Key Informants' Perspectives on Accredited Breast Cancer Centres: Results of a Survey.

This paper presents the results of a survey among key informants that was conducted between June and September 2011 in Breast Cancer Centers that were accredited according to the criteria of the German Cancer Society (DKG). The survey intended to assess the degree to which the breast cancer center concept was accepted among the key informants as well as to gain an overview over structures and processes in the centers. The Questionnaire for Breast Cancer Centres Key Informants 2011 was used with two reminders having been sent out. Questionnaires were sent back from 149 of the 243 initially contacted hospitals (response rate: 61.3 %). The vast majority of respondents indicated to be part of the Breast Cancer Center management. 110 of the 149 hospitals did also participate in the patient survey conducted in 2010. Among the key informants surveyed, the concept is highly accepted with regard to improvements in patient care. Overall, the concept is regarded as "good" or "very good" by almost all respondents. Both contact to resident doctors and the hospitals' reputations improved since the implementation of the concept. Quality and patient safety were more often on the agenda than financial performance in the quality circles with the main co-operation partners of the Breast Cancer Centers.