[Quality Management in Hospitals. Relevance of KTQ].

With the KTQ (Cooperation forTransparency and Quality in Health Care) quality report patients and the referring physician obtain a general view of the standard of quality of the hospital. The KTQ certificate demonstrates the high quality rating despite the current savings measures. The KTQ certification procedure offers hospitals the chance to obtain a systematic and comprehensive profile of the strengths and weaknesses in patient management and thereby establishes priorities for the employment of personnel for future projects. The certificate, recognized by the societies of the KTQ, provides documentation of a practicing "quality management established within the institution", which, according to section 137 and section 108 (SGBV), is legally binding. By means of the KTQ quality report the hospital fulfills the legally mandatory requirements in effect as of 2005 for the publication of quality reports according to section 137 SGVB. Further establishment of the KTQ certification procedure is likely because of its continuing evaluation and development, its multiple benefits as well as its acceptance by the City of Cologne Hospitals Inc.