[Integration of self-help associations into the health services system--developments and perspectives]

The concept of a special label for "self-help-friendly" institutions was first developed for hospitals. A demonstration project (funded by the BKK BV, the German Federal Association of Company Health Insurance Funds) was launched in Hamburg. Between 2004 and 2007 quality criteria were developed and put into practice. Shortly thereafter, a group of experienced self-help supporters started to integrate self-help friendliness into quality management systems for ambulatory care. Recently similar developments have been initiated in the Public Health Services. After an introduction on the origins and political context of these new developments we present in this article the efforts and experiences in the 3 mentioned areas of the health-care system. It can be shown that user-based quality standards are becoming more and more common in quality development processes of the health-care services. In the last part we introduce the national "Network Self-Help-Friendliness in the Health Services--Together for Self-Help and Patient Orientation" as the new structure for further implementation, and give hints that the organised self-help is facing completely new challenges.