[Quality management in German rehabilitation clinics - a stratified representative survey]

As of January 1, 2000 rehabilitation clinics in Germany are obliged to implement and develop a quality management system.

This study aims to depict the implementation of quality management (QM), to trace the preferred QM models, identify the reasons for and experience with the introducing quality management, and inquire into the quality tools used in rehabilitation clinics.

Postal study of a representatively selected random sample of 298 rehabilitation clinics, stratified along the criteria state, number of beds and financially responsible agency, using six questions with nominally scaled items. Questionnaire design provided no clues as to the responding clinics. The study was designed along the Total Design Method.

89 % of the responding clinics have implemented a QM system, or are about to or planning to do so. Only 11 % reject quality management. 59 % implemented their system in 1998, 1999 or 2000. Among the reasons for implementing a QM system, items related to potentials of quality management predominate, whereas demands by third parties are given only very rarefy.

The response rate was 59 %, i. e., the study can be considered representative. The high share of clinics taking a positive view on quality management is however somewhat modified by the fact that 40.4 % of the clinics have adopted or are planning far traditional quality assurance methods. Whether these systems will satisfy the legal requirements in place (SGB V) is doubtful. Adjusted, responses show that 48.9 % of the clinics are running QM systems, are about to or planning to implement one.

Many of the responding clinics have already implemented a QM system or are about to do so. A majority of the clinics however rely on traditional quality assurance methods. Whether quality assurance will satisfy the legal requirements in place (SGB V) re an internal quality management system must be awaited.