Non-Drug Interventions: responsibilities of the department
The department mainly assesses medical interventions that are not solely dependent on the use of drugs.
These include, for example, surgical procedures, radiotherapy procedures, and dental treatments, and also more complex interventions that consist of various therapy components combined in one procedure. The department also assesses diagnostic methods and screening tests for the early detection of diseases.
The department staff produce:
- Benefit assessments of non-drug interventions:
The benefit assessments are based on the Institute’s systematic search for published and unpublished studies. The results are published as a report or rapid report. - Assessments of potential according to the testing regulation:
In the framework of the testing regulation according to the Structure of Health Care Act of the Statutory Health Insurance (GKV-VStG) and 137e (7) SGB V, manufacturers and providers can apply for the testing of a new examination or treatment method. The assessment of the potential of a new method is part of this testing regulation.
The assessment of the potential of examination and treatment methods is usually conducted by IQWiG after commissioning by the G-BA. Assessments of potential are part of an administrative procedure conducted by the G-BA. The topics and contents of this procedure are confidential. The results are only published if the G-BA decides on a testing directive for the method and this becomes officially effective. If the G-BA recognizes no potential of a method, the results of the assessment remain confidential and are not published. - Assessments according to §137h SGB V:
The G-BA has to assess certain treatment and examination methods with high-risk class medical devices used in the hospital setting regarding the benefit or potential of the method. In general, the G-BA commissions IQWiG to conduct this assessment. The results of the assessment are published.
In addition, the department works on the further development of the methods for benefit and risk assessment of non-drug interventions. It provides information on IQWiG’s results and methods as well as new scientific findings arising from its work to the expert community and the general public by means of presentations and publications.
Department staff
Prof. Dr. med. Stefan Sauerland, M.san.
Professional profile
Physician (main focus: clinical research and evidence-based medicine); Degree course in Medicine and Doctorate in Medicine, University of Cologne. 1996 - 1997: Junior doctor and assistant doctor, Rehabilitation Clinic Ulm (RKU), Orthopaedic Clinic, University of Ulm . 1997 - 1999; Degree course in Health Sciences and Social Medicine, Heinrich-Heine University, Dusseldorf. 1998 - 2005 Clinical research at the Biochemical and Experimental Department, Surgical Clinic II (Cologne-Merheim), University of Cologne. 2006 - 2009: Clinical research at the Institute for Research in Surgical Medicine (IFOM, Cologne-Merheim), Private University of Witten/Herdecke (Director: Prof. Dr. E. Neugebauer); Managing Director of the Centre for Clinical Trials and Innovation (ZKSI). 2005: Award of the DKV Cochrane Prize for a Cochrane Review on laparoscopic appendectomy. 2007 "Venia Legendi” ("Habilitation”, Lecturer) in the subject "Surgical Research”. 2009: Appointment to a W2 professorship for "Clinical Research in Surgical Medicine”, Private University of Witten/Herdecke. Since January 2010: Head of the Non-Drug Interventions Department. 2019: Granting of an adjunct professorship by University of Cologne.
Dr. Julia Kreis
Professional profile
University studies of psychology at the Philipps University of Marburg, with a main focus on health psychology; 2002 – 2005 Consultant at the Federal Association of Company Health Insurance Funds (BKK), with a main focus on evidence-based health promotion and prevention; 2009 - 2010 Harkness/Bosch Fellow in Health Care Policy and Practice at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (Baltimore, USA); 2013 Doctorate in Public Health; since 2005 Research Associate in the Department of Non-Drug Interventions; since July 2015 as Division Head, Assessment of Potential.
Dr. rer. nat. Daniel Fleer
Professional profile
University studies of pharmacy at the Philipps University of Marburg; doctorate in pharmaceutical biology at the Free University of Berlin; 1996 – 2000: Head of a public pharmacy; 2001 – 2003: Regional Pharmacist for the Caprivi Region in Namibia, dispatched by the German Development Service (DED); 2004 – 2006: “Public Health“ supplementary study programme at the Heinrich Heine University in Düsseldorf; 2007 – 2015: Research Associate in the Drug Assessment Department, from 2016 to November 2017: Research Associate in the Department of Non-Drug Interventions; as of December 2017: Division Head, Benefit Assessment.
Konstanze Angelescu
Thorsten Busan
Dr. rer. nat. Katrin Leonie Dreck
Alexandra Frey
Dr. Naomi Fujita-Rohwerder
Wolfram Groß
Dr. phil. Sebastian Grümer
Dr. rer. medic. Thomas Jakubeit
PD Dr. rer. nat. Heike Kölsch
Marie Kumpf
Dr. med. Jörg Lauterberg
Dr. med. dent. Martina Lietz
Dr. P.H. Martina Markes
Christoph Mosch
Dr. P.H. Simone Ohlwein
Gunnar Plinke
Markus von Pluto Prondzinski
Dr. med.dent. Nadine Reinhardt
Silke Richter-Mang
Lina Rodenhäuser
Daniela Rüttgers
Dr. Britta Runkel
Christina Sartory
Dr. sc. hum. David Henry Seidel
Dr. phil. Andrea Steinzen
Mareike Störchel
Dr. rer. medic. Vera Weingärtner
Yvonne Zens