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Everyone talks about quality control - the physicians of the Prostate Center have now proven it. After successful introduction and implementation of a quality management system, they received ISO certification according to DIN EN ISO 9001:2008 on September 27, 2009, which has been updated and re-certified annually since then.
Quality and transparency in the treatment of their patients have been top priorities for Dr. Stephan Neubauer and Dr. Pedram Derakhshani since the urology department was founded in 2000. "Especially with modern highly specialized treatment methods, such as endoscopic prostate removals or even brachytherapy (internal radiation) for prostate cancer, success depends on the experience and consistency of the treatment team," emphasizes Dr. Neubauer. "Only those who have sufficient experience and perform therapies on a high number of patients can deliver quality," the urologist continues.
"The quality management system confirms above all transparency of procedures, optimization of work processes and compliance with legal requirements," explains Dr. Derakhshani. For example, the urology team has developed a "clinical pathway" for each clinical picture in urology. In it, all steps are meticulously documented in precise sequence. "Everything proceeds according to a precisely defined schedule, so everyone knows what to do when and how," says Dr. Derakhshani. Another quality feature of the Urology Department is the close and long-standing interdisciplinary cooperation with the radiotherapists of the Klinik am Ring, which has been established within the framework of the West German Prostate Center (WPZ). Furthermore, the collaboration with specialist colleagues ranges from regional quality circles to international scientific cooperation and projects. For example, once a year the WPZ organizes a uro-oncological congress with renowned scientists from Europe and the USA.
Transparency creates trust
"Establishing a QM system takes time and a motivated team," explains Dr. Neubauer. For more than a year, the employees of the urology department were supervised by a management consultancy, the renowned KPU-Consulting, and optimally prepared for certification in regular training sessions. "The work was worth it," emphasizes the Cologne urologist. After all, an established QM system benefits not only the doctors and staff, but above all the patients. Thanks to the precise documentation, they can follow every single treatment step and are fully informed about their therapy. In addition, the urology department provides its patients with clear information and educational material about the various treatment options. "The intensive and individual care of our patients is very important to us," emphasizes Neubauer. "All the more reason for us to constantly strive to improve the quality of care." The WPZ also has a prostate cancer database in which relevant parameters on quality of life, micturition situation and sexual function after therapy are recorded anonymously at regular intervals using validated patient questionnaires. This is now one of the largest databases of its kind. The resulting scientific results have already been published at numerous national and international congresses.
At regular intervals, quality is checked by an independent company in so-called audits. "The QM system does not end up in a drawer for us, but is continuously developed further," sums up the urologist. "Because we can only offer patient-oriented medicine at the highest level of quality if workflows and organizational processes are constantly optimized."
