Certification of a Unive?rsity Department of Otolaryngol?ogy according to DIN EN ISO 9001:2008

Introduction: Quality management (QM) is a control tool for the implementation of a wide range of organizational measures aimed at achieving process orientation and process optimization. The organizational framework for these measures can be structured to fulfill the requirements of certification to the DIN EN ISO 9001 standard. The objective was to implement this tool within a university otorhinolaryngology department. Material and method: After drawing up a project plan, the measures required to fulfill the audit requirements were put into practice by a QM core team, which included employees from four areas: healthcare, research, nursing and teaching. Results: The measures carried out resulted in the achievement of certification, provided that annual surveillance audits are performed. Discussion: The attainment of the certificate requires continuous fulfillment of the required standards. Future requirements, such as the demands placed on knowledge management, necessitate further appropriate measures. © 2017, Springer Medizin Verlag GmbH.