AQUA Institute
The Institute for Applied Quality Promotion and Research in Health Care GmbH (abbreviated as: aQua-Institut ) is a service company in the scientific environment that has specialized in quality promotion projects in the health care system . It was founded in 1995 in Göttingen . Founding members and managing directors are Joachim Szecsenyi and Björn Broge.
The aQua Institute deals, among other things, with the analysis of data from the health system, the development of quality indicators, the creation of concepts for quality-promoting measures and health reporting. Another focus is on the development of software products for the healthcare sector.
Since 2010 the journal for evidence, advanced training and quality in health care (ZEFQ) has been the official publication organ (also) of the aQua Institute.
research
The institute carries out research projects for the scientifically sound development of instruments (e.g. quality assurance, survey and monitoring instruments) as well as the evaluation of quality promotion measures and new care models.
Data-based quality circles
According to its own statements, the institute is one of the pioneers in the organization and implementation of quality circles, especially B. for general practitioners and medical assistants. On the basis of data from the health system, such as diagnoses, medication, remedy and aids regulations or certificates of incapacity for work, the aQua Institute prepares individual practice evaluations and reflects them back to the participants in the quality circle. In addition, the participants receive evidence-based information on selected key topics. As part of family doctor-centered care (Section 73b SGBV), the aQua Institute conducts data-based and structured quality circles in Baden-Württemberg, among others.
European Practice Assessment (EPA)
Since 2006, medical practices have been legally obliged to introduce a quality management system. The European practice assessment is a quality management system that is offered and developed by the institute in Germany. In contrast to most other quality management system systems, EPA depicts the quality of a doctor's practice using a set of indicators in which the perspective of patients, doctors and employees are included in the quality assessment. The medical practices receive feedback on their own performance in the respective quality indicators. In addition, the medical practices can anonymously compare themselves with other medical practices over the Internet using benchmarking software developed by the aQua Institute, the so-called Visotool. In 2009 EPA received the European Health Award.
Quality indicator system for outpatient care (QiSA)
The quality indicator system for outpatient care (QiSA) was developed by the aQua Institute on behalf of the AOK Federal Association. QiSA is designed as a manual with a flexible and expandable inventory of individual volumes, which are sorted according to care areas and common diseases. Using clearly defined indicators, medical practices, medical networks and other care models can measure, evaluate and improve the quality of their medical work.
Patient surveys
The EUROPEP questionnaire was developed and validated as part of an international joint study (European Project on Patient Evaluation of General Practice Care, EUROPEP study). The aQua Institute took over the German part for this. As part of internal quality management, the aQua Institute offers general practitioners the opportunity to conduct patient surveys. These surveys can be used for any other QM system.
Health reporting
As part of its health reporting, the aQua Institute primarily analyzes routine data from largely all sectors of health care and processes it. The basis for this is pseudonymised data from statutory health insurances, which are predominantly also the clients of the reporting. These include, for example, the health reports for the Barmer GEK and the Techniker Krankenkasse, as well as the doctor's report for the Techniker Krankenkasse.
International projects
On behalf of the German Society for International Cooperation and the European Union, the institute implements international projects to promote quality, including projects in Kenya, Tanzania and Algeria.
Cross-sector quality assurance (SQG)
From 2009 to the end of 2015, the institute was entrusted with the tasks of an institution in accordance with Section 137a SGB V (old version) and supported the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) in the implementation of external statutory quality assurance. One of the main tasks was to continue the quality assurance system, which had previously been geared towards the hospital sector, and to develop new cross-sector quality assurance procedures (SQG). The procedures developed and coordinated with the G-BA were applicable nationwide. The aim of health policy was, and still is, to sensibly coordinate the quality requirements of both sectors in order to achieve better and more efficient quality of care in the interests of patients and service providers. In particular, the aQua Institute was tasked with:
- to develop indicators and instruments that are as cross-sectoral as possible for measuring and presenting the quality of care,
- Develop the necessary documentation for cross-institutional quality assurance taking into account the requirement of data economy ,
- to participate in the implementation of cross-institutional quality assurance and, if necessary, to involve other institutions and
- to publish the results of the quality assurance measures by the institution in a suitable manner and in a form that is understandable for the general public.
Method paper
The development steps of quality assurance were shown in a method paper accessible to the public, which describes the basic procedures and working methods for the development of procedures for the implementation of cross-sectoral quality assurance.
Involvement of the state offices for quality assurance and other organizations and institutions
A large part of quality assurance is implemented at state level, so that the institute worked closely with the respective state offices for quality assurance. The Federal Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians, the German Hospital Association, the Central Association of Health Insurance Funds, the Association of Private Health Insurance Companies, the Federal Medical Association, the Federal Dental Association, the Federal Chamber of Psychotherapists, the professional organizations of the nursing professions, the scientific medical societies responsible for the development of the above-mentioned content were also involved Protects the interests of patients and the self-help of chronically ill and handicapped people, relevant organizations at federal level (coordinated by BAG Selbsthilfe eV) as well as the Federal Government Commissioner for patient concerns.
Changes in the law and changes in responsibilities
The contract between the aQua Institute and the G-BA ended on December 31, 2015. As of January 1, 2016, responsibility for these quality assurance tasks was transferred to the Institute for Quality Assurance and Transparency in Health Care (IQTiG). The reason was an amendment to Section 137a of Book V of the Social Code with the aim of avoiding recurring tenders and the associated frictional losses when changing institutions and instead establishing a permanent institution.
Web links
Individual evidence
Coordinates: 51 ° 32 '22.6 " N , 9 ° 55' 52.7" E