FAQ – IQM Initiative Qualitätsmedizin e. V.
What benefits does IQM offer its members?
In keeping with its mission, IQM offers its members organisational support and know-how to improve the quality of medical care in the participating institutions. This includes:
- Coordinating transparent quality evaluations across all hospital operators
- Helping to develop and improve quality indicators from routine data
- Organising and conducting cross-operator peer reviews
- Training chief physicians to become peers
- Transferring know-how between members
- Supporting members’ media relations
- Representing the public interest
Who can become a member?
IQM is open to all acute-care clinics from Germany and Switzerland. Private, public, non-profit, university and international institutions can become members, provided they bill according to the DRG system. Further details are defined in the Articles of Association. Persons and institutions that have provided exemplary service to IQM and its mission can be appointed “honorary members”.
How and when does the membership start?
The membership application must be submitted in writing to the association’s board of directors and must indicate which group the institution belongs to. Honorary memberships are granted by resolution of the board of directors. Membership begins with the announcement of the board’s approval, unless another date has been agreed.
What does membership cost and when is the membership fee due?
The annual membership fee for a “DRG hospital operator” is based on the number of beds and ranges from €1,500 to €7,500. The annual membership fee for a “holding company” is an additional €500. Honorary members are exempt from membership fees. Further details are defined in the dues schedule. The membership fee is due on 1 February of the respective financial year. If the membership starts later than this, the membership fee is due within one month from the start of membership.
How is IQM financed?
As a non-profit association, IQM is financed by the annual membership fees. The fee amounts are defined in the dues schedule.
How can member clinics participate in IQM?
The general meeting acts as the highest governing body and is responsible for appointing and discharging the board members, the directors and the managing director. It approves the annual financial statement, decides on amendments to the statutes and the catalogue of voting rights and selects scientific sponsors.
The board of directors manages the business, appoints the managing director and issues the dues schedule. It appoints the heads and members of the committees and steering groups. The board of directors names sponsors and partners and concludes the corresponding sponsorship and partnership agreements. The managing director is responsible for all work arising in the course of daily business, unless a task is explicitly assigned to another body. He or she hires staff to run the business office. The Peer Review, Indicators and Transparency committees along with their associated steering groups provide the board of directors with input and work to improve the quality methodology. They consist of expert representatives from different IQM members and operators.
Who are IQM’s partners?
3M Health Information Systems has partnered with IQM to provide technical assistance for the regular quality assessments. Each member concludes a bilateral agreement with 3M for these assessments.
IQM also cooperates with the German Medical Association and the state medical association of Baden-Württemberg on peer reviews. They conduct joint professional development programmes for chief physicians and senior nurses to become peers in accordance with the “Ärztliches Peer Review” (medical peer review) curriculum of the German Medical Association. IQM is actively involved with the AOK Research Institute to improve the process, whether in expert panels for the development of new indicators or with specific advice on how to improve existing indicators.
What distinguishes IQM from hospital comparison portals?
IQM is not a hospital search engine or a portal for patients to select a suitable hospital. IQM helps hospitals help themselves, facilitating the exchange of knowledge with the goal of improving quality of care through innovative and structured methods.