TY - JOUR
T1 - Benefits and challenges in practice-oriented psychotherapy research in Germany
T2 - the TK and the QS-PSY-BAY projects of quality assurance in outpatient psychotherapy
AU - Strauss, Bernhard Michael
AU - Lutz, Wolfgang
AU - Steffanowski, Andres
AU - Wittmann, Werner W.
AU - Boehnke, Jan R.
AU - Rubel, Julian
AU - Scheidt, Carl E.
AU - Caspar, Franz
AU - Vogel, Heiner
AU - Altmann, Uwe
AU - Steyer, Rolf
AU - Zimmermann, Anna
AU - Bruckmayer, Ellen
AU - von Heymann, Friedrich
AU - Kramer, Dietmar
AU - Kirchmann, Helmut
PY - 2015
Y1 - 2015
N2 - OBJECTIVE: Two patient-focused long-term research projects performed in the German outpatient psychotherapy system are focused on in this article. The TK (Techniker Krankenkasse) project is the first study to evaluate a quality assurance and feedback system with regard to its practical feasibility in German routine care. The other study ("Quality Assurance in Outpatient Psychotherapy in Bavaria"; QS-PSY-BAY) was designed to test a new approach for quality assurance in outpatient psychotherapy using electronic documentation of patient characteristics and outcome parameters. In addition this project provides the opportunity to analyze data on health-related costs for the patients undergoing outpatient psychotherapy.METHOD: Both projects and their results indicating high effect sizes are briefly described.RESULTS: From the perspectives of the research teams, advisory boards and other stakeholders, the experiences with these projects are discussed focusing on obstacles, challenges, difficulties, and benefits in developing and implementing the studies. The triangle collaboration of therapists, researchers, and health insurance companies/health service institutions turned out to be fruitful in both studies.CONCLUSIONS: Despite some controversies between the partners the experiences indicate the importance of practiced-research collaborations to provide relevant information about the delivery of outpatient psychotherapy in the health system.
AB - OBJECTIVE: Two patient-focused long-term research projects performed in the German outpatient psychotherapy system are focused on in this article. The TK (Techniker Krankenkasse) project is the first study to evaluate a quality assurance and feedback system with regard to its practical feasibility in German routine care. The other study ("Quality Assurance in Outpatient Psychotherapy in Bavaria"; QS-PSY-BAY) was designed to test a new approach for quality assurance in outpatient psychotherapy using electronic documentation of patient characteristics and outcome parameters. In addition this project provides the opportunity to analyze data on health-related costs for the patients undergoing outpatient psychotherapy.METHOD: Both projects and their results indicating high effect sizes are briefly described.RESULTS: From the perspectives of the research teams, advisory boards and other stakeholders, the experiences with these projects are discussed focusing on obstacles, challenges, difficulties, and benefits in developing and implementing the studies. The triangle collaboration of therapists, researchers, and health insurance companies/health service institutions turned out to be fruitful in both studies.CONCLUSIONS: Despite some controversies between the partners the experiences indicate the importance of practiced-research collaborations to provide relevant information about the delivery of outpatient psychotherapy in the health system.
KW - Cooperative Behavior
KW - Germany
KW - Health Services Research
KW - Humans
KW - Outpatients
KW - Psychotherapy
KW - Quality Assurance, Health Care
KW - Journal Article
KW - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
U2 - 10.1080/10503307.2013.856046
DO - 10.1080/10503307.2013.856046
M3 - Article
C2 - 24295283
SN - 1050-3307
VL - 25
SP - 32
EP - 51
JO - Psychotherapy Research
JF - Psychotherapy Research
IS - 1
ER -