Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care
The Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG), based in Germany, is an independent scientific institute that investigates the benefits and harms of medical interventions for patients. They regularly provide information about the potential advantages and disadvantages of different diagnostic and therapeutic interventions.
Since 2004 IQWiG has been responsible for examining objectively the advantages and disadvantages of medical services for patients in Germany.
The Institute produces independent, evidence-based reports on:
- drugs
- non-drug interventions (e.g. surgical procedures)
- methods for diagnosing and screening
- treatment guidelines (CPGs) and disease management programmes (DMPs)
In addition IQWiG provides easily understandable health information for patients and the general community.
Completed projects:
- Positron emission tomography (PET) in Alzheimer's disease
- Screening for visual impairment in children (executive summary)
- Neonatal screening for early detection of hearing impairment
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Positron emission tomography (PET) in high-grade malignant glioma (grades III and IV) (executive summary)
- Ultrasound screening in pregnancy - test quality with regard to the detection rates of foetal abnormalities (executive summary)
- Positron emission tomography (PET) in malignant melanoma
- Positron emission tomography (PET) in bone and soft tissue tumors (executive summary)
- Positron emission tomography (PET) in oesophagus cancer
- Positron emission tomography (PET) in ovarian cancer (executive summary)
- Assessment of the benefit of screening in persons aged under 55 years with a risk of familial bowel cancer
- Evaluation of the content of evidence-based guidelines on preoperative diagnostics - rapid report