Primary care plays an important role in identifying, avoiding and mitigating patient safety issues. This report highlights several patient safety priorities and how small (<10 providers) primary care practices can promote safe practice and outcomes for their patients.

Methods utilized to estimate the incidence of medical error are inconsistent. This commentary discusses published estimates on the prevalence of preventable mortality, concerns about the studies, and the need for uniform adoption of safety standards to reduce adverse events.

In light of an unreported conflict of interest that might have affected recommendations for chlorhexidine use to reduce risk of central line–associated infections, this review examines articles written or coauthored by Dr. Charles Denham to determine whether undeclared conflicts of interest could have influenced conclusions, selections, and recommendations in published research. The authors emphasize the need to identify and address conflicts of interest and outline strategies to reduce risk of undisclosed conflicts which may in turn affect validity of published evidence.

This commentary describes how financial incentives, such as Medicare's nonpayment policy for preventable hospital-acquired conditions, can promote health care quality.