[17 years of WeanNet - review and perspective]

The present article describes the 17-year success story of WeanNet, the Competence Network of Pulmonological Weaning Centers, from its founding and the development of a dedicated certification process to the establishment of a database now comprising more than 55.000 patients undergoing prolonged weaning. It discusses past evaluations of the database as well as an ongoing analysis currently in preparation.Due to the frequent successful weaning (approximately two-thirds of treated patients) WeanNet, alongside other organisations, has been actively involved in developing guidelines, laws and regulations for out-of-hospital intensive care, OPS codes, and further initiatives aimed at reducing the number of patients requiring invasive mechanical ventilation outside clinical settings. The guideline of prolonged weaning is currently being revised and, with the results of AI-supported data analysis, is expected to contribute to further quality improvements in the prolonged weaning process.