The American healthcare system is regarded as the most sophisticated in the world, yet medical errors have been estimated to cause 44,000 to 98,000 deaths in U.S. hospitals each year. Patient safety and prevention of mistakes has become a top priority, and many aggressive measures have been implemented. This can run the gamut from hand washing to marking the site of planned surgery prior to an operation. Both the complexity of healthcare delivery as well as communication issues can play a role in the continuation of this problem. Outside the hospital, errors can occur in clinics, labs, doctors’ offices, nursing homes and pharmacies, and can involve medicines, surgery, diagnosis, equipment or lab reports. Communication between doctors and their patients is too often rushed or taken for granted. I think it is crucial that every patient understands everything about their diagnosis, tests that need to be done, intended treatment and medications.