There are several signs that the acute care system in the Netherlands might not function optimal. This research focuses on ways to innovate, and thereby to improve the quality of the care delivered. The acute care system is complex. It is a large, safety-critical system in which people have to act fast and correct. Apart from qualitative, non-generalisable statements, not very much is known about the quality of acute care in the Netherlands. The goal of this research is to gain insight into the functioning of the acute care system in the Netherlands, with a first exploration in the field of error analysis as a means to find points for improvement. Looking at the system in a holistic way is done using systems thinking. This research leads up to a ‘roadmap’ that aims to offer a method for using error analysis for system innovation. The goal of the roadmap is to use knowledge about the system to create and support innovations that improve the quality of the acute care system. The roadmap is not a step-by-step guide, but rather aims to show a way of advancing the acute care system efficiently (aiming at those places where things go wrong right now) and effectively (with the right result).