PGY-1 Madigan Army Medical Center DuPont, Washington
Disclosure(s): No financial relationships to disclose
Disclosure(s):
Virginia Thomas, DO: No financial relationships to disclose
Before donning their airtight suits and stepping out into the vastness of space, astronauts are required to undergo routine and task specific fatigue monitoring. Military pilots are strictly prohibited from working ten hours prior to their flight time to ensure they are well rested before stepping into the cockpit. The medical and aerospace industries share many similarities: advanced training, demanding work requirements, and facing high-stakes risks on a daily basis. While both industries implement robust cultures of safety, they take vastly different approaches.
Between clinical demands, board preparation, and academic requirements, residents are a group especially vulnerable to fatigue. This presentation will expose residents to monitoring and mitigation techniques employed by the aerospace industry including the FAA, military, and NASA. By comparing their rules and regulations to that of the ACGME, young physicians can develop an understanding of how to better approach the unavoidable fatigue of residency to ensure patient safety and increase overall physician wellness.
Learning Objectives:
After this session the learner will be able to identify specific cognitive functions, physical tasks, and neurological reactions affected by fatigue.
After this session the learner will demonstrate understanding for how the aerospace industry monitors fatigue to mitigate risk, which will empower them to implement changes in their own program.
