Zeitschrift für ärztliche Fortbildung und Qualitätssicherung
-
Z Arztl Fortbild Qualitatssich · Jan 2003
[The European Regional Cooperative Centers for rheumatic diseases: a nation-wide network of interdisciplinary rheumatic care]].
The organisation of regional co-operative centres for rheumatic diseases was supported by a grant from the German Ministry of Health from 1992 to 1998, which aimed to improve the management of patients with chronic rheumatic diseases. After establishing the centres formal structures the major task was to improve quality of care by co-ordination and co-operation of all the institutions and health care providers involved in the management of rheumatic patients. For all these activities to be continued the regional co-operative centres for rheumatic diseases were integrated in the German Society of Rheumatology as one of its working groups in 1996. ⋯ Quality management is further supported and intensified by annual scientific workshops. In addition, the regional co-operative centres for rheumatic diseases are engaged in research and an important partner of the German Competence Network Rheumatic Diseases. Based on the established structures the horizontal and vertical network should be further involved in general medical care and should intensify the interaction with clinical and basic research.