Patient safety study

Since the publication of "To Err is Human" by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) in 2000 and a few reports shortly afterwards, suggesting that in the Netherlands at least one thousand patients die each year due to medical error, ‘patient safety' has become an important issue in Dutch healthcare. However, exactly what type of adverse events occur and how many patients are involved, is unknown. This lack of data led the Minister of Health to ask the Advisory Council on Health Research (Raad voor Gezondheidsonderzoek - RGO) for its opinion on the need for further research and the way patient safety research should be organized. The Council was asked to restrict its opinion to research in hospital care.