Dr. Lukas Kwietniewski, BQS Institute
BQS Project Management QS Reha^® Procedure

The QS-Reha^® procedure aims to include all rehabilitation facilities and inpatient preventive care facilities in comparative external quality assurance. Within the framework of the procedure, the quality areas of structural and process quality, outcome quality and patient satisfaction are recorded and evaluated.

The GKV-Spitzenverband is the responsible body for the procedure, which has been advanced since 2000; the contractor is various scientific institutes, which are responsible for the methodological development and testing of the QA instruments. As an independent institute, the BQS has also been commissioned with the evaluation in accordance with §299 Para. 3 SGB V for the third phase of the procedure until 2021.

On behalf of the statutory health insurance, the BQS Institute carries out the external quality assurance of medical prevention and rehabilitation facilities (QS-Reha^® procedure). In the third phase, it is planned to include inpatient facilities for child and youth rehabilitation in the QS-Reha^® procedure from 2018.

The procedure is based in part on the survey of structural and process quality by questioning the approximately 600 participating specialist departments. Visits to 5% of the departments validate the information provided. In addition, process and outcome quality is measured by interviewing up to 150 patients per department at the beginning and end of rehabilitation. In this process, phases of quality measurement alternate with intermediate periods for the implementation of quality improvements in the facilities. As part of this task, the BQS also conducts training of participants.

"The QS-Reha^® procedure is already a lived quality instrument that leads to the improvement of quality dimensions and, on the other hand, rewards facilities with good performance. This is because the reports of the procedure can be viewed by all health insurance companies and have a direct influence on quality-oriented occupancy and, of course, contract design between payers and service providers." Kurt M. Lang, Managing Director of the BQS Institute