Research into medical accidents: a case of negligence?

Public awareness of medical accidents is growing, as the rapidly rising rate of litigation and the correspond- ing increase in defence society subscriptions testify. In many activities-for example, aviation, road and rail travel, industry-errors and accidents are the object of systematic study.24 Aircraft accidents are extensively investigated and extraordinary measures taken to minimise the risks of air travel. The risk of death under anaesthesia is comparable to the risk of accident on a commercial flight.5 Yet in anaesthesia, and medicine generally, accidents are seldom discussed publicly and few studies are conducted. Many doctors do, of course, review their work in morbidity and mortality meet- ings. This does not usually extend to systematic study, however, and the results are not usually communicated to the wider medical community. I suggest here that research into medical accidents has been greatly neglected but that accidents can and should be studied.