Costs of quality assurance in the German medical market.

Abstract

The central subject of this dissertation, combined with a methodological study, is the economic analysis of Quality Assurance in the German health care system. With the help of the study an estimate of the total costs in the German health care market shall be given. The focus of the analysis is on Companies, Political Bodies, Liberal Professions and Public Corporations which are part of the health care system including Certification Bodies, which lead to costs from using Quality Assurance and interacting with the health care system. First, a systematic literature search was conducted to determine the costs. It was found that there are no articles or publications that address the topic of total cost of quality assurance. A continuation/update of existing studies was therefore not possible. To be able to estimate the total costs of Quality Assurance in the German health care market, the Quality Assurance costs were surveyed using a bottom-up analysis. After identifying organizations and collecting relevant data, the total costs of quality assurance in the German healthcare market were estimated using a mathematical calculation. In general, ensuring quality is an original part of the actions of all professional groups and institutions working in the health care system. Due to this importance, it is remarkable that an economic analysis of the total costs has never taken place before. One reason for this may be the "complexity of the German health care system". Furthermore, the costs of quality assurance are not listed separately, but as part of general administrative expenses. Controlling and transparent presentation of the costs is therefore not possible. The cost estimation and the database created for this study about the parties involved in quality assurance in the German health care market can be a useful support for further studies in this field of research.