NCT Heidelberg receives certificate “self-care friendly hospital” / NCT patient advisory committee re-elected
Nowadays, self-care groups are an integral part of our healthcare system. Since 2011, a contract seals the close cooperation of the National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) Heidelberg with the Heidelberg office of self-care. The success of this longstanding cooperation has now been rewarded once more: for the third time, the NCT Heidelberg was awarded with the certificate “self-care friendly hospital” by the network “self-care and patient orientation in healthcare”. At the same time, The NCT patient advisory committee was reelected. The committee supports desires and concerns of patients at the NCT.
The NCT Heidelberg is a joint institution of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), the Heidelberg University Hospital and the German Cancer Aid.
Patients strengthen each other and gain confidence through self-care. Physicians and caregivers profit from the experience of self-care groups and are able to better support their patients in therapy. In order to incorporate self-care into the daily hospital routine, the National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) Heidelberg cooperates with the Heidelberg office of self-care since 2011. Together, they adjusted and implemented a concept of self-care friendliness for the NCT.
The success of the cooperation is sustainable: the oncological care of patients at the NCT and the University Hospital Heidelberg has now been rewarded as “self-care friendly” for the third time. Professor Dirk Jäger, Managing Director of medical oncology at the NCT, emphasizes the importance of self-care when he states: “self-care groups are an ideal addition to medical attention for patients of the NCT and the University Hospital Heidelberg, which often cannot be provided by physicians or caregivers.”
Every two years, the network of “self-care and patient orientation in healthcare” evaluates self-care friendly hospitals according to eight criteria. The necessary infrastructure, such as e.g. available rooms for meetings of self-care groups, is one of them. Furthermore, a self-care representative of the NCT is appointed and it has to be ensured that patients are being informed of self-care programs through medical staff as well as the implementation of self-care into public relations. Moreover, there are regular meetings of the NCT, interested self-care groups and the Heidelberg self-care contact office for informational purposes and the exchange of experience. The network of “self-care and patient orientation in healthcare” especially praised the quality-orientated and systemic cooperation of the NCT with the local oncological self-care groups.
Patient advisory committee re-elected for a term of two years
Through the cooperation between the NCT and the Heidelberg office of self-care, another project has been brought to life: the patient advisory committee. There are a total of six people in charge: four members of the oncological self-care and two patients of the NCT. The Heidelberg office of self-care coordinates and manages the patient advisory committee. It is important to me that the experience of self-care group members and the feedback of patients are taken seriously and the individual is situated at the center of our care, especially in a high-ranked institution, such as the NCT”, states Bärbel Handlos, Managing Director of the Heidelberg office of self-care.
The patient advisory committee is a neutral and independent partner for people affected. The committed wants to facilitate the process for patients of the NCT to bring forth questions and desires. The committee discusses proposals for improvement and incitements with the self-care representative of the NCT and the NCT executive board on a regular basis. It also develops measures to improve the communication between physicians, patients and caregivers and to optimize organizational processes.
Press Offices:
Dr. Friederike Fellenberg
Nationales Centrum für Tumorerkrankungen (NCT) Heidelberg
Press and Public Relations
Im Neuenheimer Feld 460
69120 Heidelberg
Germany
Tel.: +49 6221 56-5930
Fax: +49 6221 56-5350
E-Mail: friederike.fellenberg@nct-heidelberg.de
www.nct-heidelberg.de
Dr. Sybille Kohlstädt
Head of Press and Public Relations
German Cancer Research Center
Im Neuenheimer Feld 280
D-69120 Heidelberg
T: +49 6221 42 2843
F: +49 6221 42 2968
presse@dkfz.de
www.dkfz.de
Doris Rübsam-Brodkorb
Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg und Medizinische Fakultät der Universität Heidelberg
Press Officer and Head of Press and Public Relations
Im Neuenheimer Feld 672
69120 Heidelberg
Germany
Tel.: +49 6221 56-5052
Fax: +49 6221 56-4544
E-Mail: doris.ruebsam-brodkorb@med.uni-heidelberg.de
www.klinikum.uni-heidelberg.de
The National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) Heidelberg
The National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) Heidelberg is a joint institution of the German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg University Hospital and German Cancer Aid. The NCT's goal is to link promising approaches from cancer research with patient care from diagnosis to treatment, aftercare and prevention. The interdisciplinary tumor outpatient clinic is the central element of the NCT. Here the patients benefit from an individual treatment plan prepared in a timely manner in interdisciplinary expert rounds, the so-called tumor boards. Participation in clinical studies provides access to innovative therapies. The NCT thereby acts as a pioneering platform that translates novel research results from the laboratory into clinical practice. The NCT cooperates with self-help groups and supports them in their work. 2015 the NCT Heidelberg established a partner location in Dresden.
The German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ)
The German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) with its more than 3,000 employees is the largest biomedical research institute in Germany. At DKFZ, more than 1,000 scientists investigate how cancer develops, identify cancer risk factors and endeavor to find new strategies to prevent people from getting cancer. They develop novel approaches to make tumor diagnosis more precise and treatment of cancer patients more successful. The staff of the Cancer Information Service (KID) offers information about the widespread disease of cancer for patients, their families, and the general public. Jointly with Heidelberg University Hospital, DKFZ has established the National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) Heidelberg, where promising approaches from cancer research are translated into the clinic. In the German Consortium for Translational Cancer Research (DKTK), one of six German Centers for Health Research, DKFZ maintains translational centers at seven university partnering sites. Combining excellent university hospitals with high-profile research at a Helmholtz Center is an important contribution to improving the chances of cancer patients. DKFZ is a member of the Helmholtz Association of National Research Centers, with ninety percent of its funding coming from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the remaining ten percent from the State of Baden-Württemberg.
Heidelberg University Hospital and Medical Faculty Heidelberg
Health care, research and teaching of international standing
Heidelberg University Hospital is one of the most important medical centers in Germany; Heidelberg University's Medical Faculty is one of Europe's most prestigious biomedical research facilities. Their shared objective is the development of innovative diagnostics and treatments and their prompt implementation for the benefit of the patient. The hospital and faculty employ approximately 12 600 individuals and are involved in training and qualification. Every year approximately 66 000 patients are treated as inpatients or day patients in more than 50 specialized clinical departments with about 1 900 beds, with more than 1 million patients being treated as outpatients. The Heidelberg Curriculum Medicinale (HeiCuMed) is at the forefront of medical training in Germany. At present approx. 3500 prospective physicians are studying in Heidelberg.