Health Information: responsibilities of the department

The Health Information Department provides independent, evidence-based and easily understandable information for patients and the general community.

With this information, IQWiG aims to:

  • enable the general public to make active and informed decisions on health questions,
  • encourage the critical use of health-related services,
  • improve knowledge about physical, mental and emotional health,
  • improve comprehension of medical and scientific information, and
  • enable patients to be supported by their family and friends.

The core project of the department is ist bilingual (DE/EN) website gesundheitsinformation.de/ informedhealth.org.

The staff in the department

  • search and evaluate the evidence in order to identify health topics that are important and of interest to patients,
  • produce specially prepared health information,
  • update and supplement the contents of informedhealth.org at regular intervals,
  • produce easily-understood information on IQWiG's final reports,
  • and also handle their own projects commissioned by the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) or the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG).

Further information

Department staff

Dr. rer. medic. Klaus Koch

Dr. rer. medic. Klaus Koch

Professional profile

Degree course in Biology at the Universities of Bonn and Cologne; 1989: graduation as a certified biologist (“Diplom-Biologe”); 1990: award of the Scientific Journalism Scholarship from the Robert Bosch Foundation; until the end of 2005: freelance medical/scientific journalist (e.g. for “Süddeutsche Zeitung” and “Deutsches Ärzteblatt” [Journal of the German Medical Association]), and book author; 2006: Senior Editor, Institute Management, IQWiG; 2007: doctorate on the evaluation of methods for cancer screening, University of Cologne; from 2009 to 2013: member of the extended board of the German Network for Evidence-based Medicine, from 2011 to 2015: Deputy Speaker, from 2015 to 2017: Speaker in the Network’s Patient Information and Participation Section; April 2010: Deputy Head of the Department of Communications; since May 2011: Head of the Department of Health Information.

Dr. med. Andreas Berger-Waltering

Dr. med. Andreas Berger-Waltering

Professional profile

Degree in medicine. 1986-1992 employment as a nurse. 1992-1998 medical studies in Mainz and Aachen. 1999-2005 further specialization in the field of internal medicine. 2005-2009 scientific researcher at the Institute for Evidence-Based Medicine in Cologne, with a focus on "structured education and treatment programmes for patients with chronic diseases".

Susanne Alef
Katharina Biester
Daniela Böhmler
Anna Bründermann
Roland Büchter
Marie Debrouwere
Katharina Doni
Dr. oec. troph. Martina Ehrlich
Bettina Eilmes
Dennis Fechtelpeter
Julia Iser
Fabian Kroker
Heidemarie Kufner-Rausch
Yamina Merabet
Regina Meuer
Sabine Mooren
Susanne Müller
Lena Otzen
Miriam Redder
Marcella Reissmann
Tina Rhodes
Eva Rüdt
Dr. Inger Scheike
Dr. rer. medic. Milly Schröer-Günther
Sonja Siegert
Torsten Stiewe
Thomas J. Swinehart
Beate Wiegard
Elisa Wolff
Beate Zschorlich