Hospitals and Race Car Pit Stops: Strange Bedfellows?

Thousands of people die each year from hospital errors. One of the biggest sources of these miscues is transferring patients between professionals (ambulance to emergency room, emergency room to operating room, etc.). There are so many moving parts, compounded by communication and leadership deficiencies and a lack of standardized processes.

As reported in the Wall Street Journal, a British doctor consulted with a Ferrari Racing car pit crew on how to better handle rapid, complicated handoffs. The impetus for this leap happened as he watched a Formula One race, following a challenging day in surgery. That helped them develop a seven page guide for every step. The new universally understood direction reduced technical errors over 40% and reduced time to transfer.

Are you limiting your search for breakthrough insights to your own field, let alone your firm? We often recommend speakers with experience working in our client's fields. However, you can sometimes benefit by applying what works from seemingly distinct endeavors. Speakers and trainers with diverse experience can often help you make that link.