QUALITY MANAGEMENT IN OUTPATIENT ARTHRITI S CARE THROUGH COORDINATIONOFFICES

Citation
J. Wollenhaupt et al., QUALITY MANAGEMENT IN OUTPATIENT ARTHRITI S CARE THROUGH COORDINATIONOFFICES, Aktuelle Rheumatologie, 22, 1997, pp. 62-66
Citations number
17
Categorie Soggetti
Rheumatology
Journal title
ISSN journal
0341051X
Volume
22
Year of publication
1997
Supplement
1
Pages
62 - 66
Database
ISI
SICI code
0341-051X(1997)22:<62:QMIOAS>2.0.ZU;2-E
Abstract
Quality Management in Outpatient Arthritis Care Through Coordination O ffices: Clinical quality management in rheumatology helps to continual ly improve the quality of care for arthritis patients by a coordinativ e network of primary care physicians, rheumatologists and rheumatology health professionals. In order to improve the delivery of care for ar thritis patients, the roles and cooperation of the primary care physic ian and the specialized rheumatologist need to be defined more precise ly. For the individual patient, a therapeutical plan should be worked out depending on the patient-centred data obtained by various question naires and by the Disease Activity Score (DAS) measured by the rheumat ologist. A coordination office helps to assess the DAS scores, acts as an advisory board for cooperating physicians and takes care that pati ents continue to be followed up by the rheumatologists.