Team leader: Thomas Semlitsch
Focus: The research focus is on the systematic analysis of medical issues using established methods of evidence-based medicine in the form of health technology assessments, systematic reviews or guideline synopses. This subsequently serves as the basis for the creation of health information or clinical treatment pathways, among other things.
Networking: Our team works closely with the General Practice and Teaching team and the Health Services Research team within the institute. We also work with the Institute of Medical Informatics, Statistics and Documentation and the Clinical Department of Endocrinology and Diabetology at the Department of Internal Medicine. Furthermore, our team has national and international co-operations (e.g. Danube University Krems, UMIT Tyrol, Austrian Institute for Health Technology Assessment (AIHTA) Vienna, Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) Cologne, Germany).
After the Choosing Wisely Initiative (CWI) was founded in the US in 2009 with the goal of reducing unnecessary or harmful medical services (www.choosingwisely.org), this initiative has now spread worldwide. As part of the CWI, various medical associations create so-called Top 5 lists, i.e. lists of five therapeutic measures, tests, or services in their field that are used too frequently (lack of evidence of effectiveness, side effects, etc.) and should therefore be questioned by patients and physicians. The aim of the initiative is to increase the effectiveness of healthcare and reduce potential harm to patients. In a planned merger of Austrian medical societies and institutions focusing on evidence-based medicine, this quality initiative is now to be established in Austria under the title Gemeinsam Gut Entscheiden (Deciding Together for the Common Good).
The goals of Gemeinsam Gut Entscheiden are:
In cooperation with Danube University Krems and Cochrane Austria, top lists for the respective specialist areas are being compiled together with Austrian professional associations. In addition, evidence-based information on the respective recommendations is being produced for laypeople. Measures are also being taken to raise awareness of the initiative among the public and stakeholders. Activities to disseminate the top lists and evidence-based information for laypeople are being carried out.
The project is being carried out on behalf of the Styrian Health Fund, the Lower Austrian Health Fund, and the Austrian Health Insurance Fund.
Project duration: May 2019 to May 2025
Further information is available on the homepage.
In 2016, the nephrological awareness program “niere.schützen” (protect your kidneys) was introduced in Styria. The aim of the program is to detect chronic kidney disease at an early stage in high-risk patients and to take diagnostic and progression-delaying measures. The implementation of “niere.schützen” was primarily intended to take place in general practitioners' offices, for which we had evaluated motivating and inhibiting factors in a previous project.
The “niere.schützen 2.0” project now aims to make this awareness program more attractive. Another goal is to describe the program participants in terms of demographics and follow-up of various process parameters. The results from the patient screening and baseline survey are already available. The results report can be found here.
If you have any further questions about the project, please send an email to niere.schuetzen(at)medunigraz.at
The “niere.schützen 2.0” project is being carried out in cooperation with the Clinical Department of Nephrology (Medical University of Graz) and the Institute for Medical Informatics, Statistics and Documentation (Medical University of Graz) on behalf of the Styrian Health Fund and the Austrian Health Insurance Fund.
Project duration: July 2019 to December 2024
