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Review article: Biomedical intelligence

Vol. 142 No. 2930 (2012)

Patient safety – who cares?

  • David L B Schwappach
  • Dieter Conen
DOI
https://doi.org/10.4414/smw.2012.13634
Cite this as:
Swiss Med Wkly. 2012;142:w13634
Published
15.07.2012

Summary

Medical errors and adverse events are a serious threat to patients worldwide. In recent years methodologically sound studies have demonstrated that interventions exist, can be implemented and can have sustainable, measurable positive effects on patient safety.

Nonetheless, system-wide progress and adoption of safety practices is slow and evidence of improvements on the organisational and systems level is scarce and ambiguous. This paper reports on the Swiss Patient Safety Conference in 2011 and addresses emerging issues for patient safety and future challenges.

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