"Quality is an obligation for us"  

As a private clinic, you are not obliged to be certified. Why did you undergo this audit anyway?

Carsten Ritterrath: We have had ourselves certified because we are convinced that we can continue to systematically improve the quality of our work in the future with the help of a quality management system in accordance with DIN EN ISO 9001:2015. Ultimately, this benefits the safety and well-being of our patients. We also want to send a signal to our attending physicians and funding organisations that the PAN Clinic will continue to be a competent partner for the highest quality standards in the future. Admittedly, we also hope that this will ensure the economic survival of the clinic.

But isn't this also possible without a quality seal?
What do your patients get out of it?

Carsten Ritterrath: Of course, this is also possible without a quality seal - and so far, we have been able to prove to our patients that the PAN Clinic's range of services and benefits is very different. However, with the introduction of the quality management system in accordance with DIN ISO 9001:2015, all employees, from reception staff to management, are obliged to behave in accordance with defined rules and guidelines and to prove this through mutual internal control mechanisms. The endeavour to improve is thus systematised and made easier for everyone.

What do these control mechanisms look like?

Carsten Ritterrath: As Managing Director, one of the things I have committed myself to with the introduction of the QM system - in addition to many other areas of responsibility - is to make certain funds and resources available for training measures in future. From now on, every employee will be included in an individual training plan that meets their needs so that they can continue to master the increasingly complex tasks in the future. My employees can and should be able to check this at any time and, if necessary, demand it if there is a discrepancy between the plan and reality. Here, a QM system ensures greater transparency and co-operative co-determination.
Conversely, every employee undertakes to document each of their work processes, to subject them to continuous improvement and to act accordingly. They can review their actions at any time in our handbook. Sources of error are thus largely avoided in future.
All of this is constantly monitored internally, which in technical jargon is called an "audit". For example, an operating theatre employee audits the handling of medication on the ward, the ward nurse audits an administrative workflow and the administrative employee inspects the procurement process for the operating theatre department.
These audits are basically exercises for the external audit that takes place once a year and is carried out by the company LGA InterCert. And in future, we will have to prove every three years that we have actually earned the seal!

Isn't that a bit too much control? Don't the employees feel restricted here?

Carsten Ritterrath: On the contrary! In many conversations over the last few months, we have realised that employees are happy to work according to generally applicable rules. For example, if something doesn't go smoothly today, every employee knows exactly what to do. In the past, how a patient complaint was handled depended more on chance.
Today, this is precisely prescribed and has become second nature. Employees start looking for possible solutions as soon as they receive a complaint. Last but not least, each department learns to think outside the box and becomes an advisor to others, even though they may have no prior knowledge of the subject.
From the manager's point of view, I have noticed an enormous boost in motivation among employees. And I have also learnt a lot from my employees over the last few months.

It all sounds quite simple, doesn't it?

Carsten Ritterrath: Well, of course the process was not that simple. It is important that all employees are committed to common values and goals from the outset. This must then be reflected in the precise definition of the individual processes. This is very time-consuming and labour-intensive. In the end, it took almost two years. But it was worth it, especially for our patients, but also for the entire clinic. We are therefore very proud of our entire team.