[A method for systematic internal quality assurance in surgery].

Between April 1993 and December 1996, the data of 3183 patients were recorded and analyzed in a program for internal quality assurance at the Department of General and Abdominal Surgery of the University of Mainz. The measuring of perioperative risk, the finding of intraoperative influences and the objective rating of quality of treatment were achieved by means of eight different operation-specific documentation sheets and the data records of the operation theater. With our system it is possible to measure differences between several surgeons and also differences in comparison to national and international results. By means of prospective collection of patient data and the built-in control mechanisms we obtain a lot of exact and nearly complete data. The information gained not only reflects the performance of a department, but can also be used as an instrument for the planning of work and deduction. Through optimized therapy the program can lead to an improvement of quality.