[From lack of organization to risk management--current aspects of hospital liability]

The hospitals are not only subjected to an increased density of rules. The hospital of today is changing to a service business. In the hospital administration, the medical and management competences are merging. A major part of the hospital responsibilities, i.e. hospital hygiene, supply of medicines, radiation protection, documentation and information, and securing of traffic, is spread over different departments. The quality of care in a 24-hour-system with a high degree of division of labor depends on good communication and organization. On one hand, it is complaint about the increasing fees of third party liability insurances but effective consequences to avoid risks, on the other hand, have not yet be drawn.