[Reflections on quality control in perinatalogy exemplified by the Munich Perinatal Study (author's transl)]

Quality control has four component parts: standardized observation, a procedure to measure the quality of individual production, a technique for aggregating and comparing measurements, and a means by which the behaviour of the subjects can be influenced by these comparisons. The greatest problems, which often remain unsolved, can be traced to the definition and measurement of the quality of medical care. Some problems and the feasibility of quality control are demonstrated using perinatalogy and the Munich Perinatal Study as models. This trial of self control shows that voluntary participation of the hospitals, assured anonymity, self-responsibility, and a statistical evaluation that can be used for educational purposes play an important part.