[Error management - cultural change for more patient safety].

From the investigations by Mr. Scheidegger (nestor of medical error management for over 20 years) it is known that in the past patient safety has not received sufficient attention during a treatment process even though it had been known for many years that more than 10% of patients will suffer an adverse event during hospitalization. If one realizes how many patients receive inpatient and outpatient treatment in Germany alone it becomes evident how relevant this problem is and what enormous costs (extended hospital stay, continued morbidity, reduced productivity, liability etc.) result for the healthcare system and for society. The critical incident reporting system (CIRS) would enable physicians to reduce the error rate and in particular the sometimes tragic consequences for patients.