New Scientist 2000; 165(2231): 50
First posted 20.2.02

Safety second

Which would you rather do? Make an existing technology safer or pioneer an entirely new technology? Most people seem to prefer the latter, and this is particularly so in medicine.

I believe this state of affairs goes a long way towards explaining why medicine is so far behind the airline industry in terms of safety, and why effective monitoring software was not in place to alert authorities to the Harold Shipman murders even though it had been available for years. Even in the USA, safety is mainly driven by the threat of litigation rather than the degree of risk or human suffering.

It seems that when it comes to funding, safety just isn’t sexy. President Clinton is currently among many throughout the developed world calling for greater safety in medicine. I hope the authorities and funding bodies are listening this time.

Craig Webster

Reference

1. "Death watch" New Scientist 2000; 165(2226): 18-19.