Pilots are being encouraged to participate in a groundbreaking study by the University of North Dakota (UND) into the aviation community’s knowledge of healthcare services and procedures and how that could impact aviation safety.
The new study was spurred by a previous study by UND researchers that found pilots may be withholding information during their medicals to maintain their flight status.
According to UND faculty, the recent study found that 56% of U.S. pilots reported some form of healthcare avoidance to protect their ability to fly. This discovery prompted this latest UND study, which seeks to determine if a lack of knowledge of healthcare practices and the healthcare system had a meaningful impact on these pilots’ behavior.
“Safety is a core value of our industry and we have achieved significant safety gains by identifying, analyzing, and resolving issues of concern. Culturally, we are changing our perceptions in a very positive way of how our mental and physical well-being can impact performance,” said Mark Larsen, the National Business Aviation Association‘s director, safety and flight operations. “Through studies like UND’s review of health systems literacy, we will be better able to define practices and that will improve our culture and the health of everyone in business aviation.
