Quality Management
The improvements in quality of results attained at HELIOS in recent years are evident in comparison to established ranking systems of major illnesses monitored as indicators by the US government. The relative reduction of mortality rate for these major illnesses meets that attained in the U.S., with disclosure of the quality ratios and improvement of quality management.
The quality indicators based on routine data are supplemented in the Group by the established methods of peer reviews and self-reviews. The case analyses performed as part of the reviews regularly give rise to valuable approaches for improvement measures. Overall, measurement of results and analysis and implementation of potential improvements at critical points shape the successful quality management system of the Group.
As a result of its demonstrable successes, the HELIOS quality management system continues to receive significant external recognition. Over 200 hospitals independent of HELIOS in Germany now measure their quality of care against the HELIOS performance indicators. Moreover the government of Switzerland announced in early 2008 that it will use the HELIOS indicators as the basis for the quality management in all Swiss hospitals.
Building on past experience, the corporate medical objectives have been totally revised this year by the Medical Development department in close collaboration with the chief physicians of our hospitals. The externally communicated quality and performance indicators now cover 30 clinical pictures and interventions with a total of 78 subgroups via 142 newly defined key ratios (indicators). It is thus possible to compare around 30% of the hospital services in a standardized manner. In addition, there are around 700 more key ratios for internal use. HELIOS therefore has the world's best and most meaningful quality indicator system based on routine data.
In the year 2006/07 the HELIOS Group succeeded once again in achieving it ambitious quality goals: for the great majority of indications the DRG-adjusted mortality rate was considerably lower than the German national average. This effect has been strongest in those clinics which have been part of HELIOS for more than five years.
