title: [Multilevel Analysis in Health Services Research in Healthcare Organizations: Benefits, Requirements and Implementation].
abstract: Multilevel Analysis (MLA) are still rarely used in Health Services Research in Germany, though hierarchical data, e. g. from patients clustered in hospitals, is often present. MLA provide the valuable opportunity to study the health care context in health care organizations and the associations between context and health care outcomes. This article's aims are to introduce this particular method of data analysis, to discuss its' benefits and its' applicability particularly for Health Services Research focusing on organizational characteristics and to provide a concise guideline for performing the analysis. First, the benefits and the necessity for MLA compared to ordinary correlation analyses in the case of hierarchical data are discussed. Furthermore, the statistical requirements and key decisions for the performance of MLA are illustrated.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Medizinsoziologie, Versorgungsforschung und Rehabilitationswissenschaft (IMVR), Universität zu Köln, Köln.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ansmann
authors.affiliation: Universitat zu Köln, Medizinische Fakultät, Institut für Medizinische Statistik, Informatik und Epidemiologie (IMSIE), Köln.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kuhr
authors.affiliation: Deutsche Krebsgesellschaft e. V., Zertifizierung, Berlin.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kowalski
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration; D005858:Germany; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration; D006739:Hospital Administration / Q000379:methods; D015233:Models, Statistical; D055361:Multilevel Analysis / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration