Quality Medicine Initiative (IQM) of UKU and RKU
Results on treatment quality and patient safety at the clinics published
For the second year running, Ulm University Hospital (UKU ) and the RKU - University and Rehabilitation Clinics Ulm are jointly publishing the quality results of the Quality Medicine Initiative (IQM). The annual quality report presents the treatment quality of over 350 quality indicators based on routine data for more than 60 relevant treatment procedures and clinical pictures. The results can be viewed on the respective hospital websites from 15 May.
"By participating in the Quality Medicine Initiative, we are sending out an important signal in favour of greater transparency in patient care. Our aim is to provide every patient with the best possible treatment. The IQM report and the exchange with other participating clinics is particularly valuable for continuous improvement and optimisation," says Prof. Dr Udo X. Kaisers, Chief Medical Director and Chairman of the Board at Ulm University Hospital.
The current IQM reports also show the areas in which Ulm University Medicine achieved particularly good results last year. These include the treatment of hernias (umbilical, upper abdominal and inguinal hernias) without intestinal surgery, the partial surgical removal of the colon in cases of bowel cancer and the resection of diverticula, i.e. benign protrusions of the intestinal wall. The UKU also demonstrates a particularly excellent quality of treatment in procedures on the aorta and operations on the pelvic/leg arteries. At the RKU, hip and knee endoprosthesis replacements for coxarthrosis, gonarthrosis and chronic arthritis as well as hip and knee endoprosthesis replacements should once again be emphasised.
"By participating in and voluntarily publishing the IQM quality results, the UKU and RKU go far beyond the existing legal requirements. The results report reflects the good quality of care at the university hospitals in Ulm," says Dr Oliver Mayer, Head of the Quality and Risk Management Unit at Ulm University Hospital.
A total of around 500 hospitals in Germany and Switzerland have now joined the initiative, offering patients and healthcare professionals the opportunity to obtain transparent information on treatment quality and patient safety.
Quality results of the UKU and RKU sites
Around 50,000 patients are treated as inpatients at Ulm University Hospital every year. In addition, there are almost 300,000 outpatient quarterly cases. Around 6,000 employees provide cutting-edge university medicine at the hospital's locations. With 29 clinics and 16 institutes, the University Hospital offers patients the highest level of inpatient and outpatient medical care. Ulm University Hospital has over 1,200 beds and is the largest hospital between East Württemberg, the Swabian Alb, Lake Constance and the Allgäu region. Around 4,000 students are studying at Ulm University's Faculty of Medicine. Ulm University Hospital is one of four university hospitals in Baden-Württemberg.
The RKU - University and Rehabilitation Clinics Ulm are maximum care clinics specialising in orthopaedics and neurology. The Orthopaedic University Clinic with Paraplegic Centre and the Neurological University Clinic with Stroke Unit, together with the Clinic for Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, form the acute care area of the RKU. Directly adjacent is a day clinic for the treatment of special orthopaedic pain patients. The orthopaedic and neurological clinics carry out teaching and research for the University of Ulm.
In addition to the acute department, the hospital also has a centre for integrated rehabilitation as a second pillar of patient care. Inpatient and all-day outpatient medical, medical-occupational and vocational rehabilitation programmes are carried out there. The vocational training division with its nursing schools, further training programmes in the healthcare sector and subsidised training measures and projects completes the range of services. 800 people are currently employed at the RKU. The RKU is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ulm University Hospital.
The Quality Medicine Initiative (IQM)
Leading hospital operators joined forces in 2008 to form the "Quality Medicine Initiative" (IQM). The cross-organisational initiative, based in Berlin, is open to all hospitals and aims to make potential for improvement in the quality of medical treatment visible to all those involved in patient care and to promote active error management for the benefit of patients. To this end, IQM provides medical experts from participating hospitals with innovative and user-friendly tools. The members of the initiative undertake to apply three principles: Measuring quality with routine data, publishing the results and conducting peer reviews. IQM members currently provide inpatient care to around 6.3 million patients a year in over 500 hospitals in Germany and Switzerland.
Contact:
IQM Initiative Qualitätsmedizin e.V.
Alt-Moabit 104
D-10559 Berlin
www.initiative-qualitaetsmedizin.de
Press enquiries:
Phone: + 49 30-7262152-158
Fax: + 49 30-7262152-19
info@initiative-qualitaetsmedizin.de