Choosing a place of treatment can be a labyrinth and a challenge. The decision is not based only on the competence of healthcare workers or equipment, but involves a series of factors that shape the individual’s perception of the place itself. Online reviews, word of mouth and personal experiences play a crucial role in this decision-making process, but qualified information is difficult to obtain. This is why it is essential to have an authoritative guide capable of providing us with all the parameters.
Patients’ right to be informed by Noemi Penna 29 February 2024
Hospitals of excellence, Region by Region
With these assumptions, “Hospitals of Excellence 2024” was born, a guide to healthcare facilities in Italy drawn up by the German Institute of Quality and Finance which Salute as a media partner, in search of the highest quality of services provided by public and private hospital facilities in Italy. In a moment of vulnerability, due to an illness or the need for an operation or examination, the choice of place of treatment is even more crucial. That’s why on the portal Salute of the Gedi Group newspapers you will now find a section dedicated to hospitals of excellence in Italy, with a very useful “search” with which to navigate, region by region, in search of the best structure based on your needs, as well as editorial insights, news and interviews. In its first Italian edition, the survey examined the performance linked to six specialties: cardiology, urology, gastroenterology and orthopedics of the shoulder, hip and knee. In these pages you will find the first three disciplines, while the rankings of the three orthopedics will be published, again on these pages, next month.
February 23, 2024
Evaluate health services
The German Institute for Quality and Finance conducted this project to evaluate the quality of healthcare services, with the aim of offering a list of structures that stand out in the different disciplines under study, in patient services, in medical treatment, in scientific research and hygiene, as well as reputation. Therefore, 1,377 public and private healthcare facilities were examined, accredited in Italy on the basis of the “National Outcomes Programme” – developed by Agenas on behalf of the Ministry of Health – and a survey among hospital managers (not all of those included they responded in the survey and, obviously, the rankings refer only to those who sent back the completed questionnaire).
FactField Health has entrusted a board of opinion leaders with the preparation of this monitoring of the quality of services, in order to find information that is as representative as possible of the offer of a specific clinical area. And by combining this information with the degree of patient satisfaction, collected from public reporting in healthcare and internet ratings, a list of 100 hospitals was created, recommended by clinical area.
February 16, 2024
A long experience: from Germany to Italy
“In Germany, for 30 years, we have been publishing lists of hospital departments and clinics that have successfully specialized in the treatment of a disease. The annual study, which today covers more than 60 specialties, is the point of reference for the healthcare sector German and helps millions of patients find the best facilities and treatment,” he explains Christian Beeker, director of the German Institute of Quality and Finance, present in Italy since 2013 with the aim of guiding consumers and making markets and services more transparent. “We have not simply transferred the German experience to Italy, but we have adapted it in all its facets to your reality: the methodology and the questionnaires were edited by Italian specialists and a committee of Italian experts monitors their application”. From the perspective of the evolution of healthcare companies, the official Itqf seal “is a certification mark that presents itself as an excellent healthcare marketing tool available to facilities. Receiving it – concludes Bieker – means being representatives of a commitment towards excellence , which increases the attractiveness of the hospital and increases patient confidence.”
The German Institute for Quality and Finance conducts market research to analyze the economic and qualitative aspect of companies in different sectors. The aim is to create more transparency and comparability. It is no coincidence that 79% of Italians consider certification of products and services by an independent body to be important and 71% consider a quality seal as an added value. And it is important to underline that none of the places in the ranking have been sold: it is not possible to buy or guarantee a position in this ranking, precisely to offer readers maximum transparency and authority.