Abstracts by keywords: evidence-based medicine
The quality assessment of medical care based on quality indicators plays an important role in the German health care system. The quality dimensions "Structure, process and result quality" developed by Donabedian in 1966 represent an established classification for quality indicators (1). Another way of classifying quality indicators is, for example, the throughput model according to Pfaff (2), which differentiates between input, throughput, output and outcome of the respective measurement objectives. In this context, measurement targets represent the event of the quality indicator to be measured. “Quality indicator” is not a protected term and is used by different actors in the healthcare system for a variety of issues. In inpatient care in particular, quality indicators are used to measure and depict the quality of care (3,4). Quality indicators are also increasingly used in the outpatient area (5-7) and across sector boundaries (8) to measure the effect of healthcare.
31.03.2015
In medical practices, patients are increasingly being offered individual health services (IGeL). These services are to be paid for by the insured persons themselves, as they are outside the range of services provided by statutory health insurance. It is important for patients to be well informed about the benefits and possible harm of these medical measures before using an IGeL. It is also important that independent information on IGeL services is available. For this reason, the medical service of the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds has launched the "IGeL Monitor" evaluation portal, in which evaluations of frequently offered IGeL services and further information on the IGeL services are published. In the article, the development of the IGeL market is presented, the information platform IGeL-Monitor and its evaluation results are presented and, based on this, some conclusions are drawn for dealing with IGeL services. Above all, the responsibility of the medical profession when selling IGeL services is emphasized and recommendations are given for patients on how to deal with IGeL offers.
31.03.2015
With the founding of the IQWiG 5 years ago, the legislator pursued the purpose of being able to further postpone rationing in the health care system by using funds more rationally. In order to have a decision-making basis that is independent of industry in particular, IQWiG should evaluate therapies independently from a specialist perspective. Meanwhile, the drug assessment of the Institute itself is in the public criticism, it tendentious. A not medical, but legal assessment of IQWiG's drug assessment practice actually shows discrepancies between the legal requirements and assessment practice, particularly with regard to the definition of the order and the choice of method.
01.08.2009
With the most recent health care reform (GKV-WSG), the tasks of the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) were expanded: Previously, it could only evaluate drugs with regard to their medical benefits. In the future, the institute should also put the costs of the medication in relation to the previously determined benefits. According to the law, these cost-benefit assessments are intended, on the one hand, to set maximum amounts for certain medications. On the other hand, they can support the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) in assessing the cost-effectiveness of medical procedures. The proposed concept favors “efficient frontier analysis” as a method. The second element is a “budget impact analysis” to estimate how decisions affect healthcare spending.