Mission
The Preventable Harm Papers examine how evidence of treatment-related harm is assessed and translated into justified changes in processes. The historical starting point is Ignaz Semmelweis’s 1861 work on puerperal fever.
The series treats observation, explanation and change as different tasks. What are the indications? What alternatives need to be examined? Who is responsible for a decision? How is a change implemented? And how can you tell if the process has actually improved?
Historical source
Ignaz Philipp Semmelweis · Die Aetiologie, der Begriff und die Prophylaxis des Kindbettfiebers · 1861. This historical source concerns obstetrics, not aesthetic care.
Learning and change
For NIFSAC, the focus is not on the public accusation of individuals, but the comprehensible investigation of processes. A message is initially an indication. A possible cause remains marked as a possible cause as long as the available basis does not carry a further statement.
Boundaries
Historical source research and current safety analysis remain distinct. The series does not replace professional assessment of a specific situation, medical care, regulatory procedures or current treatment requirements.
Historical observation, then explanation, intervention, contemporary reception and today's interpretation are separate objects of investigation. Contradiction alone does not refute a statement, nor does it prove it.
Thematic priorities
| Working reference | Topic |
|---|---|
| PHP-01 | A warning sign is not yet an explanation |
| PHP-02 | When routines become risks |
| PHP-03 | Learning without public blame |
| PHP-04 | What to do after a report |
Publication status
Published contributions in this series can be found in the publication list.