What if my Patient is a Pilot?

The unprecedented events which occurred when the Germanwings Flight 9525 crashed leading to the deaths of all onboard the aircraft has made it necessary for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to reevaluate various policies. It emerged that Andreas Lubitz caused the accident intentionally since he had earlier on been treated for suicidal tendencies. It has, however, never been established why he committed the atrocity. Normally, the FAA holds that a pilot has a duty to report any form of diagnosis made on their health. The issue, however, is that health professionals are under no obligation to offer notification in the event that they feel a pilot is unfit for duty; a factor that is based on doctor patient confidentiality. The FAA has is, hence, supposed to make changes to avoid such a disastrous occurrence in the future. 

Analysis and Recommendation 

The confidentiality clause holds that doctors are supposed to remain discrete regarding the condition of their patients. There are, however, circumstances whereby the confidentiality can be violated and yet be justifiable. For instance, if the patient’s condition endangers the life of a third party. The Tarasoff case offers the legal precedence to breach such confidentiality ( Klitzman, 2015 ). Pilots have a great responsibility of moving individuals from one destination to another. In the course of their duty, they end up being responsible for numerous lives and hence the need for the FAA to ascertain that the person in command of the aircraft is in perfect health. In this case, the physical and mental evaluation criteria set for the pilots has to be altered appropriately. For instance, pilots are expected to fill a psychological questionnaire which is an inadequate precaution ( Klitzman, 2015 ). This is due to the fact that the form may not essentially indicate the entire truth regarding the pilot`s condition. 

A further precaution such as initiating a meeting between the pilot and psychiatrist would be better since this would ensure that there is certainty regarding the pilot`s condition. Most preferably, a psychiatrist bearing a wide range of experience in aerospace psychiatry ( Wallace, 2016 ). The evaluation criteria should involve a review of the pilot`s past medical history, an interview to discern the psychosocial problems, an examination on the patient`s mental status and a diagnostic statement from the psychiatrist upon completion of the evaluation. This will be helpful in determining whether the airman is fit to partake in pilot duties. 

Also, there is a requirement for pilots to be subjected to random drug tests within the course of the year. The problem, however, is that the FAA involves only 25% of pilots in a drug test within one year ( Klitzman, 2015 ). This means that there are many pilots who do not undergo the test and those who do know there is no chance of being tested again that year. This may in turn offer freedom to pilots to indulge in recreational drugs and alcohol ( Klitzman, 2015 ). In order to ensure the safety of passengers, it would be advisable for the FAA to consider testing pilots more frequently; most preferably, within a span of days. The pilots will, therefore, be forced to report to work in a stable form and further prevent the occurrence of accidents. 

The idea of seeking too much information from the pilot is bound to be viewed as an invasion of their privacy. There should, however, be a specification requiring the doctor to notify the pilot that they will inform his superiors regarding his condition when it is deemed to be detrimental. In this case, the physician will not have invaded the client`s privacy, and will at the same time have managed to prevent the occurrence of a tragedy. In addition to this, it is best that pilots are assured of job security, in the event that they are suffering from some form of curable disease. This will ensure that they are honest about their condition and also avoid putting the lives of other individuals at risk. Moreover, when HIV became a pandemic there was a proposition for infected pilots to be dismissed since they were tantamount to experience neurological problems. It was nonetheless decided that this would only be done if there was evidence of the neurological symptoms. This shows that even after suffering from such an incurable disease the pilot is still allowed to work normally. 

There is a possibility that some pilots may opt not to even visit a physician when they develop health-related complications. In this case, the FAA should notify other employees at airlines that it is their duty to report such issues since this is crucial in maintaining the safety of other individuals. Conditions such epilepsy and manic depression have to be reported immediately they are observed ( DeHoff & Cusick, 2018 ). Additionally, such illnesses should not be viewed as hindrances stopping the pilot from exercising their duties later on after they recover. New laws have to be established to assure the pilot of job security whenever they are on leave based on some medical issue. Far from the medical conditions, it is fundamental to note that pilots are also likely to become fatigued. The FAA should ensure that every pilot is able to get adequate rest since this is critical for safe aviation. In addition, the FAA should increase the qualification requirements of pilots in order to ensure that they get the most viable candidates for the job. This is a precaution that is likely to promote unparalleled security. 

Conclusion 

To sum it all up, safety is a critical factor in the aviation industry. The Germanwings Flight 9525 served as a wakeup call for the FAA by requiring that they make changes especially those that pertain to the health of the pilots. It is apparent that confidentiality can be violated in a situation where the matter is likely to cause safety concerns. Also, when such violations are being made, the Pilot`s right to privacy has also to be maintained by informing them that the matter will be reported to their superiors. Undertaking face-face mental and physical evaluations on pilots is, therefore, likely to be a great incentive. There should also be frequent random checks on pilots. Besides, the FAA can also raise the requirements for pilots so that only those who are qualified can be recruited. There is, therefore, no doubt that once these changes have been accomplished air travel will end up being safe for all people. 

References 

DeHoff, M. C., & Cusick, S. K. (2018). Mental Health in Commercial Aviation-Depression & Anxiety of Pilots.  International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace ,  5 (5), 5. 

Klitzman Robert. (2015, March 31)What if my Patient is a Pilot? CNN. Retrieved from https://edition.cnn.com/2015/03/30/opinions/klitzman-pilot-ethics/index.html 

Wallace, R. J. (2016). Position Paper: Safety Culture: Why the FAA Should Consider Adapting the WINGS Pilot Proficiency Program as a Method of Remote Pilot Recertification.  International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace ,  3 (3), 9.