Quality management: Implementation in doctor's surgeries and medical centres well under way
Quality management: Implementation in doctor's surgeries and medical centres well under way
Quality management in the medical sector is aimed at ensuring a high standard of medical care which is also tailored to requirements and cost-effective. Since 2010, walk-in centres and surgeries providing medical care in Germany must have a recognized quality management system. TÜV SÜD Management Service GmbH and Stiftung Gesundheit (German Health Foundation) carried out a study on quality management in multi-doctor practices and medical centres in 2011 to gain a full picture of the current situation in the country. "The result confirms that quality management is widely accepted and that the majority of doctor's surgeries have already implemented a quality system", concludes Carsten Diercks, who heads the project at TÜV SÜD Management Service GmbH.
For the study, TÜV SÜD Management Service and Stiftung Gesundheit interviewed doctors working at 'super-surgeries', medical centres and out-patient clinics throughout Germany. Around 95 per cent of interviewees said that they had already established a quality management system, while five per cent replied that they had started with the implementation process. As a recognized QM system is required by law in both in-patient and out-patient facilities, this result came as no surprise. However, the fact that over 60 per cent of those interviewed said that they had had their quality management systems voluntarily certified by a third-party certification body and that a further 15 per cent of respondents are aiming for certification is remarkable. This shows that the parties responsible are willing to accept a higher amount of work and costs, providing third parties with internal information, to improve the effectiveness of their quality management systems and patient safety.
Most multi-doctor practices rely on quality systems based on the EN ISO 9000 standard (38 per cent) followed by the KTQ at 22 per cent and the QEP standard at 13 per cent. Many multi-doctor practices, medical centres and out-patient clinics use the KTQ system, which is designed primarily for the in-patient sector. By contrast, the quality management system in accordance with ISO 9000 is a universal QM system which can be customized and applied individually and is recognized at international level. According to the doctors interviewed in the study, suitability for their own surgery and structural suitability for the medical sector are their two most critical factors in selecting a quality system. Costs rank only fourth, after competent consulting and certification services.
Study result: Quality management has become firmly anchored in out-patient care. This applies in particular to large medical care facilities, as is shown by a comparison with the out-patient sector as a whole. Stiftung Gesundheit has carried out this comparison annually since 2007, analysing and publishing the results in its "Quality Management in Medical Practice" study.
By establishing a certified quality management system, doctors' surgeries not only comply with legal requirements but also benefit from more efficient processes, higher client satisfaction and even cost savings. "Systematic quality management enables processes to be established that are characterized by a high level of efficiency and quality and do not depend on chance or employees' form on a specific day", says Diercks, describing another advantage offered by QM systems.
Contact: Heidi Atzler