[Implementation and evaluation of quality circles in general practice]

In the beginning of 1993, society of panel doctors Südbaden, Germany, has constituted a group of experts from the Department of General Medicine of the university hospital and practising general practitioners (GPs) to develop an organisational and conceptional framework for setting up quality circles. At present, 23 quality circles with 6-12 participants are holding regular meetings every 4 to 8 weeks in the region of Südbaden. The group members, who are all physicians working in primary health care, are selecting and discussion topics which are important in general practice. In order to facilitate the discussions, the research group has developed predefined guidelines covering a wide range of common and important conditions in general practice (Hypertension, sleeping disorders, diabetes mellitus, COPD, dementia, lower back pain, cardio-vascular disease, depression, headache, vertigo etc). In presenting these structurized guidelines, the moderator prompts and encourage the group members to identify common problems in their own practices. The use of these guidelines in, quality circles and research may provide a starting point for developing consensus guidelines. The quality circle projects is given as systematic evaluation for both participants and moderators at different levels. Main objectives of the assessment are the recruitment, motivation and the specific goals of general practitioners to participate in quality circles. Currently, we are evaluating the development of quality circle for a period of 18 months.