Med Klin
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Patient safety is the latest issue in the present stage of the German health care system, characterized by costs and quality both resulting in value of care. Patient safety defined as "absence of adverse events" represents an important problem, because 10% of in-house patients experience an adverse event, which in nearly 50% of the cases is due to an error (preventable adverse event). Threats and near misses are errors without a consecutive adverse event, much more common and better to integrate in the concept of risk management, which is based on thorough analysis and prevention of errors in medicine. ⋯ The medical and other professions, on the other side, have to change their self-understanding from the zero mistake philosophy to accepting errors as common events. This understanding is a prerequisite that analysis can be performed. The participation of patients should be strengthened, because public disclosure is an important issue, although the scientific evidence for real improvement in health care resulting from public disclosure is still inconclusive.