Adverse events in health care and medical errors harm millions of patients worldwide each year. This risk can be reduced by studying instances of adverse events and using this evidence to improve the delivery of health care. Patient safety research is central in every aspect of patient care and should be encouraged globally, delegates at a conference in Porto, Portugal, will hear.

The World Health Organization (WHO) World Alliance for Patient Safety, University College London (UCL) and the UK's Faculty of Public Health (FPH) are hosting the first ever pan-European conference dedicated to patient safety research.

Patient Safety Research - Shaping The European Agenda will facilitate greater collaboration between 400 academics, policy makers and funding institutions, with the aim of agreeing priorities for patient safety research in developed and developing countries.

The conference is supported by the European Commission Sixth Framework Programme for Research and the Portuguese Ministry of Health during Portugal's Presidency of the European Union.

As well as facilitating research developments, the event will enable policy makers to understand, and utilise, patient safety research. Improving healthcare systems based on this data may reduce patient safety risk and the associated impact on patients, families and healthcare providers.

"Collaboration required to produce quality research that improves patient care"

Mark McCarthy, Professor of Public Health and Honorary Consultant in public health medicine at University College…