In this prospective study, investigators used post-discharge interviews and medical record review to capture the frequency and types of adverse events as reported by patients. The authors enrolled 228 patients hospitalized on an inpatient medical service and discovered that 8% reported suffering an adverse event. Discussion includes detailed analysis of the reported events and comparison to those noted in the medical record and from hospital incident reports. The authors conclude that engaging patients in the identification of medical errors may offer an additional and equally important approach to improving patient safety.