to investigate accidents, identify root causes, and implement changes to prevent future incidents. Airlines, manufacturers, and regulators collaborate to create a culture of safety, where transparency and accountability are prioritized.

One of the most important tools in aviation safety is the concept of "just culture," which encourages individuals to report errors and near-misses without fear of punishment. This approach allows the industry to collect valuable data, analyze trends, and implement systemic changes. The result is a safety record that is unparalleled in other high-risk industries. In 2023, for example, there were only 39 commercial aviation accidents worldwide, with just five resulting in fatalities—a remarkable achievement given the millions of flights that occur each year.

Healthcare, by contrast, lacks a centralized system for investigating errors and sharing lessons learned. While some hospitals and organizations have adopted safety initiatives, these efforts are often fragmented and inconsistent. There is no national body equivalent to the NTSB to oversee patient safety, investigate adverse events, and drive systemic change. As a result, the same types of errors continue to occur, year after year, with devastating consequences.

Why a National Patient Safety Board Is Needed

The establishment of a National Patient Safety Board (NPSB) could revolutionize healthcare safety in the same way the NTSB transformed aviation. Such a board would serve as an independent, non-punitive body dedicated to investigating medical errors, identifying root causes, and recommending evidence-based solutions. It would provide a centralized framework for collecting and analyzing data on adverse events, enabling healthcare providers to learn from mistakes and implement changes to prevent future harm.

Key functions of a National Patient Safety Board could include:

1. Investigating Adverse Events: Just as the NTSB investigates aviation accidents, the NPSB could investigate serious medical errors and sentinel events, such as wrong-site surgeries, medication overdoses, or preventable infections. These investigations would focus on identifying systemic issues rather than assigning blame to individuals.
2. Promoting Transparency and Accountability: The NPSB could create a national database of adverse events and near-misses, similar to the Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS). This database would allow healthcare providers to share information and learn from one another, fostering a culture of transparency and continuous improvement.
3. Developing Best Practices: By analyzing data and trends, the NPSB could develop evidence-based guidelines and protocols to improve patient safety. These recommendations could be disseminated to hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare organizations nationwide.
4. Driving Policy Change: The NPSB could work with policymakers, regulators, and industry leaders to implement systemic changes, such as standardizing electronic health records, improving communication between providers, and addressing staffing shortages.
5. Educating the Public: The NPSB could raise awareness about patient safety issues and empower patients to advocate for their own care. Public education campaigns could help reduce stigma around reporting errors and encourage a collaborative approach to safety.

Bridging the Gap Between Aviation and Healthcare

The recent mid-air collision over Washington, D.C., highlights the importance of having robust systems in place to investigate and prevent accidents. Within hours of the crash, the NTSB launched an investigation, and preliminary findings are already shedding light on the factors that contributed to the tragedy. This swift and coordinated response is a testament to the aviation industry’s commitment to safety.

Imagine if healthcare had a similar system. When a patient dies due to a preventable error, there is often no investigation, no accountability, and no effort to prevent the same mistake from happening again. Families are left to grieve in silence, and the healthcare system continues to operate as if nothing has happened. A National Patient Safety Board could change this by bringing the same level of rigor and urgency to healthcare safety that we see in aviation.

The Path Forward

The creation of a National Patient Safety Board would require a significant investment of time, resources, and political will. However, the potential benefits far outweigh the costs. By preventing even a fraction of the hundreds of thousands of deaths caused by medical errors each year, the NPSB could save more lives than any other public health initiative in recent history.

To make this vision a reality, the following steps are needed:

1. Legislative Action: Congress must pass legislation to establish the NPSB as an independent federal agency, with a clear mandate and adequate funding.
2. Stakeholder Engagement: Healthcare providers, patient advocacy groups, insurers, and policymakers must come together to support the NPSB and ensure its success.
3. Cultural Change: The healthcare industry must embrace a culture of safety, where errors are seen as opportunities for learning and improvement rather than reasons for punishment or denial.
4. Public Awareness: Patients and families must be educated about the importance of safety and empowered to demand accountability from healthcare providers.

Conclusion

The mid-air collision over Washington, D.C., is a heartbreaking reminder of the importance of safety in high-risk industries. While aviation has made remarkable progress in reducing accidents, healthcare remains a glaring exception. The silent epidemic of medical errors continues to claim hundreds of thousands of lives each year, with little public attention or systemic change.

It doesn’t have to be this way. By establishing a National Patient Safety Board, the United States can bring the same level of rigor, transparency, and accountability to healthcare that has made aviation one of the safest industries in the world. The lives lost to medical errors are no less valuable than those lost in a plane crash, and the solutions are within our reach. The time to act is now.

For more information and resources on healthcare safety and to learn how you can be an advocate for your health, visit?Dr. Julie Siemers' website.

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