[The prospective survey of risk interventions and their complications in internal medicine wards]

The organization of the heads of hospital departments of the Swiss Society of Internal Medicine is conducting the prospective program "Komplikationenliste" for the registration of type and number of interventions and related complications (both at a case- and statistical level) in patients hospitalized in internal medicine departments. The information collected from the clinics voluntarily participating in the program is periodically commented by field experts and made available in anonymous form to all departments of the country, with the goal to improve patient safety. Through the multi-centric approach, it is also possible to identify the quantitative significance of rare complications, allowing preventive measures also in hospitals where a particular complication has not yet occurred. This system is expected to improve the quality of patient treatment in the whole country. The systematic approach allows that the department heads improve their measures for the reduction of complications of medical interventions, and take responsibility in terms of patient treatment and hospital costs. This program, which has started in 1998, has included 138,320 patients by December 2003.