Have you ever had to stay in a hospital? Recent estimates show one out of every three patients will experience a problem during a hospital stay. It could be a drug mix-up, an infection, a surgical mistake or more. Here’s what you need to know: there are things you can do to minimize these chances.

Juan Cendán, M.D., is a board certified surgeon with a clinical focus on minimally invasive surgery and surgical oncology. He’s been awarded multiple teaching and clinical excellence awards and has been recognized as one of the Best Surgeons and Best Doctors in America.

Dr. Cendán is also the assistant dean for simulation and professor of surgery at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine.

He says after an eye-opening report was released in the late 1990s about the frightening number of deaths due to medical errors, the medical community has focused extensively on improving patient safety. He explains how things have changed over the last 20 years and reveals some things you can do to keep yourself safe.