In 1999 the Institute of Medicine reported that most medical injuries relate to unavoidable human error in a context of system failure. Patient safety improves when healthcare providers facilitate blame-free reporting and organisational learning. This is at odds with fault-based civil liability law, which discourages a more open (doctor-patient) communication on medical injuries. The absence of a clear-cut definition of ‘medical error’ complicates litigation and hence swift, appropriate patient compensation. No-fault systems perform better in this respect. A dual track liability system for medical malpractice is challenging to implement and operate, yet may be the only option for Pan-European harmonisation of medical liability.

中文翻译：

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欧洲的患者权利，医疗错误和补偿机制的协调

1999年，医学研究所报告说，在系统故障的情况下，大多数医疗伤害与不可避免的人为错误有关。当医疗保健提供者促进无罪报告和组织学习时，患者安全性得到改善。这与基于过错的民事责任法相矛盾，后者不鼓励就医疗伤害问题进行更开放的（医患）交流。缺少对“医疗错误”的明确定义会使诉讼复杂化，因此需要迅速，适当的患者赔偿。无故障系统在这方面表现更好。针对医疗事故的双轨责任制度难以实施和运作，但可能是泛欧统一医疗责任的唯一选择。