6.2 Quality assurance

The opportunities and perspectives opened up in the field of hernia surgery by the establishment of the Herniamed quality assurance study are enormous. First, the data recorded in anonymized mannerserve as a basis for a national hernia register, which will make an important contribution to improving the standard of healthcare for the German population (this has been confirmed by scientific studies conducted in Scandinavia where alone through the introduction of a hernia register, the recurrence rate dropped considerably after inguinal hernia surgery). Second, if within the framework of the quality assurance study there is any suspicion of specific problems related to hernia operations – for example as regards the surgical method or materials used such as synthetic mesh – measures can be taken across all hospitals and improvements made. The insights provided by the study will in particular help compile and improve standardized guidelines, which serve as a benchmark for conductance of hernia surgical procedures in Germany.