Matthias Katja
Gemeinsamer Bundesausschuss, Abteilung Fachberatung Medizin, Berlin.
Z Evid Fortbild Qual Gesundhwes. 2010;104(3):272-6; discussion 277. doi: 10.1016/j.zefq.2010.03.008.
The Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) is the most important decision-making body within the self-governing German healthcare system. The G-BA assessment of medical treatments and procedures follows a standardised procedure that rests on evidence-based medicine. As a rule, randomised controlled trials with patient-relevant endpoints (in particular mortality, morbidity, quality of life) are required for benefit assessments. Under certain conditions adequate studies with valid surrogate endpoints or composite endpoints may be taken into account in exceptional cases.