3.7 QM coordination

The management appoints persons for QM coordination who reach all organizational units of the hospital equally across all professional groups. Qualified personnel who are independent of the activities in the departments and in reporting are deployed for QM coordination. The QM staff work in accordance with work instructions issued by the management. QM coordination takes on tasks that are necessary for the establishment, maintenance and further development of the QM system. The tasks include in particular

• Management of quality documentation (QM manual with procedural instructions, method specifications, validation and test documentation).
• Coordination of data reporting for external quality comparisons (external quality assurance for flat rates per case and special fees, organization of participation in round robin tests)
• Determination of the areas for which approval, certification or other forms of proof of qualification are required and monitoring of maintenance.
• Comparisons of your own QM system, individual QM elements or performance results with those of other providers (benchmarking)
• Monitoring and evaluation of official inspections in the regulated area
• Collection of evidence for technical quality assurance in occupational safety, equipment safety, radiation protection, hygiene, etc.
• Collection of findings on the assessment of the service by the customer, e.g. by interviewing patients, referring physicians, employees
• Carrying out selected quality inspections
• Organization of quality circles including the review of deadlines and targets
• Training and advice for QM coordinators in the departments
• Coordination of participation in quality competitions
• Tracking of complaints.

The QM coordinators report regularly to the hospital management. The head of the QM coordinator group should have the right to report directly to the management in urgent cases.