title: [Assessment of unconventional medical therapies by the Medical Review Board of the Statutory Health Insurance Funds (MDK)].
abstract: The Medical Review Board of the Statutory Health Insurance Funds (MDK) provides assessments of medical diagnostic and therapeutic procedures comprising the assessment of both individual cases and systematic assessments of health technologies (HTA). Here the foundation of these assessments will be outlined and demonstrated that assessment work is based on the principles of evidence-based medicine. There are no clear-cut criteria distinguishing between so-called complementary and other medical procedures. It is argued that there should be no difference in the assessment standards and criteria to be applied. This position seems to be supported by a broad consensus that also includes proponents of complementary medicine.
authors.affiliation: MDS, Fachbereich Evidenz-basierte Medizin, Essen. J.Windeler@mds-ev.de
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Windeler
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Burkhard
mesh_terms: D015670:Acupuncture Therapy / Q000191:economics*; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000191:economics*; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D007348:Insurance, Health