Medical errors and their impact on patient morbidity, mortality, and the estimated cost of care are receiving increased scrutiny—an area of particular concern for errors caused by increased demands on physicians and nurses, particularly from caring for more, and sicker patients. Although many errors are individualistic, their severity and associated morbidity may be significantly reduced through prompt detection. Compounding this problem, the US is in the midst of a nursing shortage crisis that is expected to worsen with the aging population. Improving patient safety through a combination of monitoring technology, better education of clinicians and refinement of monitoring protocols can help to attain the goal of zero tolerance for serious patient harm. Helping to reach this goal is the purpose of this new serial continuing education program. In each issue of Initiatives in Safe Patient Care, we will address topics in patient surveillance in evidence-based articles, symposia, commentaries and case studies and each issue will be accredited for continuing education credits.

In this inaugural issue, Dr. Overdyk addresses the critical problem of unrecognized respiratory depression (RD) in the setting of postoperative opioid therapy as a significant contributor to in-hospital morbidity and mortality. We have convened a multidisciplinary panel of clinicians to give a ‘real world’ perspective on postoperative respiratory depression (RD) and opioid therapy.