David M. Gaba, M.D.

Administrative Appointments

• Associate Dean for Immersive and Simulation-based Learning, Stanford University School of Medicine , (2004– present )

Honors and Awards

• IARS Teaching Achievement Award, International Anesthesia Research Society (2007)
• David M. Worthen Award, Department of Veterans Affairs (2003)
• SEA/Duke Award for Innovation in Anesthesia Education, Society for Education in Anesthesia (October, 2003)

Professional Education

• MD, Yale School of Medicine Medicine (1980)
• BS Engg, Northwestern University Biomedical Engineering (1976)

Graduate & Fellowship Program Affiliations

• Anesthesia
• Health Research and Policy

Web Site Links

• Center for Immersive & Simulation-based Learning Web Page

Industry Relationships

Stanford is committed to ethical and transparent interactions with our industry partners. It is our policy to disclose payments of $5,000 or more, equity valued at $5,000 or more in a publicly traded company, or any equity in a privately held company, to physicians and scientists employed by Stanford University from companies or other commercial entities with which they interact as part of their professional activities. 

• Equity: SEA Medical, Inc.

Research Interests

Improving patient safety through a variety of means, including applying theories of organizational safety to health care; developing and testing the application of immersive and simulation-based techniques for education, training, performance assessment, and research, measuring and intervening in hospital safety cultures

Publications

• Identifying organizational cultures that promote patient safety. Singer SJ,  Falwell A, Gaba DM, Meterko M, Rosen A, Hartmann CW, Baker L.  Health Care Manage Rev.  2009 Oct-Dec; 34 (4): 300-11
• Do as we say, not as you do: using simulation to investigate clinical behavior in action. Gaba DM,  Simul Healthc.  2009; 4 (2): 67-9
• Procedural risks in thoracentesis: process, progress, and proficiency. Gaba DM,  Dunn WF.  Chest.  2009; 135 (5): 1120-3
• Coordination patterns related to high clinical performance in a simulated anesthetic crisis. Manser T,  Harrison TK, Gaba DM, Howard SK.  Anesth Analg.  2009; 108 (5): 1606-15
• How does patient safety culture in the operating room and post-anesthesia care unit compare to the rest of the hospital? Kaafarani HM,  Itani KM, Rosen AK, Zhao S, Hartmann CW, Gaba DM.  Am J Surg.  2009; 198 (1): 70-5
• Relationship of hospital organizational culture to patient safety climate in the Veterans Health Administration. Hartmann CW,  Meterko M, Rosen AK, Shibei Zhao, Shokeen P, Singer S, Gaba DM.  Med Care Res Rev.  2009; 66 (3): 320-38
• Comparing safety climate between two populations of hospitals in the United States. Singer SJ,  Hartmann CW, Hanchate A, Zhao S, Meterko M, Shokeen P, Lin S, Gaba DM, Rosen AK.  Health Serv Res.  2009; 44 (5 Pt 1): 1563-83
• Milestones for the journal. Gaba DM,  Simul Healthc.  2009; 4 (1): 1-2
• Patient safety climate in 92 US hospitals: differences by work area and discipline. Singer SJ,  Gaba DM, Falwell A, Lin S, Hayes J, Baker L.  Med Care.  2009; 47 (1): 23-31
• In tribute to and memory of beverlee anderson. Raemer D,  Gaba DM.  Simul Healthc.  2009; 4 (4): 189-90
• Differences in safety climate among hospital anesthesia departments and the effect of a realistic simulation-based training program. Cooper JB,  Blum RH, Carroll JS, Dershwitz M, Feinstein DM, Gaba DM, Morey JC, Singla AK.  Anesth Analg.  2008; 106 (2): 574-84, table of contents
• Adaptive coordination in cardiac anaesthesia: a study of situational changes in coordination patterns using a new observation system. Manser T,  Howard SK, Gaba DM.  Ergonomics.  2008; 51 (8): 1153-78
• Patient safety climate in US hospitals: variation by management level. Singer SJ,  Falwell A, Gaba DM, Baker LC.  Med Care.  2008; 46 (11): 1149-56
• Challenges and opportunities in simulation and assessment. Glavin RJ,  Gaba DM.  Simul Healthc.  2008; 3 (2): 69-71
• Improvement in coronary anastomosis with cardiac surgery simulation. Fann JI,  Caffarelli AD, Georgette G, Howard SK, Gaba DM, Youngblood P, Mitchell RS, Burdon TA.  J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg.  2008; 136 (6): 1486-91
• Recruitment of hospitals for a safety climate study: facilitators and barriers. Rosen AK,  Gaba DM, Meterko M, Shokeen P, Singer S, Zhao S, Labonte A, Falwell A.  Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf.  2008; 34 (5): 275-84
• An overview of patient safety climate in the VA. Hartmann CW,  Rosen AK, Meterko M, Shokeen P, Zhao S, Singer S, Falwell A, Gaba DM.  Health Serv Res.  2008; 43 (4): 1263-84
• Safety culture: is the "unit" the right "unit of analysis"? Gaba DM,  Singer SJ, Rosen AK.  Crit Care Med.  2007; 35 (1): 314-6
• When the editor is an author. Gaba DM,  Simul Healthc.  2007; 2 (2): 86-7
• The role of debriefing in simulation-based learning. Fanning RM,  Gaba DM.  Simul Healthc.  2007; 2 (2): 115-25
• The future vision of simulation in healthcare. Gaba DM,  Simul Healthc.  2007; 2 (2): 126-35
• So many roads: facilitated debriefing in healthcare. Dismukes RK,  Gaba DM, Howard SK.  Simul Healthc.  2006; 1 (1): 23-5
• Clinicians' recognition of the Ohmeda Modulus II plus and Ohmeda Excel 210 SE anesthesia machine system mode and function. Sowb YA,  Howard SK, Raemer DB, Feinstein D, Fish KJ, Gaba DM.  Simul Healthc.  2006; 1 (1): 26-31
• What's in a name? A mannequin by any other name would work as well. Gaba DM,  Simul Healthc.  2006; 1 (2): 64-5
• A little bit farther than we've gone before. Gaba DM,  Simul Healthc.  2006; 1 (3): 145-6
• Improving alertness and performance in emergency department physicians and nurses: the use of planned naps. Smith-Coggins R,  Howard SK, Mac DT, Wang C, Kwan S, Rosekind MR, Sowb Y, Balise R, Levis J, Gaba DM.  Ann Emerg Med.  2006; 48 (5): 596-604, 604.e1-3
• To simulate or not to simulate: what is the question? Dutta S,  Gaba D, Krummel TM.  Ann Surg.  2006; 243 (3): 301-3
• Use of cognitive aids in a simulated anesthetic crisis. Harrison TK,  Manser T, Howard SK, Gaba DM.  Anesth Analg.  2006; 103 (3): 551-6
• Trainee fatigue: are new limits on work hours enough? Howard SK,  Gaba DM.  CMAJ.  2004; 170 (6): 975-6
• What makes a "good" anesthesiologist? Gaba DM,  Anesthesiology.  2004; 101 (5): 1061-3
• The future vision of simulation in health care. Gaba DM,  Qual Saf Health Care.  2004; 13 Suppl 1 i2-10
• Differences in safety climate between hospital personnel and naval aviators. Gaba DM,  Singer SJ, Sinaiko AD, Bowen JD, Ciavarelli AP.  Hum Factors.  2003; 45 (2): 173-85
• Use of a fully simulated intensive care unit environment for critical event management training for internal medicine residents. Lighthall GK,  Barr J, Howard SK, Gellar E, Sowb Y, Bertacini E, Gaba D.  Crit Care Med.  2003; 31 (10): 2437-43
• Trauma assessment training with a patient simulator: a prospective, randomized study. Lee SK,  Pardo M, Gaba D, Sowb Y, Dicker R, Straus EM, Khaw L, Morabito D, Krummel TM, Knudson MM.  J Trauma.  2003; 55 (4): 651-7
• The culture of safety: results of an organization-wide survey in 15 California hospitals. Singer SJ,  Gaba DM, Geppert JJ, Sinaiko AD, Howard SK, Park KC.  Qual Saf Health Care.  2003; 12 (2): 112-8
• Emergency medicine crisis resource management (EMCRM): pilot study of a simulation-based crisis management course for emergency medicine. Reznek M,  Smith-Coggins R, Howard S, Kiran K, Harter P, Sowb Y, Gaba D, Krummel T.  Acad Emerg Med.  2003; 10 (4): 386-9
• Simulation study of rested versus sleep-deprived anesthesiologists. Howard SK,  Gaba DM, Smith BE, Weinger MB, Herndon C, Keshavacharya S, Rosekind MR.  Anesthesiology.  2003; 98 (6): 1345-55; discussion 5A
• Two examples of how to evaluate the impact of new approaches to teaching. Gaba DM,  Anesthesiology.  2002; 96 (1): 1-2
• The risks and implications of excessive daytime sleepiness in resident physicians. Howard SK,  Gaba DM, Rosekind MR, Zarcone VP.  Acad Med.  2002; 77 (10): 1019-25
• No myth: anesthesia is a model for addressing patient safety. Cooper JB,  Gaba D.  Anesthesiology.  2002; 97 (6): 1335-7
• Patient safety: fatigue among clinicians and the safety of patients. Gaba DM,  Howard SK.  N Engl J Med.  2002; 347 (16): 1249-55
• [Patient safety and errors in medicine: development, prevention and analyses of incidents] Rall M,  Manser T, Guggenberger H, Gaba DM, Unertl K.  Anasthesiol Intensivmed Notfallmed Schmerzther.  2001; 36 (6): 321-30
• The National Patient Safety Foundation agenda for research and development in patient safety. Cooper JB,  Gaba DM, Liang B, Woods D, Blum LN.  MedGenMed.  2000; 2 (3): E38
• Landmark report published on patient safety. Gaba D,  Cooper J.  J Clin Monit Comput.  2000; 16 (3): 231-2
• Anaesthesiology as a model for patient safety in health care. Gaba DM,  BMJ.  2000; 320 (7237): 785-8
• Time for a new paradigm in pediatric medical education: teaching neonatal resuscitation in a simulated delivery room environment. Halamek LP,  Kaegi DM, Gaba DM, Sowb YA, Smith BC, Smith BE, Howard SK.  Pediatrics.  2000; 106 (4): E45
• Assessment of clinical performance during simulated crises using both technical and behavioral ratings. Gaba DM,  Howard SK, Flanagan B, Smith BE, Fish KJ, Botney R.  Anesthesiology.  1998; 89 (1): 8-18
• Attitudes toward production pressure and patient safety: a survey of anesthesia residents. Healzer JM,  Howard SK, Gaba DM.  J Clin Monit Comput.  1998; 14 (2): 145-6
• Factors influencing vigilance and performance of anesthetists. Howard SK,  Gaba DM.  Curr Opin Anaesthesiol.  1998; 11 (6): 651-7
• Anesthesia patient risk: a quantitative approach to organizational factors and risk management options. Paté-Cornell ME,  Lakats LM, Murphy DM, Gaba DM.  Risk Anal.  1997; 17 (4): 511-23
• Evaluation of a medical diagnosis system using simulator test scenarios. Larsson JE,  Hayes-Roth B, Gaba DM, Smith BE.  Artif Intell Med.  1997; 11 (2): 119-40
• The effect of electronic record keeping and transesophageal echocardiography on task distribution, workload, and vigilance during cardiac anesthesia. Weinger MB,  Herndon OW, Gaba DM.  Anesthesiology.  1997; 87 (1): 144-55; discussion 29A-30A
• Simulated anaesthetic emergencies. Gaba DM,  Howard SK.  Br J Anaesth.  1997; 79 (5): 689-90; author reply 690-1
• Anesthesia providers, patient outcomes, and costs. Gaba DM,  Anesth Analg.  1996; 83 (6): 1347-8; author reply 1349-50
• Anaesthesia simulators. Gaba DM,  Can J Anaesth.  1995; 42 (10): 952-3
• Situation awareness in anesthesiology. Gaba DM,  Howard SK, Small SD.  Hum Factors.  1995; 37 (1): 20-31
• Anesthesia crisis resource management: real-life simulation training in operating room crises. Holzman RS,  Cooper JB, Gaba DM, Philip JH, Small SD, Feinstein D.  J Clin Anesth.  1995; 7 (8): 675-87
• An objective methodology for task analysis and workload assessment in anesthesia providers. Weinger MB,  Herndon OW, Zornow MH, Paulus MP, Gaba DM, Dallen LT.  Anesthesiology.  1994; 80 (1): 77-92
• Guardian: an experimental system for intelligent ICU monitoring. Hayes-Roth B,  Uckun S, Larsson JE, Drakopoulos J, Gaba D, Barr J, Chien J.  Proc Annu Symp Comput Appl Med Care.  1994; 1004
• Production pressure in the work environment. California anesthesiologists' attitudes and experiences. Gaba DM,  Howard SK, Jump B.  Anesthesiology.  1994; 81 (2): 488-500
• Improving anesthesiologists' performance by simulating reality. Gaba DM,  Anesthesiology.  1992; 76 (4): 491-4
• Bronchial cuff pressures of two tubes used in thoracic surgery. Kelley JG,  Gaba DM, Brodsky JB.  J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth.  1992; 6 (2): 190-2
• Anesthesia crisis resource management training: teaching anesthesiologists to handle critical incidents. Howard SK,  Gaba DM, Fish KJ, Yang G, Sarnquist FH.  Aviat Space Environ Med.  1992; 63 (9): 763-70
• Case 2-1992. Unintentional delivery of vasoactive drugs with an electromechanical infusion device. Cook RI,  Woods DD, Howie MB, Horrow JC, Gaba DM.  J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth.  1992; 6 (2): 238-44
• Role of experience in the response to simulated critical incidents. DeAnda A,  Gaba DM.  Anesth Analg.  1991; 72 (3): 308-15
• A comparison of etomidate and thiopental anesthesia for cardioversion. Ford SR,  Maze M, Gaba DM.  J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth.  1991; 5 (6): 563-5
• Unplanned incidents during comprehensive anesthesia simulation. DeAnda A,  Gaba DM.  Anesth Analg.  1990; 71 (1): 77-82
• Measuring the workload of the anesthesiologist. Gaba DM,  Lee T.  Anesth Analg.  1990; 71 (4): 354-61
• The present and future medicolegal importance of record keeping in anesthesia and intensive care: the case for automation. Gaba DM,  J Clin Monit.  1990; 6 (4): 338-9
• Corrigendum for bronchial diameters. Brodsky JB,  Gaba DM.  Anesth Analg.  1990; 70 (6): 670
• Bronchial cuff pressures of double-lumen tubes. Brodsky JB,  Adkins MO, Gaba DM.  Anesth Analg.  1989; 69 (5): 608-10
• A strategy for preventing anesthesia accidents. Cooper JB,  Gaba DM.  Int Anesthesiol Clin.  1989; 27 (3): 148-52
• Human error in anesthetic mishaps. Gaba DM,  Int Anesthesiol Clin.  1989; 27 (3): 137-47
• The response of anesthesia trainees to simulated critical incidents. Gaba DM,  DeAnda A.  Anesth Analg.  1989; 68 (4): 444-51
• Anesthetic and hemodynamic effects of the alpha 2-adrenergic agonist, azepexole, in isoflurane-anesthetized dogs. Maze M,  Vickery RG, Merlone SC, Gaba DM.  Anesthesiology.  1988; 68 (5): 689-94
• More on nitrous oxide and laser surgery. Gaba DM,  Anesth Analg.  1988; 67 (5): 488-9
• A comprehensive anesthesia simulation environment: re-creating the operating room for research and training. Gaba DM,  DeAnda A.  Anesthesiology.  1988; 69 (3): 387-94
• L-phenylisopropyladenosine (L-PIA) diminishes halothane anesthetic requirements and decreases noradrenergic neurotransmission in rats. Birch BD,  Louie GL, Vickery RG, Gaba DM, Maze M.  Life Sci.  1988; 42 (14): 1355-60
• Lactate extraction and myocardial damage after countershock at different energy levels. Maxwell MS,  DeAnda A, Vickery R, Gaba DM.  J Cardiothorac Anesth.  1988; 2 (3): 341-5
• Anesthetic mishaps: breaking the chain of accident evolution. Gaba DM,  Maxwell M, DeAnda A.  Anesthesiology.  1987; 66 (5): 670-6
• Internal countershock produces myocardial damage and lactate production without myocardial ischemia in anesthetized dogs. Gaba DM,  Maxwell MS, Merlone S, Smith C.  Anesthesiology.  1987; 66 (4): 477-82
• Epinephrine arrhythmogenicity is enhanced by acute, but not chronic, aminophylline administration during halothane anesthesia in dogs. Prokocimer PG,  Nicholls E, Gaba DM, Maze M.  Anesthesiology.  1986; 65 (1): 13-8
• Incendiary characteristics of a new laser-resistant endotracheal tube. Hayes DM,  Gaba DM, Goode RL.  Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg.  1986; 95 (1): 37-40
• Alpha 1-adrenergic blockade raises epinephrine-arrhythmia threshold in halothane-anesthetized dogs in a dose-dependent fashion. Maze M,  Hayward E, Gaba DM.  Anesthesiology.  1985; 63 (6): 611-5
• Anesthesia and the automatic implantable cardioverter/defibrillator. Gaba DM,  Wyner J, Fish KJ.  Anesthesiology.  1985; 62 (6): 786-92
• Effects of hypoxia and hyperoxia on the human standing potential. Marmor MF,  Donovan WJ, Gaba DM.  Doc Ophthalmol.  1985; 60 (4): 347-52
• Postcountershock myocardial damage after pretreatment with adrenergic and calcium channel antagonists in halothane-anesthetized dogs. Gaba DM,  Metz S, Maze M.  Anesthesiology.  1985; 62 (5): 610-4
• Myocardial damage following transthoracic direct current countershock in newborn piglets. Gaba DM,  Talner NS.  Pediatr Cardiol.  1982; 2 (4): 281-8