[Quality management in the hospital with special reference to the medical departments]

Present German health legislation requires standardisation of systems and procedures not only for medical departments but for entire clinics as well. Changes in organisation and treatment possibilities should enable clinic administrations to better manage the quality of the services provided. This system of quality control and quality management is based on the introduction of ISO 9004, part 2. Medical and non-medical procedures are standardised and streamlined through flow-diagrams, the details of which are summarised in a series of quality handbooks with an emphasis on guidelines and standards. These handbooks are distributed clinic-wide, and although acceptance is not yet determined, objections are probable. Future analysis will show the effects due to quality management in the clinical setting.