The fertility centre operates strictly
by the rules of modern medical quality management. This adherence
to a philosophy of quality in our practice results in basic advantages
for our patients, which we would like further explain to you under
the rubric “Patients”.
In the following points, we would like to provide information to
those of you who have already looked into the subject of Quality
Management, or to those who are just starting to do so:
Patients
Which advantages exist for patients as a result
of the Quality Management at Dr. Hannen`s and Dr. Stoll`s joint
practice?
At the end of the day, who assesses the quality of a product, service
or treatment?
The customer, the patient! Our patient!! That`s why our Quality
Management is constantly geared towards service and giving competent
advice.
The patient and his/her treatment are always of utmost importance
to us!
This is revealed in the guiding principles of our philosophy of
quality:
Quality Philosophy of the Kinderwunschzentrum
Berlin (Fertility Centre Berlin):
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No waiting times, our own hormone laboratory with satisfied
patients:
As doctors and owners of a medical practice, it is of particular
importance to us to care for our patients with a high level
of medical quality through medical practice procedures, timing
and work processes that are run quickly, efficiently and with
the most up-to-date scientific methods. We want to achieve this
goal to an optimum level with the highest possible degree of
responsibility through our own medical practice laboratory –
and to thus have satisfied patients.
-
Avoiding and Correcting Errors:
The following principle is at the forefront of all activities:
avoid errors rather than correct errors. Here, all basic aspects
of the Quality Management system come into play. We therefore
ensure that all necessary instructions are followed.
-
Flexibility and Service:
Flexibility and service are two core aspects of our philosophy.
We take into account all specific medical circumstances and
all lawful and medically sound wishes of our patients. A further
noteworthy aspect of our service is that we react quickly to
the wishes and concerns of our patients and are constantly at
their side in emergencies.
-
Satisfaction of Patients and Employees through continuous Improvement
Programme
The practice commits itself to high quality standards for the
well-being of its patients and personnel. Joint goals are: the
highest possible patient, sender and employee satisfaction with
the best medical, scientific, economic and organizational practices.
All those who work in the practice are committed to the continuous
improvement process.
-
Best Possible Documentation:
Of absolute necessity is that the documentation in the practice
is of an excellent standard, that obligatory continuous checks
are made and that we constantly pose ourselves questions.
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Duty of all Employees to Attain the General Goals of the Practice
It is the duty of both employer and employee to ensure that
a gynaecological practice, which specializes in fertility treatment
with andrology, hormone and IVF laboratories, is run at such
a high medical, scientific, economic and, above all, human level,
that patients and employees feel extremely comfortable and are
happy to recommend us.
-
Patient Questionnaires and External Quality Examiners:
Furthermore, diligence, hard work, taking the initiative and
thinking independently as well as continuous improvements made
by the employees should add to the further development of the
medical practice. The entire development in addition to the
company culture should be continuously developed and improved
upon through the entire medical practice team, patient questionnaires
and external quality examiners.
-
Environmental Protection
We pay particular attention to the issue of environmental protection
in all of our thinking and activities. From purchasing to disposal,
we ensure that the environment is taken into consideration
Doctors
Why does the introduction of a Quality Management
system in the area of medicine (for example ISO 9001 with certification)
make sense?
Quality Management has many advantages. Quality Management or,
indeed, Total Quality Management (TQM) has already been successfully
used for over a decade in all areas of industry. Every company,
organization and medical practice can structure its procedures better
and more efficiently and improve the quality of products and services,
as well as the satisfaction of customers, patients and employees,
through various forms of Quality Management. The introduction of
a Quality Management System (QMS) is an investment in the future
which takes time at first but improves many aspects of the practice
in the mid-term. The costs are thus quickly amortised.
It was for exactly this reason that, after 10 months of intense
preparation, we here at the joint practice of Dr. Hannen and Dr.
Stoll became the first gynaecological practice in Berlin to gain
a DIN EN ISO 9001 certification, including hormone laboratory, IVF/ICSI-laboratory,
andrological and cryo laboratory, in addition to carrying out out-patient
operations.
General Information on the Subject of Quality
Management in Medical Practices
Quality Management has been obligatory
since 01.01.2005!
§ 135a Social Law Book (Quality Assurance Obligation)
- (1) The service provider is obliged to ensure the guarantee
of and continuous development of the quality of the services which
he offers. The services must be in accordance with the respective
level of scientific knowledge for that service and must be delivered
in the subject-specific quality offered.
- (2) Contract doctors, authorised hospitals and providers of
care services or rehabilitation measures are, according to §§
136a, 136b, 137 und 137d, obliged to take part in total (throughout
the entire facility) quality assurance measures, which have the
particular aim of improving end quality. Authorised hospitals,
stationary care facilities and stationary rehabilitation facilities
are, according to §§ 137 und 137d, obliged to introduce
and develop internal Quality Management.
...
The advantages of Quality Management and, in particular, the potential
for cost reduction, led to the Minster of Health to declare the
following resolution for all medical institutions in Germany, at
the 72nd Health Conference:
- All medical institutions (including medical practices) must
document the quality of their services in annual quality reports
and publish these in an appropriate form, before 01.01.2003
- All medical institutions must introduce a Quality Management
which is oriented to the latest scientific and technical standards,
before 01.01.2005
Fees will be affected by quality level.
Furthermore, included in the aforementioned resolution is that the
service provider (including doctors) shall be paid according to
the quality provided and those, that continuously fail to meet the
quality requirements will be removed from the medical list.
Introduction of a Quality Management System
and Certification
One possible method of introducing an appropriate Quality Managment
System is the norm DIN EN ISO 9000 ff. This describes the organizational
requirements for the implementation and maintenance of high quality
procedures. Detailed documentation of these procedures ensures the
transparency necessary to be able to directly communicate the reasons
for any deviations which may occur.
The joint practice of Dr. Hannen and Dr. Stoll would like to impart
the knowledge and experience that it has gained through the certification
to interested colleagues, in the form of training and to give assistance
in preparing for certification.
Cheaper Insurance Premiums through reduced Risk of Liability
- Reduction of Liability Risk through better, more structured
documentation and qualified description of work-procedures
- Protection against patient-regression due to outdated practice
procedures
- Avoidance of error and thus no debt for the organisation
- In addition, the training rules set down in the Kassenärztliche
Vereinigung (KV) (German equivalent of National Health Doctors`Association)
in § 81 SGB V apply to contract doctors
Qualified, trained employees
- Good atmosphere in the practice through clearly-defined competencies and motivated employees
- Qualification and Training of Employees
Marketing Advantages::
- Certification-logo for advertising purposes
- Competence and transparency in the marketplace
Cost reduction and improved efficiency
- Savings through optimised organisational procedures
- Allocation of resources to the advantage of the patient
Legal Requirements
- Legal requirements for medical quality assurance are achieved
(§§ 135 ff. SGB V and guidelines § 92 SGB V)
- The measures for ensuring the quality of the medical practice
as laid down by the Medical Association are carried out
- bBetter starting point for negotiations with KV and networks
Advantage of introducing a Quality Management
System in the medical practice
Improved practice organization and practice procedures
- Continuous improvement of processes and products
- Complete, continuous documentation
- Organisation run with specific targets
- Continual improvement process
- Comprehensible practice procedures
- Further development of methods
- International recognition, also from foreign health services
Training
From winter 2001 onwards, regular training events on the topic
of “Quality Management in the Area of Medicine”, that
have been certified and recommended by the Bundesakademie of Frauenärzte
(equivalent National Academy of Gynaecologists), are planned in
the joint practice of Dr. Hannen and Dr. Stoll.
The topics are:
- Welcoming the patient
- Laboratory doctors`assistants
- Explanations to patients
- Sterile equipment
- Cleaning and hygiene plan
- Description of workplace
- Accounting
- Ordering and receiving of goods
- Data protection
- Reminder lists
- Quality Management
- Employees
- Environmental protection
- Training Plan
Please contact ISOconcept med-consult GmbH regarding training dates:
Internet: www.isoconcept.de
E-Mail: info@isoconcept.de
Tel: +49 (0) 30 - 26 39 83 15
Mobile : +49 (179) 69 42 696
Our practice`s progress report with DIN EN ISO
9001:2000 certification
Definitions:
DIN: Deutsches Institut für Normung e.V.
EN: europäische Norm (European Standard)
ISO: International Organization for Standardization
Dr. Hannen has been a registered gynaecologist with an additional
„Psychotherapie“ qualification since 1997. Dr. Stoll
has been a valued member of the practice team since January 2007,
as a registered gynaecologist and practice partner. He joined in
order to attend to the continuously growing base of patients.
The emphasis lies upon the implementation of various modern procedures
of fertility treatment, including test-tube baby methods, insemination
and ICSI. Included in the spectrum of our practice in Berlin are
our two operation theatres for outpatient operations, which are
necessary in fertility treatment. In addition, our practice has
its own hormone laboratory.
Dr. Hannen and his employees have developed and introduced a Quality
Management System as per DIN EN ISO 90001 in order to optimise practice
procedures and to support Dr. Hannen´s own close critical
view.
"Quality Management will become obligatory!"
In June 1999, the 72nd Health Conference decided to make it obligatory
for all registered doctors to introduce Quality Management. The
Minister of Health decided that this would take place in two stages.
-
Stage: All medical institutions (medical practices) document
the quality of their services in annual quality reports and
publish these in an appropriate form, before 01.01.2003. Afterwards
they are obliged to introduce comprehensive Quality Management.
-
Stage: All medical institutions introduce a Quality Management
System which is oriented to the latest scientific and technical
standards, before 01.01.2005
Which advantages does a Quality Management
System offer?
Patient-oriented Practice
It goes without saying that the needs, wishes and concerns of the
patient are of utmost importance. As a result of the introduction
of a QM-System to our practice, we are able to systematically understand
and channel the requirements of our patients, as well as to attain
a continuously improved quality in terms of practice procedures.
Furthermore, the aforementioned legal requirements for Quality Management
are fulfilled.
Structured Working Procedures
The procedures which are described within the Quality Management
System are laid down in such a way that external parties can gain
an impression of the expected practice quality at any time.
Our Practice`s Progress Report with Certification as per DIN EN
ISO 9001:2000
Practice Flexibility
During analysis processes, the clear, non-ambiguous presentation
of the individual working procedures, as well as their auditability,
help with the early recognition of potential errors and the avoidance
of these. Furthermore, continuous and flexible change processes
exist to optimize structures and procedures.
Continuous Optimisation
The employees at the practice – doctors, doctors` assistants,
laboratory employees, cleaners etc. – all play an active part
in change processes, regular internal information exchange and audits
(examinations of the system, procedures and services are some examples
of these). Audits help to establish if the actual practice procedures
reflect the documented practice procedures and if changes are necessary
in order to optimize practice procedures.
Continuous Training
A high level of employee motivation is attained through selective
further training, inclusion of employees in optimisation processes
and other stimuli. This employee motivation leads to a positive
atmosphere in the practice, of which the patient is aware as soon
as he/she enters the practice.
Minimisation of Waiting Times
It is important that the patient does not spend too much unnecessary
waiting time in the clinic. In the documentation of the QM-System,
there are clear descriptions related to the avoidance of long/unnecessary
waiting times. I received proof of the introduction and function
of my Quality Management System following the complete introduction
of such a system with certification, through an accredited certification
authority. This certification of my Quality Management System as
per DIN EN ISO 9001 is internationally recognized.
Which advantages does a QM-System offer the Doctor
as Company Manager?
Highest Possible Level of Patient Satisfaction
From a business point of view, a QM-System tailored to the practice
offers the management prerequisites needed to attain the highest
level of lasting patient satisfaction, which leads to a continuously
growing patient base. The satisfaction of the patient is seen through
an increasing, positive level of awareness of the practice, which,
together with the DIN EN ISO certificate, leads to a real marketing
advantage, as early experience already shows.
Reduction of Costs
In order to maintain these advantages in the future, we regularly
examine and optimise our work procedures, for example through audits.
As a result, inefficient procedures that lead to patient dissatisfaction
or unnecessary additional costs can be identified and thus avoided.
Minimisation of Liability Risks
Last but not least, the guarantee of a certain quality of service
leads to a reduced risk of liability and thus to cheaper insurance
premiums, as the type of service is clear from the outset.
Summary
Due to our positive experience with the introduction and certification
of a QM-System tailored to our fertility centre, I support the implementation
of QM-Systems in doctors` practices. I would like to encourage other
doctors to use the advantages of a Quality Management System in
their own practices.
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QM for Patients: :
QM for Doctors:
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10787 Berlin / Mitte (Tiergarten)