[QUASA-the apheresis registry].
Quality saving measures are required at the execution of extracorporeal LDL apheresis therapy (LDL apheresis) by the NUB guidelines of the national committee of physicians and health insurance. The saving measures apply to specialist, organizational and apparatical conditions for execution and accounting of treatment methods. Furthermore, as a result of the lawful requirements of SGB V, complementary BUB guidelines were introduced in 1999. These ought to engage the therapeutic benefit of a LDL apheresis treatment. Beyond measures for quality assurance at execution a documentation of treatment is explicitly demanded. For two years now the non-profit Quasa gGmbH has been developed the quality assurance registry for LDL apheresis with the background of those requirements. Since March 2003 the apheresis physicians can voluntarily take part in the registry initiative by internet. Beside the clinical patient's medical history, treatment relevant data are recorded. Because of the analysis of the nationally ascertained clinical data, for the first time it will be possible for the medical profession to fulfill the guidelines of quality assurance for LDL apheresis. Moreover the treating apheresis physicians can establish an EDV-based individual patient documentation. All necessary measures of data protection and data security are in process on the technical and logistic realization of this registry initiative. An epidemiological data evaluation is regularly accomplished and the results are provided to the public.
Dräger
J
J
Fachhochschule Stralsund, Zur Schwedenschanze 15, 18435 Stralsund, Germany. juergen-draeger@fh-stralsund.de
Petzold
S
S
Ristau
H
H
Trepte
S
S
D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001781:Blood Component Removal / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011232:Chemical Precipitation; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000517:prevention & control; D005112:Extracorporeal Circulation / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006493:Heparin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000097:blood / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012042:Registries / Q000592:standards*
D000925:Anticoagulants; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; D006493:Heparin