Recently patient safety has become overwhelming issue in Korean healthcare societies. Since ancient period, it has been essential principle of medicine. But the word of patient safety was recently emerged. It is more patient-centered concept than error, malpractice, and iatrogenesis, which are focused on healthcare providers. Main domains of healthcare quality are patient safety, effectiveness, timeliness, and patient-centeredness. Patient safety is not only the core of healthcare quality but also the principle of other qualities. It became standard of care, standard of accreditation, standard of medical device quality, and so on. It also works as driving forces of health industry, health information technology, and simulation-based medical education. Nowadays safe health technologies are most competitive in healthcare. The era of patient safety was just begun. Improving patient safety is a big challenge to us. Action plans at the level of whole Korean healthcare societies are urgently needed and innovative solutions should be sought.
