[Quality circle in a trauma network of the German Association for Trauma Surgery. Upgrading patient care]

In industry, especially in the automobile industry, improvements in efficiency could be demonstrated by quality management and quality circles. There is no doubt that in medicine, major trauma is also a very complex challenge.The German Association for Trauma Surgery published the White Paper on the Management of the Seriously Injured in 2006. The White Paper specifies the demand for quality of care, sets the level of structural requirements for trauma care and postulates the cooperation of regional hospitals within a network of dedicated trauma centres. The Trauma Network Eastern Bavaria (TNO) was the first certified trauma network in Germany. One of the reasons for this success is the fact that cooperation between trauma surgeons has already had a long tradition in this geographic area. The key factor is communication which is supported by all technical and organisational means. The formal installation of quality circles on each level of trauma care, e.g. within and across institutions, was accepted by all partners within the network. The goal is the improvement of patient care in trauma above and beyond the guidelines of the White Paper. This paper shows the instruments used to enhance the quality of trauma care within a network.