gms | German Medical Science

15th Congress of the European Forum for Research in Rehabilitation (EFRR)

15.04. - 17.04.2019, Berlin

Quality assurance in medical rehabilitative care by the German statutory pension insurance scheme

Meeting Abstract

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  • corresponding author presenting/speaker Larissa Beck - German Statutory Pension Insurance Scheme, Berlin, Germany
  • Susanne Weinbrenner - German Statutory Pension Insurance Scheme, Berlin, Germany
  • Margarete Ostholt-Corsten - German Statutory Pension Insurance Scheme, Berlin, Germany

15th Congress of the European Forum for Research in Rehabilitation (EFRR). Berlin, 15.-17.04.2019. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2019. Doc018

doi: 10.3205/19efrr018, urn:nbn:de:0183-19efrr0181

Veröffentlicht: 16. April 2019

© 2019 Beck et al.
Dieser Artikel ist ein Open-Access-Artikel und steht unter den Lizenzbedingungen der Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (Namensnennung). Lizenz-Angaben siehe http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.


Gliederung

Text

Background: Rehabilitation services of German Pension Insurance (GPI) aim to ensure employment and participation. During 1990s, GPI initiated a quality assurance program for rehabilitation that is routine practice today.

Aim: Goal of GPI’s quality assurance program is to improve the overall quality of rehabilitation looking at structure, process, outcome and patient orientation [1]. Transparency of rehabilitative services is also of great importance. Though medical and vocational rehabilitation are addressed, here medical rehabilitation is focused.

Method: For the purposes mentioned above, the GPI has a wide range of quality assurance instruments: Specific prerequisites for structural, procedural and human resources in rehabilitation centers were defined. Standards for comprehensive rehabilitative interventions are monitored by using standardized classification codes within routine data. A peer review process of discharge letters was implemented. Patient surveys are carried out regularly. Socio-medical follow-ups up to two years after medical rehabilitation are assessed.

Results/findings: GPI finances more than 1,1 million medical rehabilitations with about 4.5 billion Euros a year. Patients suffer from chronic diseases and related disabilities, as cardiovascular or musculoskeletal diseases, tumors or mental disorders. Performing a nationwide quality assurance system is a challenge. GPI’s quality assurance results indicate effectiveness and sustainability of its medical rehabilitation services. Notable differences between facilities remain to be addressed though.

Discussion and conclusions: GPI has a comprehensive routine quality assurance program that provides a wide empirical basis. Quality improvement as well as a wide range of developments regarding medical science, society and others will have to be considered in the future.


References

1.
Donabedian A. Evaluating the quality of medical care. Milbank Memorial Fund Quarterly. 1966;44:166-206.