News
27.04.2012
5th Frankfurt General Practice Day - an anniversary
The Frankfurt General Practice Day took place for the fifth time on April 21, 2012 - a minor anniversary that was very well-received:
The General Practice Day is a well-established forum provided under the guidance of Professor Ferdinand Gerlach by the Frankfurt-based Institute of General Practice. It is independent of sponsors and very popular among highly motivated family practice teams. More than 200 general practitioners and their health care assistants, as well as physicians currently undergoing specialist training, attended a total of 24 practical and hands-on interactive workshops. The event was fully booked.
A broad selection of workshop topics were on offer, ranging from error management in the practice to the screening procedures used in dementia diagnostics, and from burn-out to children in the doctor's office. As usual, participants were able to exchange and take away useful advice and tips for their day-to-day work. Workshops on communications training, emergency health care, nutritional advice and ECGs were also very popular.[mehr]
27.04.2012
W3-Professorship in General Practice
The Medical Faculty at the Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg is seeking to appoint a candidate to fill a professorship in General Practice as soon as possible.
Responsibilities will include the representation of the discipline of general practice in research and teaching, as well as the position of Medical Director of the Department of General Practice at the Medical Health Care Center Eckental of Erlangen University Hospital. The successful candidate should have extensive knowledge of interdisciplinary research projects and initiate new research, for example in patient-oriented health care concepts. Cooperation in corresponding research associations of the Faculty of Medicine is expected (Collaborative Research Center, Postgraduate Program, Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical Research, Medical Valley Leading-Edge Cluster). The Medical Faculty offers courses in Human Medicine, Dentistry, Molecular Medicine and Medical Process Management.
Vacancy Notice in German [PDF].
15.02.2012
Several full-time and part-time research assistants required
We are looking for highly motivated and committed researchers with an interest in oncology, and particularly for physicians with several years of clinical (ideally oncological) experience, as well as psychologists, sociologists and other graduates who have several years of practical research experience. Particularly in the case of physicians, additional qualifications (such as in epidemiology, public health, quality promotion) would be desirable.
Complete job posting (in German) [PDF]
06.02.2012
Symposium for the advancement of young family doctors
With its specialist training network, the general practice competence centre in Baden-Wuerttemberg has, over the past three years, designed a strategy for the development and advancement of young doctors for family practice-based health care. The topic will be the subject of a symposium to take place on February 28 at the University of Heidelberg. [more in German]
03.01.2012
Test subjects sought!
As part of a project sponsored by the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF) entitled "Improvement in the memory function of patients with MCI as a result of dietary intervention, physical activity and cognitive stimulation", we are looking for subjects (between 50 and 80 years of age and living in the region of Frankfurt am Main) who are suffering from mild cognitive impairment.
The aim of the study is to investigate whether taking dietary supplements (fish oil or resveratrol) over a period of six months leads to an improvement in memory. Following the intervention, it may also be possible to participate in a group program entitled AKTIVA_MCI which seeks to promote a cognitive-stimulating lifestyle.
You can find further information (in German) in our flyer [PDF]
08.11.2011
15.11.2011 Theme evening on arte: Healthcare in a state of emergency
The healthcare systems of both France and Germany are going through a crisis. A lack of general practitioners has now become extremely apparent, and the problem is not limited to rural regions. Even in the city of Berlin, the provision of patient healthcare by registered GPs cannot be guaranteed. The theme evening presents two documentaries that address the situation in France and Germany. Afterwards, Daniel Leconte will hold a discussion session on the escalating state of emergency to which Professor Gerlach has been invited to Paris by the television station.
The discussion (German title Ärzte im Notstand) will be broadcast during a theme evening on 15.11.2011 [link].
25.10.2011
Success at the "World Rowing Masters Regatta" 2011 in Poland
37 nations, 2,503 boats and 6,683 rowers actively participated in this year's "World Rowing Masters Regatta" in Poznan in Poland. There are medals for every winner in every event, thus enabling the rowers to compare their performance and celebrate their success in this international competition. Gisela Taeber and Jutta Will from the Institute of General Practice also participated in Poznan and with a win and several good placings enjoyed substantial success at this major regatta. (PDF in German) [PDF].
25.10.2011
Participation in the international long-distance regatta "Rose vom Wörthersee"
In order to gain pleasure from their work and to work productively, many institute employees pursue sports to recharge their batteries. At this international regatta, Gisela Taeuber was fourth in her age group and at the same time the fastest German boat.
A report by Gisela [PDF in German]
12.09.2011
New Professorship in Geriatric Medicine at Institute for General Practice
The Frankfurt Medical Faculty Council has unanimously approved a new professorship in geriatric medicine to specialize in psychogeriatrics and clinical gerontology under the umbrella of the Institute for General Practice as of September 16, 2011. Johannes Pantel, who has been appointed to the new position, has studied medicine, psychology and philosophy and following specialist training worked as a senior physician specializing in general and acute psychiatry, geronto-psychiatry and addiction medicine. After obtaining his postdoctoral degree (Habilitation) and spending research periods in the U.S. (Iowa, Boston), he received an offer of an endowed professorship for geronto-psychiatry at the University of Frankfurt in 2003. Currently, his research team is specializing in the development and evaluation of instruments and intervention programs for the improvement of geriatric health care, the prevention and early recognition of dementing illnesses, as well as the psychosocial consequences of demographic aging.
Further information on Professor Pantel, his research team and their current research projects will be presented on our website in the near future.
19.05.2011
Patient Safety Action Alliance elects new management committee
On May 13, 2011 in Berlin, a group of interested professionals comprising 140 participants gathered together, not only to discuss "Patient Safety in the Practice", but also to elect a new management committee for the Patient Safety Action Alliance (APS) at its 6th annual conference and general meeting. [more in German]
17.05.2011
4th Frankfurt General Practice Day
A vocational training highlight for family practices
The Frankfurt General Practice Day has now become an integral part of the vocational training scene in the German state of Hesse. On May 14 this year, the event took place under the guidance of Professor Ferdinand Gerlach at the Goethe University in Frankfurt for the fourth time, and, once again, numerous family practice teams availed themselves of the opportunity to participate in a forum that is independent of both industry and associations. As in previous years, the 200 registered participants could depend on being provided with high-quality training for family doctors by family doctors. In 33 interactive workshops, the team at the Frankfurt Institute for General Practice again arranged for a broad selection of topical subjects to be covered. [more in German]
16.05.2011
Safety of medication therapies at the pharmacist - family practice interface
The interface between family practices and pharmacists is one possible source of errors in the medication process. More often than not, it is communication problems that lead to drug mix-ups, errors in doses and multiple prescriptions.
For many years now, doctors and medical assistants have been reporting on critical incidents in family practices on the www.jeder-fehler-zaehlt.de website, and it is medication errors that make up the largest group of reported errors. In a joint effort, the Berlin Association of Pharmacists and the Frankfurt Reporting and Learning System aim to improve the safety of medication therapy at the interface between family practices and pharmacists [more in German].
11.05.2011
Summer school offers courses in general practice for medical students
The first German summer school for general practice will offer students courses in family medicine in Freiburg from 31.08.2011 to 03.09.2011. The school is being supported by the DEGAM German Society for General Practice and Family Medicine, the GHA Society of University Lecturers in General Practice, and the German Association of General Practitioners. Summer schools are commonly used internationally to teach pupils and students. The summer school for general practice belongs to the Students Academy currently being set up by DEGAM. You can find more information on DEGAM's webpages. [link]
27.04.2011
Formation of a Research Network - General Practice, Frankfurt (ForN)
In the future, there will be certified "academic research practices of the Institute for General Practice at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Frankfurt".
On 13.04.2011, 44 general practitioners and 32 healthcare assistants came from family practices throughout the Rhine-Main
region to participate in the kick-off meeting of the "Research network general practice Frankfurt (ForN)" [more in German].
30.03.2011
Vacancy
The Institute for General Practice of the Medical Faculty at Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, is seeking an employee for general office duties for an average of 10 hours/week to commence work as soon as possible. The part-time position will initially be limited to six months with an extension planned. [mehr]
14.02.2011
Radio program on medical errors and medical culture
"Errors also occur in the field of medicine. But although this is an area of high responsibility it is only in the last ten years or so that there has been a shift towards greater awareness with regard to dealing with errors and the development of instruments to avoid them."
This is the lead-in statement for a program entitled "Radio doctor - Medicine and Health" broadcast by the Austrian Österreichischer Rundfunk (Ö 1) on February 14, 2011. As a guest on the program, Professor Gerlach had the opportunity to present the Frankfurt error reporting and learning system www.jeder-fehler-zaehlt.de and to point out 18 ways in which patients can contribute towards error prevention [PDF].The entire program can be listened to as a podcast under the following link [link].
The information materials for the program provide a useful overview of the subject matter "Medical errors and medical culture", as well as further interesting advice [PDF].
10.02.2011
International Workshop on Collaborative Strategies in Multimorbidity
Seventeen experts from five countries (Canada, Ireland, the UK, the Netherlands and Germany) participated in an interdisciplinary workshop that took place at the Institute for General Practice on February 4/5, 2011. Those that took part included research scientists from the fields of general practice, clinical pharmacology and gerontology, as well as a number of methodologists.
The focus of the meeting was on multimorbidity and particularly on the increasing use of multimedication resulting from the demographic ageing of the population. Intensive discussions took place on model creation, concept development, epidemiology, the development of interventions, and improving healthcare for multimorbid patients. Two trials currently being conducted in Maastricht (PIL: Polypharmacy Intervention Limburg [link]) and Frankfurt (PRIMUM: PRIorization of MUltimedication in Multimorbidity [link]) were of central importance for the optimization of multimedication therapies. Special attention was also paid to specific methodological aspects characterizing the development, evaluation and implementation of complex interventions. Ways in which the participants can continue to cooperate in the future were also discussed.
The workshop was supported by the Association of Patrons and Friends of the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Frankfurt am Main e.V.
21.01.2011
Avoiding and dealing with medical errors
The Frankfurt Medical Society, which enjoys a long tradition, will be meeting to discuss patient safety, risk management, and especially critical events in the clinic and in practice, as well as the basic principles of medical malpractice laws at its 649th conference to take place at 5:30 pm on February 9, 2011.
Location: Goethe University Hospital, Lecture Theatre 1, Building 22, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt am Main (admission free).
18.01.2011
Careers and prospects - Congress for medical students and young doctors
Gather and exchange information, meet people - the regional congress on careers and prospects organised by the German weekly magazine ´Deutsches Ärzteblatt` will take place at the German National Library in Frankfurt on 27.01.2011. The aim of the congress is to provide medical students and young doctors with support in choosing a career path in the field of medicine.
Programm (in German)
14.12.2010
Advertising spot: "To maintain our health. To keep our GPs"
From January 2011, the Bavarian Association of General Practitioners will be advertising in cinemas for the maintenance of general practice-based medical care. The advertising campaign is expected to include posters and postcards that will be displayed in doctors' practices. [video in German]
14.12.2010
A joint effort to promote patient safety in primary care
How do you increase the safety of patients during primary care? This was the motto for the first conference of the LINNEAUS-EURO-PC project that took place in Manchester on October 19-20, 2010. The conference drew 120 participants from the whole of Europe: from North European Russia, Ireland, Malta and Cyprus, Portugal, Rumania, the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway and other countries. [more in German]
08.11.2010
Wait until the doctor comes?!
Kulturforum Wiesbaden - November 25, 2010, 6:00-8:00 pm
The debate on how to safeguard and maintain the future provision of health care is becoming more intense. Ensuring continued health care in rural areas, GP protests, long waiting times for an appointment with a specialist, financing - the problems are complex and no simple solution is in sight.
The Friedrich Ebert Foundation's bureau for the state of Hesse would like to promote a dialogue on this topic and invites you to participate in an event it is organizing entitled "Wait until the doctor comes?! Urban and rural areas without a doctor!" to take place at the Kulturforum Wiesbaden, Friedrichstraße 16, 65185 Wiesbaden, from 6:00-8:00 pm on Thursday, November 25.
Flyer (in Geman) [PDF]
02.11.2010
Prioritisation of Medication - Therapies for multimorbid patients
Wednesday, Nov 10, 2010, 3:00-6:15 pm
in Frankfurt am Main
Based on a status report describing the main problems of prescribing medication for out-patients, participants will have the opportunity to discuss the difficulties facing general practice, specialist, inpatient and trans-sectoral medical care, with interdisciplinary speakers. Using clinical examples, practical approaches to dealing with the problems will then be developed for daily use, and a concluding outlook considering new concepts, that are, for example, currently being investigated as part of the PRIMUM-Study, will be presented.
Flyer [PDF] in German
21.10.2010
7th Forum on patient safety and risk management
Intention in terms of health policies - successful solutions for the practice Friday, October 29, 2010, Medical Association of Lower Saxony [pdf]
27.09.2010
Professor Gerlach elected new DEGAM President
The general assembly of the German Society of General Practice and Family Medicine (DEGAM) has elected Professor Ferdinand M. Gerlach to be its new President. The meeting of the assembly took place in Dresden on September 24, 2010.
He will succeed Professor Michael M. Kochen (Goettingen), who held this office for six years. DEGAM is the only scientific society for general practice in Germany and currently has more than 3,600 members.
27.09.2010
Quality management increases patient safety
Survey: Half of doctors notice positive effects
Quality management (QM) at the doctor's practice increases the safety of patients. That is the result of a survey entitled "Quality management and patient safety at the doctor's practice 2010" [PDF] carried out by the Stiftung Gesundheit, a non-profit making health trust.
According to the survey, 46% of the 421 doctors, dentists and psychological psychotherapists that responded to the survey had observed a positive impact on patient safety following the implementation of a QM system at their practices, while around a third (36%) thought QM had no effect and 17% declared that QM had a negative influence if anything because it made work processes more complicated.
The doctors also assessed the effects of QM on their practice work positively: in the case of patient-related procedures, 37% of survey respondents observed an improvement following the introduction of QM, while 7% saw some deterioration. The picture is even clearer when it comes to safety management: in this event half of doctors noticed a positive effect, while 5% detected a negative effect.
The questions relating to patient safety and Critical Incident Reporting Systems (CIRS) showed that less than half of respondents had any experience of an error reporting system. The best known CIRS was www.jeder-fehler-zaehlt.de with an awareness level of 22%.
Source: Stiftung Gesundheit
23.08.2010
Not only in one Institute but also "in one boat"!
Two wins at the "EURO Masters Regatta" in Munich
We should like to sincerely congratulate Gisela Taeuber and Dr. Jutta Will on their excellent performance at the "EURO Masters Regatta" in Munich. Almost 4,000 participants from 25 nations took part in this major sporting event.
Gisela Taeuber and her team-mates succeeded in achieving first place in the women's quadruple sculls, while Dr. Jutta Will and her team-mates were first to arrive at the finishing line in the mixed quadruple sculls B.
A special highlight: Gisela Taeuber and Dr. Jutta Will also teamed up "in one boat" and succeeding in achieving third place in the mixed quadruple sculls A.
09.08.2010
W3 professorship in General Practice
At the University of Goettingen a vacant W3 professorship is to be filled (successor for Professor Michael Kochen, MPH, FRCGP). The position has been advertised in "Deutsches Ärzteblatt" [PDF]. It is hoped that the successful candidate can assume the new position as of April 1, 2011.
13.07.2010
Prof. Gerlach reappointed to German Advisory Council on Health
Federal Minister Dr. Philipp Rösler has appointed Professor Ferdinand Gerlach to the newly constituted German Advisory Council on the Assessment of Developments in the Health Care System. The new allocation of members was presented in Berlin on July 13. This interdisciplinary council of experts has seven members and is the most prestigious advisory body in the German health care system. Prof. Dr. med. Ferdinand M. Gerlach, MPH, has been a member of the council since 2007. The mission of the seven "wise men" is to analyze healthcare developments including their medical and economic repercussions and to make suggestions on expected further developments. For this purpose, the German government's experts write a report every two years that is then presented to the Upper and Lower Houses of Parliament. The most recent special report entitled "Coordination and Integration - Medical Care in an Ageing Society" was widely acclaimed and included far-reaching recommendations on further developments in the content and structure of health care.
University of Frankfurt press release (in German) [PDF]
German Federal Ministry of Health press release (in German) [PDF]
German Advisory Council on Health homepage [Link]
21.06.2010
W3 professorship in General Practice
At the University of Duesseldorf a vacant W3 professorship is to be filled (successor for Professor Abholz). The position has been advertised in "Die Zeit" [PDF] and in "Deutsches Ärzteblatt" [PDF]. It is hoped that the successful candidate can assume the new position in the winter term of 2011.
28.05.2010
Prof. Dr. med. Andrea Siebenhofer-Kroitzsch's inaugural lecture
On ups and downs in the life of a diabetic:
Glycaemic control and patient-relevant outcomes
University Hospital, Frankfurt am Main at 5:30 pm on Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Invitation [PDF]
20.05.2010
Workshop: Critical medical journalism - Evidence-based medicine as the basis for reporting on health issues
No one is more aware of it than they are: Health journalists are showered with information on the latest drugs, diagnoses and therapies on a daily basis, but very few of these news releases stand up to close scrutiny. The line between a press announcement and critical journalism is a thin one, and the search for facts is often difficult and time-consuming.
On June 25-26, 2010, the Institute for General Practice at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Hospital and the well-known German health journalist Klaus Koch (Die Zeit, Süddeutsche Zeitung, co-author of the book "The cancer prevention myth") have jointly organized a workshop entitled "Critical health journalism - Evidence-based medicine as the basis for reporting on health issues".
You can find further details (in German)here! [PDF]
12.05.2010
Error reporting system for dental practices
Every tooth counts! This is the name of a new and independent error reporting and learning system for dental practices, dental clinics and dental technicians that our team is working closely on and that is to be launched in November 2010. Similar to our own "Every error counts", the system enables experiences of unfortunate situations in dental treatment to be shared anonymously on the internet. [Press in German]
11.05.2010
LINNEAUS-EURO-PC Project to hold international conference on patient safety in primary care in Manchester in October 2010
The LINNEAUS-EURO-PC Project (Learning from InterNational Networks about Errors And Understanding Safety in Primary Care), in which a working group from the Frankfurt Institute for General Practice is involved, is organizing an international invitational conference on patient safety in primary care, to take place in Manchester on October 19-20, 2010. One hundred delegates from the 25 EU countries will be invited to the event. The aim of the conference is to gather the expertise of the members of the LINNEAUS network in questions related to the improvement of patient safety and to pass it on to those working in other primary care professions.
There will be practice-related seminars in which participants learn how to assess the safety culture in medical practices, pharmacies and other primary care organizations and how to raise patient involvement. The seminar on setting up error reporting systems will be prepared by Dr. Barbara Hoffmann, head of patient safety at our institute. Further topics include learning about adverse events and how to develop methods to avoid making errors.
Participants have neither to pay a conference fee, nor cover the costs of travel and accommodation. Four delegates from each EU country will participate. You can find further information here:
Flyer zur Konferenz
03.05.2010
New General Practice Professorship in Greifswald
A newly created and unfilled W3 Professorship in General Practice at the Institute for Community Medicine has been created in the Medical Faculty of the University Hospital belonging to the Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University in Greifswald. The closing date for applications is June 4, 2010. Official announcement [PDF]
03.05.2010
Eighth Hesse 'General Practitioner's Day' in Frankfurt on June 19, 2010
This year's Hesse 'General Practitioner's Day' will take place on Goethe University's Westend Campus in Frankfurt am Main on June 19, 2010. In addition to training opportunities for the entire practice team and preliminary information on the new contracts on family-practice-based healthcare, this year's event will focus on the future of family medicine.
Programme and further details [PDF]
03.05.2010
3rd Frankfurt General Practice Day
High quality training for family practice
Under the guidance of Professor Ferdinand Gerlach, a real training highlight took place at the Goethe University's Institute for General Practice on April 24th. With the Frankfurt General Practice Day, the Institute has created a forum for highly motivated family doctors and their employees that is independent of both industry and associations and is very popular among GPs and their staff. This year there was even more of a rush to register than the last two years: 250 participants took part in 30 interactive workshops. This year's General Practice Day showed once again that there is great need for independent hands-on training for family doctors and their teams [mehr]
02.03.2010
Lecture by Prof. Allen Dietrich
"Primary Depression Care - Bridging the Gaps"
At 6:00 pm on Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Location: Institute for General Practice
House 10 C, Seminar room (1st floor)
Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main
Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt am Main
Please call 069-6301-6099 for further information. (Dr. Juliana Petersen)
16.02.2010
We grieve for our teaching physician Dr. Peter Klinger
We heard with great dismay about the death of our colleague Dr. med. Peter Klinger. Dr. Klinger has been a dedicated assistant lecturer at the Frankfurt Institute for General Practice for more than 25 years.
Dr. Klinger participated in the practical training of our students with great enthusiasm and went out of his way to support young students of general practice. With the loss of Dr. Klinger we are losing a committed assistant lecturer who took his assignment to train our young colleagues very seriously.
We will miss Dr. Klinger, not only as an assistant lecturer but also as a fellow human being.
At this time, our sympathies go especially to his family and his practice team, but also to his many patients, for whom he has been a trusted and reliable family doctor for decades.
13.02.2010
We are looking for a Team assistant / Personal secretary
Full-time and to begin as soon as possible.
We are offering an unlimited position in the civil service, regular (but if you wish also flexible) working hours, and a wide range of tasks in a learning environment with a good working atmosphere. You will be part of a highly motivated, interdisciplinary team and be able to contribute to the further development of the Institute and your own occupational area. [more information in German]
20.01.2010
We have vacancies for several full- or part-time research assistants in the first half of 2010!
We are looking to fill a number of positions for an initial term of 12 to 24 months and with the option of a contract extension. We offer exciting, future-oriented work on various innovative projects in the fields of patient safety and error reporting systems, multimedication and multimorbidity, family doctor-oriented medical care models, as well as a Graduate Academy for all areas of general practice. [more in German]
18.01.2010
3rd Frankfurt General Practice Day
The Frankfurt General Practice Day is a forum for highly motivated family doctors and their employees that is independent of both industry and associations. All GPs and their staff from practices in the region that cooperate with the Institute for General Practice in teaching and research or are interested in doing so may participate.
24.11.2009
GMA Poster Prize
At this year's congress of the GMA (German Society for Medical Education), a poster prepared by the teaching team won the prize for best poster.
The subject of the poster was "Is male communication competence underrated?" The area under discussion was gender aspects in the communication behaviour of medical students in examinations on medical history taking and conducting medical interviews.
Poster (in German) [PDF]
01.10.2009
Every Error Counts celebrates fifth anniversary
We are pleased to announce that Jeder-Fehler-zaehlt.de (Every Error Counts) is currently celebrating its fifth anniversary. At the end of September 2004, our system went online and became the first and up to now the only German-language error reporting and learning system for family practices.
In the meantime, more than 360 error reports, over 400 discussion contributions, and 1,850 commentaries are online and the system has 425 subscribers who receive the "error of the month" per monthly eMail.
The number of users has risen continuously throughout the five year period and the Every-Error-Counts webpages are now called up an average of 10,000 times a month. At peak times, this figure rises to as often as 40,000 times a month.
30.09.2009
AQUA-Institute awarded European Health Award 2009 for EPA
Our cooperation partner, the Institute for Applied Quality Promotion and Research in Healthcare (AQUA), based in Goettingen, Germany, has been awarded this year's "European Health Award". The renowned prize can be likened to a healthcare "Oscar". It was awarded for "European Practice Assessment" (EPA), a quality management system for family doctors that was the winner at this year's international competition for the European Health Award. The highly respected prize is awarded annually for cross-border initiatives in the field of health care in the European Union. The awards ceremony took place in Bad Gastein, Austria, on September 30.
28.09.2009
Symposium "GP-based medical care - Appraisal & Prospects" in Berlin on October 7th
Germany's healthcare system is facing significant challenges. The general public is focussing more than ever on GP-based medical care as a mainstay for the provision of healthcare for the general population. The statutory health insurer AOK Baden-Wuerttemberg, the German Association of General Practitioners and the German Society of General Practice and Family Medicine (DEGAM) are therefore extending an invitation to a Symposium entitled "GP-based Medical Care - Appraisal and Prospects" to take place in the Catholic Academy in Berlin at 2 pm on October 7. Participants will receive an overview of the scientific and political conditions determining the future of GP-based medical care. Afterwards they will have the chance to discuss opportunities to promote quality and cost effectiveness by means of selective contracts with representatives from the fields of science and medicine. Invitation [PDF] and Fax reply form (in German) [PDF] 28.09.2009
Seventh German nationwide meeting of health care assistants in Regensburg
This year, the seventh nationwide Federal German meeting of health care assistants took place in Regensburg on 18.09.09. The event was organized by the Frankfurt Academy for Clinical Research at the Goethe University Hospital in cooperation with the Centre for Clinical Studies at the University Hospital in Regensburg.
Health care assistants from all over Germany gathered at this two-day congress to catch up on the latest and future developments in the field of clinical research. In addition to subjects like "Quality of Life as an Indicator in Clinical Trials", or "Patient-centred research in Surgery" the Institute for General Practice was invited to give an account of "Every Error Counts - Dealing with Errors in Medicine".
Dr. Barbara Hoffmann, a doctor, scientific officer and head of the work area "Patient Safety" and her assistant Vera Müller were pleased to accept the invitation and presented the projects www.jeder-fehler-zaehlt.de, safety culture in the family practice, and the Frankfurt patient safety matrix (FraTrix). The presentation was very well received by the organizers and in particular by the more than 300 participants for whom dealing with errors is a subject of major importance in their everyday work in the field of medical care. Moreover, many participants could spontaneously imagine using such an error reporting system in clinical research. The event also profited from the fact that representatives that were not active in the fields of clinical research gave welcome presentations on their work.
Presentation (in German) [PDF]
21.09.2009
Dresden Institute of Technology seeks to fill professorship in General Practice
A vacant General Practice professorship at the Medical Faculty and Carl Gustav Carus University Hospital of the Dresden Institute of Technology is to be filled as soon as possible. The main aim of the professorship is to represent the field of General Practice in medical teaching and in continuing education for medical specialists. A special commitment to the Dresden model of problem-oriented learning, to academic self management and to cooperating with teaching practices and the University Hospital's medical treatment centre is essential [mehr].
11.08.2009
Quality in Focus - Symposium in Berlin on September 9th
For around the last two decades, the demand for better quality has increasingly dominated debates on the organization of medical care. Although much progress has been made, a practised "quality culture" is often far from being reached. Why this is the case and what can be done to ensure the idea of quality is really practised was the subject of a symposium organized by the Praxissiegel foundation that took place in Berlin on September 9, 2009.
Invitation with further information (in German) [PDF].
17.07.2009
Quality of medical care for chronically ill participants in disease management programs
Scientists from seven countries are working on the new EU project DISMEVAL in order to develop reliable methods to answer the question whether chronically ill patients enrolled in Disease Management Programs receive better medical care than others. DISMEVAL stands for "Developing and validating disease management evaluation methods for European healthcare systems". Along with research groups from the UK, the Netherlands, Spain, Austria, France and Denmark, the Institute for General Practice at the Goethe University in Frankfurt is studying various ways of evaluating Disease Management Programs (DMP). The European Commission is sponsoring the project with a total of €2.65 million [mehr].
03.07.2009
German Advisory Council calls to strengthen family medicine
The German Advisory Council on the Assessment of Developments in the Health Care System submitted a special report entitled "Coordination and Integration - Medical Care in an Aging Society" to the Federal government on June 30. The long and short versions, as well as current press releases and a number of supplements are available (in German) for download here.
As one of the government's healthcare experts, Professor Gerlach worked on the report which includes a wide variety of text passages on General Practice and the future of family practice-based medical care that are substantially more comprehensive than was the case in previous reports.
As the long version has around 900 pages you can find a number of references directing you to passages that are of particular interest from the point of view of General Practice and Family Medicine (in German) [mehr].
In our media review, you can find a small selection of the many media reports (in German) Pressespiegel.
03.07.2009
German Research Award for General Practice 2009
Closing date for submissions: 17.07.2009
The Dr. Lothar Beyer-Foundation at the German Institute for General Practice is offering the German Research Prize for General Practice 2009 with the support of the German Society of General Practice and Family Medicine (DEGAM). This year's subject is "Contributions to Healthcare Research in General Practice".
22.06.2009
DEGAM sets up new HQ in Frankfurt
In order to be in a better position to support both members and the honorary steering committee, the German Society of General Practice and Family Medicine has set up a new headquarters in rented premises at the Institute for General Practice in Frankfurt am Main. Prof. Dr. med. Ferdinand Gerlach is Vice-President of the medical association.
Managing Director Edmund Fröhlich and his assistant Nadja Walther can be reached by telephone on 069/65007245, or by eMail geschaeftsstelle@degam.de. Dr. med. Isabelle Otterbach will remain press officer. Office opening hours are Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 9 am to 1 pm and Wednesday from 1 pm to 4 pm. Further information can be found under www.degam.de
10.06.2009
Third Frankfurt General Practice Day 2010
Following the great success of the Second Frankfurt General Practice Day, a Third Frankfurt General Practice Day will take place on April 24, 2010.
In 2009, as in the previous year, our concept of the "Frankfurt General Practice Day" as a forum for interested family practices which is independent of both industry and associations proved very popular. We would like to thank family practice teams for their praise and will ensure their constructive criticism is taken into account when we plan the 2010 event. One third of the workshops in 2010 will again be for family doctors, one third for the whole of the practice team and one third for practice staff, excluding the doctors. Further details will be published here in the coming months.
Looking back at the Second Frankfurt General Practice Day 2009 [link].
14.05.2009
Patient safety culture in the family practice
Investigation of the impact of the Frankfurt patient safety matrix (FraTrix) on the improvement of the patient safety culture in German family practices
In autumn a new study is being launched on patient safety at the Institute for General Practice in Frankfurt. Following a number of projects that examined the safety of pharmaceutical therapies, it is now the safety culture in family practices that will be at the centre of the research project. The Frankfurt patient safety matrix (FraTrix) that was developed at the Institute has already passed the test at 20 family practices and an investigation is now underway to investigate to what extent it is able to change the safety culture in the practice. [mehr]
14.05.2009
First German Institute for patient safety launched
The patient safety action alliance (APS) has been working hard to achieve continuous improvements in patient safety in Germany since 2005. More than 100 organizations from the fields of German medical care and health economics are now members of APS. On May 8, 2009, the first German Institute for Patient Safety celebrated its inauguration at the University of Bonn.
The Institute became operational in January this year and in the near future an endowed professorship with responsibility for managing the Institute will be filled. Financing for the Institute has been secured for the next five years, with the funds coming from donations (from the Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main, as well as the AOK statutory health insurance fund, the German Medical Association, hospital sponsors and clinic associations) and contributions from the German Ministry of Health.
The Institute plans to focus on the following areas:
- Implementation and evaluation of APS recommendations
- Patient safety indicators
- Safety culture
- Measuring instruments for patient safety
- Survey of risk management in German hospitals
You can find out more information about the patient safety action alliance here (in German). [link]
09.05.2009
2nd Frankfurt General Practice Day
Like last year, our concept of the "Frankfurt General Practice Day" as a forum for interested family practices which is independent of both industry and associations proved very popular. Selected practising doctors and their staff were invited to participate in a total of 24 interactive workshops. You can find more detailed information here (in German) [mehr]. [mehr].
06.04.2009
Frankfurt continuous education program: Train-The-Teacher in EbM 2009
Once again, the Frankfurt continuous education program in evidence-based medicine will be provided by our EbM working group this year:
- Basic training course in evidence-based medicine, Sa 3rd - So 4th October, 2009
- Advanced training course in evidence-based medicine, Sa 14th - So 15th November, 2009
- Didactics training course in evidence-based medicine, Sa 28th - So 29th November, 2009
The advanced training course and the didactics training course comprise the Train-The-Teacher Course [PDF].
23.02.2009
We are in mourning for our teaching physician Dr Ronald D. Waehner
It was with great dismay that we heard about the sudden death of our colleague Dr. Ronald D. Waehner. For many years he had been a dedicated teaching physician at the Frankfurt Institute for General Practice.
Dr. Waehner played an active role in the practical training of our students and applied himself with great verve to promoting the development of young doctors in family medicine. With our colleague Mr. Waehner we are losing a committed and competent teaching physician who took his profession and the task of training young colleagues very seriously. Apart from his practical teaching assignments, he regularly participated in our teaching physician meetings which he enriched with his constructive contributions to our discussions.
With our colleague Dr. Waehner we are losing someone whom we will miss, not only as a teaching physician but also as a person.
We offer our condolences in particular to his family, his practice team and the many patients for whom he was a reliable and trustworthy general practitioner over several decades.
18.02.2009
Major broadcasting company makes television report in Institute for General Practice
On February 16, 2009, a camera team from the major German broadcasting company Hessische Rundfunk televised a seminar for fifth-year students entitled "Participative Decision Making" at our Institute. By practising with patient simulators, students that take part in this seminar are introduced to a special medical interview technique: through questions and prioritization, doctors and patients jointly decide on and take responsibility for a therapy option. This medical interview technique results in higher compliance (therapy adherence) because patients are better informed and actively participate in the decision making process. The television report was broadcast at 9 pm on March 4 as part of the popular "Alles Wissen!" program (It's all knowledge!).
11.02.2009
2nd Frankfurt General Practice Day on May 9, 2009
"Frankfurt General Practice Day" is a forum for interested family doctors and their practice teams that is independent of both industry and associations. All family doctors and their staff that come from the region and either cooperate in teaching and research with the Institute for General Practice or are interested in doing so are welcome to participate.
Programm (in German)[PDF]
Registration form (in German) [PDF]
11.02.2009
Every error counts website
Mission: house calls
The error reports that have been submitted to our error reporting system "jeder-fehler-zaehlt.de" involving house calls show how complex the demands made on doctors and sometimes the situations in which they find themselves can be.
We have divided the subject up into four areas and will release information on one of these every two weeks:
- Indication/triage
- Preparation
- Follow-up/Documentation (from March 4, 2009)
- Situational problems on site (from March 18, 2009)
In accordance with our motto "You don't have to make every mistake yourself in order to learn from it - every error counts!" we hope to receive many instructive error reports and contributions to the discussion on the subject of home visits.
03.12.2008
New field of work for the Institute for General Practice
It all started with the Primary Care International Study on Medical Errors (PCISME). Patient safety has been an area of special focus for the Institute for General Practice for more than five years and is increasingly attracting the attention of the general public. There are now numerous activities and initiatives on the subject in Germany, e.g. on the safety of drug therapies, in error reporting and risk management systems, on the prevention of medical intervention errors, and on patient safety culture. The Institute also operates jeder-fehler-zaehlt.de, the oldest internet-based error reporting system in Germany, and at the same time is currently conducting a pilot study on patient safety culture, and concluding two projects on medication safety. The patient safety work area is now an independent research area led by Dr. Barbara Hoffmann, who has been at the Institute since 2005, was initially responsible for jeder-fehler-zaehlt.de and is now project leader of the safety culture study.
The previous work area "Quality promotion and patient safety" managed by Dipl.-Soz. Martin Beyer is being strategically realigned and is now entitled "Quality promotion and concept development". In addition to the projects on a documentation system for medical quality circles, on guideline development and on the focus of disease management programs in general practice, it now concentrates increasingly on concept development, for example in the fields of multimorbidity in primary care, on multimedication and on practice organization.