{
  "id": 2123720,
  "title": "Patientensicherheit: Tupfer vergessen – Etwas mehr vermeidbare Behandlungsfehler",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/20/patientensicherheit-tupfer-vergessen-etwas-mehr-vermeidbare",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-20T11:07:11.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Handelsblatt",
    "slug": "handelsblatt",
    "url": "https://www.handelsblatt.com/politik/deutschland/patientensicherheit-tupfer-vergessen-etwas-mehr-vermeidbare-behandlungsfehler/100248593.html"
  },
  "original_language": "de",
  "account": "In 2025, experts reviewed around 11,700 suspicions of preventable treatment errors across Germany, with medical errors causing harm in one in four cases. Among these, 2,700 instances resulted in actual patient damage, including death in 97 cases. The Medical Service of the Bund represented this data, with 150 cases deemed severe – a rise from 134 the previous year. These \"Never Events\" typically involve retained surgical items, body part or patient misidentification. The medical service called for a mandatory, pseudonymized, and non-punitive reporting system for these avoidable incidents, emphasizing their significance for patient safety. Preventable errors, though rare, are critical, stated the President, Stefan Gronemeyer. He emphasized learning from mistakes to prevent recurrence. Patients suspecting treatment errors can contact health funds or healthcare professionals for medical and legal assessments. However, there is a large gap in recognizing and reporting preventable harm, stated Gronemeyer. The actual number of injured patients annually remains unknown due to the lack of central data collection on treatment errors. Scientific studies suggest that 2-4% of clinical treatments result in preventable harm, equating to approximately 350,000 to 700,000 incidents yearly. Gronemeyer stressed that these figures should drive policy changes. The General Insurance Companies (AOK) called for a statutory information obligation for patients in such cases, as they typically only learn about errors when they actively inquire. The President of the Bundesverband of the AOK, Carola Reimann, highlighted the need to strengthen patient rights in the new health minister's agenda. The Medical Service demanded a central register for treatment errors in both ambulatory and inpatient settings and a Hardship Fund for victims. The German Patient Protection Foundation's Eugen Brysch demanded fairer evidence rules for affected individuals, requiring proof of the error, damage, and its direct causation to claim compensation. The AOK has long advocated for stricter proof thresholds, suggesting more than a 50% probability of causation. The Medical Service also criticized the ongoing debate on billion-dollar healthcare spending, stressing that every preventable harm averts unnecessary suffering and financial strain. Thus, patient safety is not just a moral issue but also an economic one.",
  "summary": "Auch bei medizinischen Eingriffen kommen Pannen vor – und die Folgen können gravierend sein. Besonderes Augenmerk liegt auf Fehlern, die eigentlich nicht vorkommen sollten. Die Dunkelziffer ist hoch.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}