[Possibilities in clinical quality assurance founded on a basis documentation system and extended evaluation studies]

Although the topic of quality control (QC) has been under discussion at least since the "Health Reform Legislation" (GRG) in almost all areas of the public health system, there is quite often a lack of models for practicability. Even for inpatient medical rehabilitation--at least concerning empirically founded QC-measures suitable methods and instruments have still to be developed. These must be relatively simple and economical to be integrated in the daily routine within a special clinic, if quality control should function. Starting from a broad concept of evaluation, the authors present a practical empirical QC-model for clinics, specifically for psychosomatic rehabilitation, which has been developed and proven for more than five years. To investigate the "programme" of the clinic, or particular program components (e.g. patients, treatments, outcome criteria) with systematically obtained data and analysis, is the main goal of this model. Where statements are replaced by empirically proven data. Aspects of process and outcome quality are considered to be a main task, and transparency is a necessary supposition. This model is particularly based on questionnaire procedures, is two-tracked, e.g. it is composed by continuous data collection ("treatment documentation") on the one hand and by time-restricted and defined studies for programme evaluation on the other. The treatment results represent the true target variable.