Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

When doctors are at greatest risk of making a mistake

Dr. Martin Young
Physician
February 5, 2010
Share
Tweet
Share

Early in my training as a glider pilot my instructor showed me an excellent but simple analogy for ensuring my safe performance as a pilot. I have always remembered this lesson, which he called the ‘accident slope’, and have tried to apply it to my method of practicing medicine, as well as the other ‘dangerous’ activities for which I have an affinity.

“Accidents and mistakes are seldom the result of one single error” he said, “ but more commonly the combination of a multitude of mishaps – each of which on its own may seem minor, but when superimposed, spin with increasing speed towards tragedy.”

“Think of anything you do as if you were a mountaineer moving along a mountain ridge from your point of origin to your destination. The top of the ridge is perfectly flat, but falls away gradually to your side, becoming vertical. The covering is snow and ice, safe to walk on when level, but slippery on the slope.”

“The perfectly safe route would be along the top of the mountain, where there is no gradient and very little chance of slipping. This represents the safe and well prepared route. Anything that affects you negatively moves you away from this flat route to where the gradient is steeper. Some of those things may be your own condition or unpreparedness, or may be external factors such as the weather.”

“It is much harder walking along a gradient, particularly when it is slippery. The more things that are wrong before you start, the further down the slope you are, and the more critical your position, and the harder it is to get back onto the level route. You may find yourself so far down the slope that an unexpected factor beyond your control pushes you to a level where slipping and falling becomes inevitable.”

“It all depends on where you start. Start too far down the slope, and you are an accident just waiting to happen.”

I know from experience, both in flying and in medicine, that his analogy is correct. I think of all the times I have worked when I am exhausted, demoralized, angry or frustrated; when I have had to fight with insurance companies who will not authorize the operation for my patient already in the hospital; when my particular choice of drugs is not available, or the prosthesis I need has not been ordered. I know at those times I am at higher risk of making a mistake.

And this time, in terms of the analogy, I have not just my route along the slippery slope to worry about, but also the health and welfare of my patient, the person I carry on my back.

Martin Young is founder and CEO of ConsentCare.

Submit a guest post and be heard.

Prev

Find out how close synthetic life is to becoming reality

February 5, 2010 Kevin 0
…
Next

Telling a patient story and the issues facing physician writers

February 6, 2010 Kevin 1
…

Tagged as: Malpractice

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Find out how close synthetic life is to becoming reality
Next Post >
Telling a patient story and the issues facing physician writers

ADVERTISEMENT

More by Dr. Martin Young

  • Nelson Mandela: His doctors and nurses also need our thoughts

    Dr. Martin Young
  • a desk with keyboard and ipad with the kevinmd logo

    Why health journalists need medical training

    Dr. Martin Young
  • a desk with keyboard and ipad with the kevinmd logo

    The healing power of ice cream

    Dr. Martin Young

More in Physician

  • Women physicians: How can they survive and thrive in academic medicine?

    Elina Maymind, MD
  • How transplant recipients can pay it forward through organ donation

    Deepak Gupta, MD
  • A surgeon’s testimony, probation, and resignation from a professional society

    Stephen M. Cohen, MD, MBA
  • Locum tenens: Reclaiming purpose, autonomy, and financial freedom in medicine

    Trevor Cabrera, MD
  • Collective action as a path to patient-centered care

    American College of Physicians
  • Portraits of strength: Molly Humphreys and the unseen women of health care

    Ryan McCarthy, MD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Why your clinic waiting room may affect patient outcomes

      Ziya Altug, PT, DPT and Shirish Sachdeva, PT, DPT | Conditions
    • The backbone of health care is breaking

      Grace Yu, MD | Physician
    • Nuclear verdicts and rising costs: How inflation is reshaping medical malpractice claims

      Robert E. White, Jr. & The Doctors Company | Policy
    • How new loan caps could destroy diversity in medical education

      Caleb Andrus-Gazyeva | Policy
    • Why transplant equity requires more than access

      Zamra Amjid, DHSc, MHA | Policy
    • The ethical crossroads of medicine and legislation

      M. Bennet Broner, PhD | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • Health equity in Inland Southern California requires urgent action

      Vishruth Nagam | Policy
    • Why transgender health care needs urgent reform and inclusive practices

      Angela Rodriguez, MD | Conditions
    • How restrictive opioid policies worsen the crisis

      Kayvan Haddadan, MD | Physician
    • Why primary care needs better dermatology training

      Alex Siauw | Conditions
    • New student loan caps could shut low-income students out of medicine

      Tom Phan, MD | Physician
    • mRNA post vaccination syndrome: Is it real?

      Harry Oken, MD | Conditions
  • Recent Posts

    • How your family system secretly shapes your health

      Su Yeong Kim, PhD | Conditions
    • Women physicians: How can they survive and thrive in academic medicine?

      Elina Maymind, MD | Physician
    • The human case for preserving the nipple after mastectomy

      Thomas Amburn, MD | Conditions
    • Why AI in health care needs stronger testing before clinical use [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • How AI is reshaping preventive medicine

      Jalene Jacob, MD, MBA | Tech
    • How transplant recipients can pay it forward through organ donation

      Deepak Gupta, MD | Physician

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 2 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Why your clinic waiting room may affect patient outcomes

      Ziya Altug, PT, DPT and Shirish Sachdeva, PT, DPT | Conditions
    • The backbone of health care is breaking

      Grace Yu, MD | Physician
    • Nuclear verdicts and rising costs: How inflation is reshaping medical malpractice claims

      Robert E. White, Jr. & The Doctors Company | Policy
    • How new loan caps could destroy diversity in medical education

      Caleb Andrus-Gazyeva | Policy
    • Why transplant equity requires more than access

      Zamra Amjid, DHSc, MHA | Policy
    • The ethical crossroads of medicine and legislation

      M. Bennet Broner, PhD | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • Health equity in Inland Southern California requires urgent action

      Vishruth Nagam | Policy
    • Why transgender health care needs urgent reform and inclusive practices

      Angela Rodriguez, MD | Conditions
    • How restrictive opioid policies worsen the crisis

      Kayvan Haddadan, MD | Physician
    • Why primary care needs better dermatology training

      Alex Siauw | Conditions
    • New student loan caps could shut low-income students out of medicine

      Tom Phan, MD | Physician
    • mRNA post vaccination syndrome: Is it real?

      Harry Oken, MD | Conditions
  • Recent Posts

    • How your family system secretly shapes your health

      Su Yeong Kim, PhD | Conditions
    • Women physicians: How can they survive and thrive in academic medicine?

      Elina Maymind, MD | Physician
    • The human case for preserving the nipple after mastectomy

      Thomas Amburn, MD | Conditions
    • Why AI in health care needs stronger testing before clinical use [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • How AI is reshaping preventive medicine

      Jalene Jacob, MD, MBA | Tech
    • How transplant recipients can pay it forward through organ donation

      Deepak Gupta, MD | Physician

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

When doctors are at greatest risk of making a mistake
2 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...