Two institutes: IQWiG and IQTIG

Photo of IQWiG logo on a sign

IQWiG and IQTIG both aim to improve the quality of health care in Germany. IQWiG is the “Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care” and IQTIG is the “Institute for Quality Assurance and Transparency in Health Care.” IQWiG assesses the benefits and harms of medications, for example. IQTIG looks into ways to measure the quality of health care in Germany, among other things.

The German names of these institutes don’t exactly roll off the tongue: “Institut für Qualität und Wirtschaftlichkeit im Gesundheitswesen” (IQWiG) and “Institut für Qualitätssicherung und Transparenz im Gesundheitswesen” (IQTIG) are more like tongue-twisters and sound pretty similar at first. But they’re actually two separate, independent scientific institutes that fulfill important tasks in the German healthcare system, and have a legal duty to do so. They have different focuses:

  • IQWiG mainly assesses the benefits and risks of medical interventions, such as treatment with medications or surgical procedures.
  • IQTIG's main task is to assess the quality of health care in medical practices and hospitals in Germany.

The two institutes do research in these areas to provide a sound scientific basis for decisions that are made in the German public health sector. Their scientific findings are taken into account when deciding, for example, which medical services should be paid for by public (statutory) health insurers and how the quality of healthcare provision can be improved.

IQWiG is also the author of our website (InformedHealth.org), which is the English version of the German website gesundheitsinformation.de. With the help of these websites, IQWiG aims to fulfill its legal duty to provide all German citizens with health information that is easy to understand and scientifically sound.

What does IQWiG do?

The name already gives it away: The Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care aims to help achieve high-quality and cost-effective health care in Germany. It does this by assessing the benefits of medical interventions. For example, does a treatment relieve symptoms, make an illness go away sooner, improve quality of life or help people to live longer? But the potential harms are just as important: How common are side effects, and how dangerous are they? Only when these questions have been answered can we find out which treatments are truly helpful and how money can be used wisely in the healthcare system.

IQWiG assessments mainly look at:

To do the assessments, IQWiG systematically searches for the best available research on a medical intervention, and then analyzes the pros and cons of the intervention based on the research results. Independent outside experts and patients are involved in IQWiG's assessments, too. This ensures that the assessments reflect the latest expert knowledge and current clinical practice, and are also in line with the experiences and expectations of those affected.

IQWiG also has a legal duty to provide the general public with scientifically sound and easy-to-understand health information. That’s where its website gesundheitsinformation.de comes in. The aim of this German website is to help you understand the pros and cons of different treatment options. That way, you can make an informed decision together with your doctors, finding the right treatment for you. There’s also an English version of the website, InformedHealth.org. Both websites are run by the Gesundheitsinformation (Health Information) department at IQWiG.

IQWiG's methods are available online for everyone to see and be able to critically assess the institute's approach.

What does IQTIG do?

IQTIG assesses how good the health care in German doctors’ practices, psychotherapy practices and hospitals really is – and how it can be improved where necessary. They want to find out things like: Are appropriate diagnostic and treatment approaches being used – and are too many or too few examinations and treatments being carried out? How good are the hygiene standards in the hospital? Is there enough staff there? How often do specific procedures lead to complications? Do patients get enough help arranging further treatment when they go home after a hospital stay?

To answer these questions, IQTIG first finds out what “high quality” means in the specific area in question. They do this by looking for and analyzing the best available research in that area. But they also consult outside experts and ask patients about their experiences and expectations. They then define quality assurance criteria based on all of the gathered information.

After that, IQTIG develops quality indicators ("measurement tools") that can be used to assess and compare how successfully a doctor's practice or hospital meets the quality assurance criteria. They also develop methods for analyzing the data they have collected, and publish the results of this analysis on their website and in other places. In addition, IQTIG speaks with institutions that don't score well in certain quality indicators and develops measures that can be used to improve the quality of health care. They then monitor whether the measures have been implemented and the health care has actually improved.

Another of IQTIG’s tasks is to ensure transparency regarding the quality of health care in German hospitals and doctors' practices – in other words, make sure that the general public has easy access to the information they need in this area. On their website perinatalzentren.org, for instance, you can find information about where pre-term babies with a very low birth weight are cared for, and about the quality of care there. They also provide useful information for the Bundes-Klinik-Atlas website, which patients can use to find a suitable hospital for their treatment.

To find out exactly how IQTIG works, you can read more on their website (in German).

How are the findings of IQWiG and IQTIG used?

The two institutes’ findings are a reliable source of data for decision-makers in the healthcare system – particularly the Federal Joint Committee (Gemeinsamer Bundesausschuss, or G-BA). The G-BA is the highest decision-making body within the self-governing healthcare system in Germany. They decide things like which treatments and other medical services will be paid for by the public health insurers. The German Ministry of Health (Bundesministerium für Gesundheit, or BMG) also takes the institutes’ findings into account when making certain decisions.

The institutes make recommendations and suggest that certain measures are taken. But they don’t make decisions themselves about, for example, which treatments will be covered by public health insurers, what quality assurance criteria will be used, or which measures will be taken to improve the quality of health care. The G-BA and Ministry of Health are not obliged to follow the institutes’ recommendations – they often do, though.

Good to know:

The institutes publish their findings on their websites iqwig.de and iqtig.org. You can read about the decisions the G-BA has made on its website g-ba.de.

Who can give IQWiG and IQTIG tasks?

Both institutes can only take on jobs from the G-BA and German Ministry of Health (BMG). In other words: Health insurers, pharmaceutical companies, healthcare providers and other groups cannot influence their work or findings. IQWiG’s and IQTIG’s work isn’t influenced by political interests, either: Although the tasks of the two institutes are defined by German law, the G-BA and Ministry of Health aren’t involved in carrying out the tasks. The institutes are scientifically independent.

IQWiG can also choose some projects itself and work on them. IQTIG can do this too, in line with its legally defined goals.

Good to know:

On IQWiG’s webpage “ThemenCheck Medizin,” members of the public can also suggest topics for IQWiG’s scientists to look into – like whether melatonin can help to reduce sleep problems or whether herbal products are an effective treatment for cystitis. Every year, up to five of these suggestions are selected for the scientists to investigate.

How are IQWiG and IQTIG funded?

Neither of the institutes accept any sponsorship or advertising offers. They maintain their independence that way.

The institutes are financed through people who have German public health insurance (gesetzliche Krankenversicherung, GKV) – more specifically, through a small surcharge fee that is billed directly to their health insurer every time they go to the doctor or hospital. The surcharge fee amount is determined by the G-BA every year. In 2024, the joint surcharge fee to finance the G-BA, IQWiG and IQTIG was less than 10 cents per treatment that doesn't involve an overnight stay (outpatient treatment) and just under 3 euros per treatment with an overnight stay (inpatient treatment).

How were IQWiG and IQTIG founded and how are they organized?

IQWiG was founded in 2004 as part of a healthcare reform. Based in Cologne (Germany), it is an independent scientific institute governed by the private, non-profit foundation “Stiftung für Qualität und Wirtschaftlichkeit im Gesundheitswesen.” One aim of this foundation is to help people make evidence-based health-related decisions – in other words, decisions based on scientific proof.

IQTIG was founded in 2015 based on an act to further develop the financial structure and quality of the German public health insurance system. It is financed by the private, non-profit foundation “Stiftung für Qualitätssicherung und Transparenz im Gesundheitswesen.” The aim of this foundation is to improve the quality of health care and to promote science, research and public health. IQTIG is based in Berlin (Germany).

The legal basis and tasks of both institutes are defined in the fifth book of the German Social Code (SGB V).

Bundesministerium der Justiz (BMJ), Bundesamt für Justiz. Sozialgesetzbuch (SGB) Fünftes Buch (V) – Gesetzliche Krankenversicherung – (Artikel 1 des Gesetzes v. 20. Dezember 1988, BGBl. I S. 2477). § 137a Institut für Qualitätssicherung und Transparenz im Gesundheitswesen. 1988.

Bundesministerium der Justiz (BMJ), Bundesamt für Justiz. Sozialgesetzbuch (SGB) Fünftes Buch (V) – Gesetzliche Krankenversicherung – (Artikel 1 des Gesetzes v. 20. Dezember 1988, BGBl. I S. 2477). § 139a Institut für Qualität und Wirtschaftlichkeit im Gesundheitswesen. 1988.

Bundesministerium für Gesundheit (BMG). Institut für Qualität und Wirtschaftlichkeit im Gesundheitswesen. 2016.

Bundesministerium für Gesundheit (BMG). Institut für Qualitätssicherung und Transparenz im Gesundheitswesen. 2016.

Gemeinsamer Bundesausschuss (G-BA). Über den G-BA – Arbeitsweise: Einholung wissenschaftlicher Expertise. 2024.

Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG, Germany). [IQWiG homepage]. 2024.

Institute for Quality Assurance and Transparency in Health Care (IQTIG, Germany). [IQTIG homepage]. 2024.

IQWiG health information is written with the aim of helping people understand the advantages and disadvantages of the main treatment options and health care services.

Because IQWiG is a German institute, some of the information provided here is specific to the German health care system. The suitability of any of the described options in an individual case can be determined by talking to a doctor. informedhealth.org can provide support for talks with doctors and other medical professionals, but cannot replace them. We do not offer individual consultations.

Our information is based on the results of good-quality studies. It is written by a team of health care professionals, scientists and editors, and reviewed by external experts. You can find a detailed description of how our health information is produced and updated in our methods.

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Please note that we do not provide individual advice on matters of health. You can read about where to find help and support in Germany in our information “How can I find self-help groups and information centers?

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Created on December 18, 2024

Next planned update: 2027

Publisher:

Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG, Germany)

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