New technology and the chain of safety.

Healthcare is currently experiencing an exponential growth in medical technology but it has not kept pace with similar industries such as the airline industry. New technology has the potential to improve patient safety, but if the introduction of new technology into the healthcare setting is not coordinated in a thoughtful, proactive manner, there may be weak links in the chain of safety that may expose risks for patients. We describe three concepts that represent this chain of safety. We suggest that these are shared among all leadership and frontline staff and that these concepts require their full attention and investment in order to keep the chain of safety intact and avoid a single weak link in implementing new technology.