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.
The survey takes five to 10 minutes to complete and does not ask for any information that would identify who the responses belong to. All responses are treated confidentially and are stored on a secure server, according to university officials.
You can take the survey here.
I took the survey, but I didn’t see any mention of pilots avoiding medical detection of some disqualifying condition. It looked more like a patient-doctor communication survey, not aviation-applicable.
Interestingly enough, I am a new pilot (150hrs) with a SI 3rd Class. I am a type-1 diabetic on an insulin pump. I had to disclose it to get AME approval. The process is a serious pain in the butt; however, it is extremely manageable. I always approached my healthcare and flying by saying if I take care of myself then I should not be too hindered with a medical review cycles. Sure I have to remain on top of my paperwork and response times, but that is just part of what it takes to fly. I do understand some of the no-go items, like anti-depressants, etc. – I think there should be a similar SI process for most medial items as I have with my 3rd class. I cannot be bothered to do 2nd or 1st, but I just want to fly for fun. I do not feel like gathering 1 years worth of blood sugar logs. Even though I have the data at my fingertips.
An opinion from a guy who works for the USAF as a civil service engineer.
The reason for the problems we have with the FAA in general not just the medical group is that they have Zero incentive to help you out. If they approve your medical or your form 337 to modify your aircraft or whatever and everything goes ok they do not get anything it does not benefit them in any way. On the other hand if somthing goes wrong it can end any chance of future promotion. Since there is no penalty for denying applications the trend is that if there is any possibility that it might hurt their career they will deny you. I have seen this over and over in my job as a USAF engineer. Unfortunately that is the way almost all government agencies are these days.
My biggest complaint is that OKC hasn’t kept up with the latest medical trends in treatments or medications. They are decades behind the science. Confess your use of a CPAP for sleep apnea & you’re tasked with trying to hustle records to demonstrate 100 consecutive nights of use from a device that only records 30-60 nights at a time. Then there is the struggle to get any of the arrays of new meds for depression & anxiety approved in a timely manner. Better sleep-deprived pilots nodding off when they sit still or very sad or anxious pilots self-medicating with booze & illicit drugs behind the controls.
One thing I learned during my 28yrs of naval aviation with regard to talking with a flight surgeon was to use the acronym N.A.V.Y. = > Never Again Volunteer Yourself => never volunteer health issues with the flight surgeon or they will ground you.
The same thing is true with the civilian aeromedical personnel. Never volunteer your health issues to the flight surgeons or you will be grounded or crushed with special issuance paperwork & procedures. I understand that they are there for our health however sometimes the FAA’s aeromedical policies are (to be charitable:) draconian!
Sure, there are people who will fly no matter how severe their health issues are but the FAA can’t seem to comprehend that THEIR DRACONIAN POLICIES ARE WHAT CREATE the ‘scofflaw behavior” they don’t like. That behavior is created when pilots fear repercussions from reporting medical history information to their flight surgeons.
If they were (instead of creating the behavior they don’t like) focused on promoting more cooperative behavior from pilots, they might find that pilots who (aren’t going to lose their ability to fly while dealing with health issues both administratively and medically) are more proactive and responsive in their Aeronautical Decision Making, to self-ground while dealing with medical issues.
The NASA incident reporting system is a good example of pilots self-reporting mistakes when they don’t fear FAA repercussions.
The other concern I have is that the VA and other government health agencies provide information to the FAA without telling the patient that they are going to give the HIPA & PII to the FAA. I realize they have inserted disingenuous wording in their documents which gives them the rights to “obtain” a patient’s health records.- however that behavior doesn’t engender a cooperative spirit with the “unelected bureaucrats” in the FAA. I know I didn’t vote the folks in the FAA into an office that has the ability to terminate my livelihood or passion in flying because I didn’t report my appendix surgery from 50yrs ago or my broken arm in college? WTF over?
The saying: “The FAA isn’t happy until you aren’t happy!” is completely accurate.
Haha, this is an EGO problem not a misunderstanding of the medical services. WE pilots all know that the medical industry is nothing more than legalized drug pushers and few of us wish to take meds that could affect our flying ability. I mean, look who pushed the VAX?
Trust the doctors? Trust the FAA, C’mon man!
Pilots are a smart lot!
It’s not that we have a lack of understanding of medical care available. It’s that we UNDERSTAND how the FAA harasses pilots who are not in perfect health,
Well said