AEZQ initiated several quality programs for the German healthcare system: It established the German Program for
evidence based medical guidelines in the late 90s. Based upon guideline standards from the
Scottish Intercollegiate Guideline Network and referring to experiences from the
National Guideline Clearinghouse in the US, the agency founded a German Guideline
Clearinghouse aiming at best practice in guideline production. In 1998 AEZQ was co-founder of the
German Network for Evidence Based Medicine. The organization established the German Clearinghouse for
Patient Information in order to promote scientifically based
shared decision making in 1999. In 2002, the agency set up the National Program for Disease Management Guidelines. The development of reliable and consumer information is integral part of this guideline program. AEZQ was co-founder of the
Guidelines International Network in 2002 - under the leadership of
Günter Ollenschläger, collaborating with other national healthcare quality agencies like the US
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the UK
National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, the Australian
National Health and Medical Research Council. In the field of
patient safety AEZQ was one of the first German organisations calling for effective patient safety programs. The agency was co-founder of the
German Coalition for Patient Safety. AEZQ established a national web of
Critical Incident Reporting Systems. The institution is partner of the international
High 5 Project. In 2010 the agency set up a
Digital Library for physicians and other interested health professionals and lays - the German Medical eLibrary (www.arztbibliothek.de) - for reinforcement of reliable and unbiased
knowledge management in healthcare. AEZQ entertained the administrative offices of the
Guidelines International Network, and of the
German Network for Evidence Based Medicine until 2013. It hosts the editorial office of the
German Journal for Evidence and Quality in Healthcare. ==References==