Comparing safety climate in naval aviation and hospitals: implications for improving patient safety.
The aviation industry has emphasized teamwork training and eliminating authority gradients as safety strategies, acknowledging the importance of a positive safety culture. While these principles are being integrated into health care, this comparative study found that the safety culture in naval aviation is much more positive in nearly all domains than in hospitals. Particularly notable is the finding that naval commanders perceived safety culture in a similar fashion to frontline personnel—a striking contrast to findings in health care.