Patient safety and medical liability in Italy

The World Health Organization estimates that one in tenpatients in high-income countries is harmed while being treated in a hospital setting. The 2017 law on patient safety and medical liability in Italy aims to improve the safety of care and provide more structured regulation for the organisational, insurance and medico-legal/juridical fields. An assessment of the implementation of the law shows that progress has been uneven: the level of implementation of legislative provisions varies by region, and decrees on insurance coverage for liability are lacking. Further engagement from regional and national institutions is required.