General Information

Since 2023, the quality programme of urology has focused on radical and transurethral prostatectomies. Similarly to the other quality programmes, process, indication and outcome quality are the focus of comparisons between hospitals. As quality analyses based on routine data do not adequately capture the specific characteristics of individual urological procedures, it was decided during the plenary session of the quality circle which additional case-level variables the hospitals should provide. As these variables are included in the national registry, hospitals are free to choose whether to provide the data via registry release or through a separate data submission outside the registry. As PROMs provide important insights into outcome quality, hospitals also transmit their PROMs data to the Amt für Gesundheit (decision made during the quality circle in 2025).

Since the introduction of the minimum number of cases, hospitals in the Canton of Zurich have been mandated to document and report the primary and secondary surgeons for these procedures. Participants from other cantons have also been asked to document and report the surgeons.
 

Expert Group

In 2025, the hospitals in Zurich have agreed on the following expert group to develop quality indicators:

• Dr. med. Stephan Bauer (Hirslanden)

• Dr. med. Aron Cohen (Urocare)

• Dr. med. Markus Dubs (Spital Uster)

• Dr. med. Roger Gablinger (Uroviva)

• Prof. Dr. med. Hubert John (KSW) and/or PD Dr. med. Beat Förster

• PD Dr. med. Alexander Müller (Uroviva)

• Dr. med. Daniel Engeler (HOCH Health Ostschweiz)

• Dr. med. Stefan Preusser (Spitäler Schaffhausen)

• Dr. med. Mark Meier (Berit Klinik)

Updates

• Preview 2026: The additional clinic variables for Zurich’s hospitals and hospitals from other cantons will be matched and evaluated. A standardized data export from the registry is being pursued in collaboration with the Swiss Society of Urology (SGU). Hospitals that don’t participate in the registry will transmit their variables individually again. PROMs will play a more important role in the evaluation in 2026. The focus will again be primarily on radical prostatectomies. Starting in 2027, procedures in the kidney, bladder etc. will be added.

• Update 2025: Late submission of national and regional data significantly reduced the level of detail of the analyses. However, it was still possible to discuss some indicators. The expert group was expanded, a closer collaboration with the SGU was discussed, separate PROMs transmissions were decided, and the experts were able to give valuable insights into the further development of the quality indicators. Register and routine data was matched 1:1. Whether this will be continued in the future, has not yet been decided.

• Update 2024: Radical prostatectomies are not yet registered in the national cancer registry, but 2/3 of the hospitals enter them into the German Cancer Society (DKG) survey as part of their DKG certification, as well as into the national prostate registry. Due to duplicate data entry, it was decided in the quality circle of 2024, that only some relevant indicators would be focused on and the decision for the method of transmission (registry or own system) would be left to the hospitals.