Quality assessment in rehabilitation centres: the indicator system 'Quality Profile'.
OBJECTIVE
An indicator system for measuring the quality of rehabilitation centres ('Quality Profile' of rehabilitation centres) is presented. The implementation of the concept is explained with the aid of results regarding structural, process and outcome quality in 26 cardiac and orthopaedic rehabilitation centres.


METHODS
In each centre, structural, process and outcome quality, including patient and employee satisfaction, are measured. Process quality is determined by means of a peer review procedure that includes examination of 20 randomly selected cases on the basis of discharge reports and therapy plans. The medical outcome is measured by a prospective study with three measurement time points and a sample of approx. N=200 patients per centre.


RESULTS
Overall, the level of quality of the medical rehabilitation in the institutions participating in the study must be considered high. However, on almost all quality dimensions, even after a risk adjustment there are clear differences between centres, which point to the usefulness of benchmarking analyses and the need for improvements in quality in some centres.


CONCLUSIONS
The indicator system presented is a starting-point for comprehensive, comparative measurement of the quality of in-patient rehabilitation centres that, with regard to its principles, also appears applicable to other areas of health care.
Farin
E
E
Department of Quality Management and Social Medicine, University Hospital Freiburg, D79106 Freiburg, Germany. farin@aqs.ukl.uni-freiburg.de
Follert
P
P
Gerdes
N
N
Jäckel
W H
WH
Thalau
J
J
D000072038:Cardiac Rehabilitation; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008485:Medical Audit; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000534:rehabilitation; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D018024:Peer Review, Health Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D012047:Rehabilitation Centers / Q000592:standards*; D020379:Risk Adjustment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires