Michaela Eikermann is the new Deputy Director of IQWiG

Dr Michaela Eikermann (51) took up her new position as Deputy Director of the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) on 1 June 2024. She succeeds PD Dr Stefan Lange, who had held this position for more than 19 years. "In Michaela Eikermann, we have gained a proven expert in the field of evidence-based medicine," states IQWiG Director Thomas Kaiser.

Since 2015, Eikermann, a medical doctor, had been Head of the Division of Evidence-based Medicine at the German Federal Medical Service, where she had been responsible for a wide range of topics, including new examination and treatment methods, diagnostic and screening procedures, digital health requirements, and guidelines and disease management programmes (DMPs). In this role, she was also responsible for the IGeL Monitor, which publishes evidence-based assessments of individual healthcare services (Individuelle Gesundheitsleistungen [IGeL]). Eikermann previously headed the Department of Evidence-based Health Services Research (Evidenzbasierte Versorgungsforschung) at the Institute for Research in Operative Medicine (IFOM) at Witten/Herdecke University. In March 2023, the members of the German Network for Evidence-based Medicine also elected her as their chairwoman. However, she has now resigned from this honorary post to take up her new duties.

"Together with Thomas Kaiser, I would like to continue IQWiG's successful history," said Michaela Eikermann on taking up her new post. "Over the past 20 years, the Institute has undergone many innovations and changes to its tasks and framework conditions. I am excited to further develop this already very efficient institute both professionally and organizationally in order to be prepared for future developments and challenges. I would also like to use my experience to expand the range of assessment and reporting formats in order to be able to respond to different needs."