title: [Certified clinical excellence : Suitable tool for patient recruitment?].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Medical institutions often spend a lot of time and money to obtain external certification of clinical excellence and the quality of clinical care, with the purported aim of attracting patients. There is, however, little evidence about the role of certification in patients' choice of institution to receive elective inpatient treatment.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  On admission 413 consecutive patients were anonymously surveyed about the reasons for choosing this institution, a tertiary care rheumatology department, which is currently certified by the cooperation for transparency and quality in healthcare (KTQ) and by the German Association of Rheumatological Acute Care Hospitals (VRA). In a self-administered questionnaire, patients reported reasons for their choice of institution, allowing for more than one reason.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients reported recommendation by the primary care physician (48 %), recommendation by the attending rheumatologist (39 %), own (30 %) or family/friends (18 %) positive experience as the main reasons for choosing this institution. Certificates of clinical excellence were given as a reason by only 3 % of patients. Similar results were obtained from 42 referring physicians, of which 5 % regarded the KTQ certification and 2 % the VRA certification as one of the decisive factors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest that certification does not meaningfully influence patient choice of clinic for elective inpatient treatment and therefore does not contribute to patient acquisition.
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Rheumatologie/Klinische Immunologie, Asklepios Klinikum Bad Abbach, Kaiser-Karl-V.-Allee 3, 93077, Bad Abbach, Deutschland.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ehrenstein
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fleck
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002568:Certification / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D057240:Patient Preference / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018579:Patient Selection; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012216:Rheumatic Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D012219:Rheumatology / Q000592:standards; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult