Samenvatting

In the Dutch health care the importance of reporting adverse events is increasingly recognized. Reporting adverse events is seen as a valuable instrument to assess and improve the quality and safety of patient care. It is widely acknowledged that health care practitioners (physicians, nurses) should be able to report adverse events blame free, to prevent that information reported to improve the quality and safety of care is used for other purposes (e.g. to punish the reporter of other persons involved). Several parties have proposed to enact legislation to protect health care practitioners who report adverse events. In other sectors of the Dutch society, as well as in other countries, such legislation already exists. This legislation may serve as an example for legislative action in the area of Dutch health care.