The further development of our quality is a central concern of all employees at the Department of Neurosurgery. We strive to offer our patients the best possible diagnostics and treatment. Our quality management system provides the optimal framework for this and is a guarantee for outstanding work quality as well as the constant review and improvement of our work processes and services.
Brain Tumor Center
At the Brain Tumor Center (Neurooncology Center) at Inselspital, specialists from several oncology disciplines work closely together. We ensure that patients with brain tumors or brain metastases always receive the best treatment currently available – in accordance with recognized guidelines and international standards or new alternative methods.
The Brain Tumor Center under the direction of Neurosurgery has been certified according to the criteria of ISO 9001:2015 ("Quality Management Systems – Requirements") and the German Cancer Society since 2016. The certification is regularly reviewed and renewed through internal and external audits.
ClarCert certificate
ClarCert GmbH is an independent certification body accredited by the German Accreditation Body (DAkkS). It offers certifications in accordance with the internationally established requirements of ISO 9001.
Neuro-oncology center certificate ISO 9001:2015 (PDF) (German language)
German Cancer Society certificate
Certification by the German Cancer Society (DKG) as a neuro-oncology center is intended to improve the care of oncological patients and guarantee a high standard of quality in oncological treatment.
Neuro-oncology center certificate (PDF) (German language)
The Department of Neurosurgery has been certified as a training center by the Swiss Institute for Medical Education and Training (SIWF) for 4 years and is recognized as a Category A training center.
In our clinic we offer 14 specialist and 2 non-specialist training positions as well as 3 research positions. The trainees are initially accompanied by a tutor (senior physician) and an assistant physician. The mentor can be selected to suit personal goals for career planning.
SIWF register entry (German language)
Quality in clinical studies
Good Clinical Practice (GCP)
At our clinic, all doctors and research staff involved in clinical trials have a Good Clinical Practice certificate.
Good Clinical Practice is an internationally recognized ethical and scientific standard for the planning, conduct, documentation and reporting of clinical trials on humans. It serves to protect and ensure the safety of study participants in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and guarantees the quality and credibility of the data collected.
ICH Principles of Good Clinical Practice (German language)
Intraoperative neuromonitoring (IOM)
At Inselspital, we combine state-of-the-art technology with expert knowledge to sustainably increase patient safety during operations on the brain or spinal cord. By combining monitoring methods and mapping methods (localization methods), postoperative deficits such as paralysis can be significantly reduced in our patients. Our Department of Neurosurgery is a specialized center for this type of surgery.
Professional exchange
We have numerous contacts at the Inselspital for interdisciplinary assessments. For diagnostics, surgery and aftercare, we work closely with anesthesiology, intensive care medicine, endocrinology, orthopaedics, neuroradiology and neurology on a daily basis. And even in special situations or with rare diseases, as a university hospital, we can rely on a large number of renowned medical professionals and the expert knowledge of highly specialized other disciplines.
- Awards
-
- Nomination for the German Future Prize 2020: The project "Robotic visualization system for efficiency in microsurgery" by Professor Andreas Raabe in a team with 2 scientists from Carl Zeiss Meditec AG is among the best 3 projects
- European Lecture Award 2019: Professor Andreas Raabe is awarded the prestigious prize at the congress of the European Association of Neurosurgical Societies
- Theodor Kocher Award 2019: Awarded by the University of Bern for exceptional and promising scientific achievements, the prize goes to Professor Kathleen Seidel in 2019. The prize is named after the internationally renowned Bernese surgeon Theodor Kocher, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1909.
Further awards can be found directly under the respective doctor profiles.
| * | Specialists from several oncology disciplines work closely together at the Brain Tumor Center at Inselspital. We ensure that patients with brain tumors or brain metastases always receive the best treatment currently available. |
| ** | Specialized nursing experts for tumor and spine patients |
Advanced Practice Nurse (APN)
Find out more about the immensely important work of our nursing experts (APN) at the Department of Neurosurgery.
Top quality based on research and development
The innovative research activities of the Department of Neurosurgery enable us to provide state-of-the-art medical treatments and interventions.
* Inventions: Together with Professor Kathleen Seidel, Professor Andreas Raabe has invented a new continuous monitoring method for brain tumor surgery. He has also introduced microscope-integrated video angiography to neurosurgery for the operation of aneurysms and vascular malformations.
** Publications of the Department of Neurosurgery
*** Laufende SNF-Projekte:
- Early diagnosis and aetiology of critical illness myopathy, Prof. Dr. med. Werner Z'Graggen
- HORAO – Polarimetric visualization of healthy brain fiber tracts for tumor delineation during neurosurgery, Prof. Dr. med. Philippe Schucht
* In our high-precision operating theater, it is possible to perform imaging during the operation.
** Innovative monitoring techniques during surgery guarantee the safety of our patients.
Motor mapping & monitoring
Quality assurance systems
- Critical Incident Reporting System (CIRS)
-
As part of its clinical risk management, the Insel Group, together with its clinics and institutes, implements internationally recognized standards, such as international cooperation for the global implementation of measures to improve patient safety. The focus here is on avoiding mix-ups in procedures. A Critical Incident Reporting System (CIRS), a reporting system for critical near misses, provides the opportunity for anonymized reporting of critical near misses, thus supporting learning from near misses and helping to prevent errors.
The Insel Gruppe is part of the CIRRNET (Critical Incident Reporting and Reacting Networking Group). This is a supra-regional network for the anonymized transmission of local CIRS reports.
- Initiative Quality Medicine (IQM)
-
In the Initiative Quality Medicine (IQM), hospitals from Germany and Switzerland have been campaigning for more quality in medicine and patient safety since 2008. To this end, IQM members have developed innovative and user-friendly tools for quality improvement based on collegial support and transparency.
Participation promotes a positive error culture and highlights potential for improvement in the treatment process. IQM offers a platform for exchange and learning for chief physicians, senior nursing staff and quality/risk managers.
- Swiss National Association for Quality Development in Hospitals and Clinics
-
Inselspital is a partner of ANQ and participates in national measurements, evaluations and publications.
Results of the ANQ patient survey Inselspital 2023 (German language)
Patient safety at the Insel Group is based on the recommendations of the Swiss Patient Safety Foundation.