[The quality assurance program of mandatory social security in the realm of medical rehabilitation. Concept, status of implementation and prospects].

The quality improvement programme aims at the comparison of clinics in charge of the statutory pension insurance. The programme has been implemented successively in 1994, supported by researchers and teams of experts on specific subjects. Instruments and procedures have been developed to all programme items including a clinic comparing and information system, thus permitting routine use in practice. Performing regular clinic-comparisons analysing structural quality (equipment, staff, clinical concept, management), procedural quality (recording of rehabilitation process), and outcome quality (success of the rehabilitation estimated by physician and patient) of rehabilitation facilities shall initiate quality competition and stimulate a constant improvement of quality. significant basis, therefore, is a clinic-comparing information and reporting system. The developed instruments and procedures are available for all institutes providing rehabilitation.