Certifying a university ENT clinic using the ISO 9001:2000 international standard.
OBJECTIVE
Against statutory duties to introduce quality management systems, the increased importance of this subject has led to numerous activities in various public health institutions. Following the International Standardization Organization (ISO 9001:2000) prerequisites, Frankfurt Goethe University Hospital ENT clinic staff introduced a quality management system. This paper aims to investigate this process.


METHODS
Designing, planning and implementing the quality management system is described. Under the supervision of an executive quality management board, clinic quality goals were defined. Thereafter, several quality management teams performed an actual state analysis as well as developing and realising improvement proposals. Finally a quality management manual containing binding standards and working instructions concerning all patient care, research and teaching aspects was written.


RESULTS
Successful certification by a neutral body ascertained that the clinic's quality management system conformed to current national and international standards while restructuring and reform improved procedural efficiency.


CONCLUSIONS
The paper shows that mplementing the quality management system requires considerable effort but patients as well as staff profit considerably from the innovation. On the whole, the positive impact on structure and workflow in a specialist clinic predominates. Therefore, implementing a quality management system in all the clinic's wards and departments is recommended.
Frankfurt University Hospital, Frankfurt, Germany. Matthias.Helbig@kgu.de
Matthias
M
Helbig
Silke
S
Helbig
Heike A
HA
Kahla-Witzsch
Tobias
T
Kroll
Angelika
A
May
D006785:Hospitals, University / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D038622:Internationality; D010038:Otorhinolaryngologic Diseases; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care