Given the growing importance of patient safety not only for health systems but firstand foremost for patients, it is necessary to assess the impact of patient safety efforts
and to develop priorities for action. In light of the recent economic crisis, the economic burden associated with unsafe patient care received more attention. Member States
have set efforts to cut expenditures and to improve efficiency in their health care systems. In addition to increased cost of healthcare services, unsafe care also leads to loss of trust in health care systems by the public and diminished satisfaction by patients and health care professionals.
Patient safety programmes may prevent and reduce such adverse events which ultimately results in less harm inflicted to patients. According to the Council of the
European Union, a large proportion of adverse events both in the hospital sector and in primary care are preventable. Contextual systemic factors play an important role.
The three main objectives of this study are:
To provide a comprehensive picture of the financial impact of poor patient safety, including poor prevention and control of healthcare-associated infections, on European
Union’s health systems;
To identify cost-effective patient safety programmes implemented in the EU/EEA
Member States and develop an analysis identifying their success factors;
To assess cost-effectiveness and efficiency of investment in patient safety programmes.