Award for high reliability in medicine and care 2024 presented
Berlin/Detmold. On 7 November 2024, the Ecclesia Group and Gesundheitsstadt Berlin e.V. presented the HRO Award (High Reliability Organization) at the 18th National Healthcare Quality Congress in Berlin. The award recognizes outstanding organizations that contribute to patient safety through maximum reliability and continuous optimization. This year's awards went to:
- Clinic for Nuclear Medicine at the Kiel Campus of the University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH)
- DRF Stiftung Luftrettung gem. AG, Filderstadt
- Munich Rescue Association (RZV)
The award winners and their projects
The award-winning teams work directly with patients and are committed to the highest safety and quality standards. They rely on continuous training and finely tuned process optimization.
The Kiel clinic's medical activities focus on highly complex and risky procedures involving radioactive substances and nuclear physical methods. To maximize patient safety, the clinic has prioritized quality management according to HRO principles. These include the SHARE TO CARE program, which anchors shared decision making (SDM) as a standard in doctor-patient communication. Prof. Dr. Friedemann Geiger, head of the National Competence Center for Shared Decision Making at the UKSH, explains: “SDM ensures joint decision-making between doctor and patient and influences all clinical processes towards a highly reliable organization.” The program improves the quality of therapy decisions and creates optimal conditions for safe therapy implementation. “Ten hospitals are already following the example of Kiel's nuclear medicine,” Geiger continues. He hopes that the program's award will further strengthen patient safety and that it will be copied by others.
The data-based risk management of the DRF Luftrettung air rescue service is also characterized by exemplary safety standards. In addition to reports from the Critical Incident Reporting System (CIRS), all relevant internal company data - for example from medical technology or IT - is integrated into the risk management system in order to identify and evaluate possible risks in patient care at an early stage. “Every problem starts small. It is precisely at this early stage that small difficulties offer the best opportunity for correction,” says Florian Kramer, safety and crisis management officer at the DRF. With the award, Kramer wants to raise awareness of the DRF's HRO approach and show other organizations what is possible through consistent risk management. ”The HRO Award is a valuable opportunity for professional exchange. We all benefit from the transfer of knowledge and together we increase patient safety.”
The Munich Rescue Association received an award for its use of a mobile CT scanner at the Munich Oktoberfest – a project that is unique worldwide. Every year, up to 8,000 patients are treated on the festival grounds, many of whom require computed tomography (CT) scans due to minor head injuries. “The mobile CT deployment at a festival is the first of its kind worldwide. It helps to relieve the emergency services and improve patient care on site,” explains Prof. Dr. Viktoria Bogner-Flatz, Medical Director of the Munich Rescue Service. ‘The CT has significantly improved medical care during the Oktoberfest and is being successfully continued.’ She emphasizes how important it is ”to make this innovation visible with the award.”
Why an HRO Award?
The statements of the award winners are in line with those of the initiators of the award. “A focus on patient well-being is the foundation of modern and safe medical healthcare. A systemic view and optimization of medical and organizational procedures, as well as the safety of all employees involved in the treatment process, are of the utmost importance,” explains Dr. med. “With the HRO Award, we recognize organizations that are leading the way in this area,” adds Dr. Peter Gausmann, patient safety management expert at the Ecclesia Group. ”The 24 applications we received in 2024 already meet the requirements of the WHO Global Patient Safety Action Plan for this decade.”
For Jochen Körner, CEO of the Ecclesia Group, the HRO Award is not just a way of drawing attention to the issue of patient safety. The prize also underscores the relevance of the company's own services in the field of risk prevention and risk consulting in healthcare. “We provide insurance coverage and risk management for more than half of all German hospitals. For us, prevention and comprehensive advice are our top priorities – going beyond mere insurance coverage.” The Ecclesia Group's goal is to minimize risks before they arise. “With the HRO Award, we are creating visibility for projects that promote patient safety and providing other institutions with valuable impetus to further improve care.”
About Gesundheitsstadt Berlin e.V.
For 20 years, Gesundheitsstadt Berlin has been the leading platform for healthcare in the capital region. Gesundheitsstadt Berlin organizes working groups, forums, congresses and medical symposia and implements publicly funded research projects. Gesundheitsstadt Berlin promotes and shapes Berlin and the capital region as a leading center of health care, health science and health services in the capital region. Its approximately 170 members include hospitals, care facilities, welfare and social organizations, health insurance companies, companies, start-ups and individuals.
If you have any questions, please contact:
Dr. Peter Gausmann
Clinical Risk Management and Patient Safety Expert at the Ecclesia Group and Chairman of the HRO Award Jury
Ecclesiastraße 1 – 4
32758 Detmold
Telephone +49 5231 603-312
Telefax +49 5231 603-60312
peter.gausmann(at)ecclesia-gruppe(dot)de
Jessica Scharf
Corporate Communications Ecclesia Group
Ecclesiastraße 1 – 4
32758 Detmold
Telephone +49 5231 603-225
Telefax +49 5231 603-60225
jessica.scharf(at)ecclesia-gruppe(dot)de
www.ecclesia-gruppe.de