title: Benefits and challenges in practice-oriented psychotherapy research in Germany: the TK and the QS-PSY-BAY projects of quality assurance in outpatient psychotherapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Two patient-focused long-term research projects performed in the German outpatient psychotherapy system are focused on in this article. The TK (Techniker Krankenkasse) project is the first study to evaluate a quality assurance and feedback system with regard to its practical feasibility in German routine care. The other study ("Quality Assurance in Outpatient Psychotherapy in Bavaria"; QS-PSY-BAY) was designed to test a new approach for quality assurance in outpatient psychotherapy using electronic documentation of patient characteristics and outcome parameters. In addition this project provides the opportunity to analyze data on health-related costs for the patients undergoing outpatient psychotherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Both projects and their results indicating high effect sizes are briefly described.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From the perspectives of the research teams, advisory boards and other stakeholders, the experiences with these projects are discussed focusing on obstacles, challenges, difficulties, and benefits in developing and implementing the studies. The triangle collaboration of therapists, researchers, and health insurance companies/health service institutions turned out to be fruitful in both studies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite some controversies between the partners the experiences indicate the importance of practiced-research collaborations to provide relevant information about the delivery of outpatient psychotherapy in the health system.
authors.affiliation: a Institute of Psychosocial Medicine and Psychotherapy , University Hospital Jena , Jena , Germany.
authors.forename: Bernhard Michael
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Strauss
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lutz
authors.forename: Andres
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Steffanowski
authors.forename: Werner W
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Wittmann
authors.forename: Jan R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Boehnke
authors.forename: Julian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rubel
authors.forename: Carl E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Scheidt
authors.forename: Franz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Caspar
authors.forename: Heiner
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Vogel
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Altmann
authors.forename: Rolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Steyer
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zimmermann
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bruckmayer
authors.forename: Friedrich
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: von Heymann
authors.forename: Dietmar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kramer
authors.forename: Helmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kirchmann
mesh_terms: D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D005858:Germany; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D010045:Outpatients; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000592:standards*; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000592:standards*
keywords: mental health services research; outcome research; process research