[Quality assurance in the public health office]

Quality is assured not only by long-standing experience; it must be continually safeguarded. Preconditions are as follows: qualified training with scientific background and continual scientific supervision; regular continuing education via exchange of experience; standardising of methods on a intra-office level and by inter-office exchange on Lander level; internal and external cooperation; validity and plausibility controls; interdisciplinary cooperation. These principles are discussed by means of examples of health protection--health protection on environmental protection principles--expertising--medical statistics/health planning--health care aid/health advisory service.