[Certification system in urological healthcare : a professional political evaluation]

There have been function and organ-related certification systems in urology for a long time. The aim of such certificates is the optimization of patient care above the defined minimum standards and intensification of interdisciplinary cooperation. Whether such certificates have led to better patient care has not been proven. The obligatory documentation in epidemiological cancer registries, which has been taken up by legislature, will in future lead to so-called clinical cancer registries in which the complete course of treatment must be entered. With these registries the quality of healthcare can be compared between individual institutions. Until now, quality of care data outside oncology are lacking. Urology would also benefit from a registry with quality of care data for these patients.