title: [The German program for disease management guidelines. Background, methods, and development process].
abstract: The Program for National Disease Management Guidelines (German DM-CPG Program) was established in 2002 by the German Medical Association (umbrella organization of the German Chambers of Physicians) and joined by the Association of the Scientific Medical Societies (AWMF; umbrella organization of more than 150 professional societies) and by the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (NASHIP) in 2003. The program provides a conceptual basis for disease management, focusing on high-priority health-care topics and aiming at the implementation of best practice recommendations for prevention, acute care, rehabilitation and chronic care. It is organized by the German Agency for Quality in Medicine, a founding member of the Guidelines International Network (G-I-N). The main objective of the German DM-CPG Program is to establish consensus of the medical professions on evidence-based key recommendations covering all sectors of health-care provision and facilitating the coordination of care for the individual patient through time and across interfaces. Within the last year, DM-CPGs have been published for asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, type 2 diabetes, and coronary heart disease. In addition, experts from national patient self-help groups have been developing patient guidance based upon the recommendations for health-care providers. The article describes background, methods, and tools of the DM-CPG Program, and is the first of a publication series dealing with innovative recommendations and aspects of the program.
authors.affiliation: Arztliches Zentrum für Qualität in der Medizin (AZQ), Berlin. ollenschlaeger@azq.de
authors.forename: Günter
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ollenschläger
authors.forename: Ina
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kopp
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lelgemann
authors.forename: Sylvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sänger
authors.forename: Lothar
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Heymans
authors.forename: Henning
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Thole
authors.forename: Henrike
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Trapp
authors.forename: Wilfried
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lorenz
authors.forename: Hans-Konrad
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Selbmann
authors.forename: Albrecht
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Encke
mesh_terms: D019468:Disease Management; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine / Q000458:organization & administration; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D009313:National Health Programs; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011786:Quality Control; D012657:Self-Help Groups / Q000458:organization & administration; D012955:Societies, Medical