[Development of an evidence-based questionnaire for evaluating the structural quality of providers]

The goal of this paper is to present the method used to develop an evidence-based questionnaire for the evaluation of the structural quality of provider institutions. Structural features addressed in the questionnaire are validated by study-based evidence for a relationship with improved outcome quality. For the purpose of identifying relevant studies, a systematic review and evaluation of the literature was performed. The questionnaire contains the following items: continuous medical education with interactive elements (yes/no); use of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines (yes/no); implementation of a computer alert system to prevent injury from adverse drug events (yes/no); and annual diagnosis- or procedure-specific volumes for each department, providing physician, and senior consultant (threshold volume met or not).