Abstracts by keywords: quality transparency
In 2016, the Bertelsmann Foundation published a representative study in which 91 percent of those surveyed were in favor of medical practices, hospitals and care facilities being required by law to clearly disclose their quality (Bertelsmann Foundation, 2016). This clear result shows that citizens demand accountability from healthcare providers about the quality of their work, regardless of what other possible positive effects may come with quality transparency. These effects are diverse and work on different levels (see Fig. 1). The publication of quality data is intended to stimulate quality competition by directly motivating service providers to improve quality - on their own professional initiative and/or based on mutual observation. This is not only shown by international studies (Kumpunen, Trigg & Rodrigues, 2014); The publication of quality reports by hospitals, which has been legally required since 2005 (Section 136b Paragraph 1 No. 3 SGB V), has also led to improvements in many of the published indicators (IQTIG, 2019). But transparency also ensures that patients are supported in their choices. Furthermore, performance and quality data can be used as a basis for the control and planning of provider structures in the healthcare system. However, this is not actually happening yet.
01.02.2021
As a long-requested regulatory model, more competition should contribute to improving economic efficiency, demand orientation and the quality of care. However, in addition to positive effects, the increased supply variance (due to competitive dynamics) leads to an information imbalance on the demand side, which makes a complete market overview impossible. More and more seals of approval, certificates, awards and ratings are providing guidance to consumers, whose current inflationary escalation is, in turn, leading to uncertainty. For this reason, this omnibus study by the Department of Prevention and Health Promotion at APOLLON University examined the point of view of healthcare decision-makers on the use and effects of quality seals.