QuaTheDA: Promoting quality in addiction work

QuaTheDA stands for Quality Therapy Drugs Alcohol and is the quality standard applied by the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) in addiction assistance, prevention and health promotion.

The requirements of the standard are defined in the QuaTheDA Reference System. This modular reference system covers all areas of outpatient and inpatient addiction assistance as well as prevention and health promotion.

With the QuaTheDA standard, the FOPH is pursuing its strategic aim of promoting a uniform and universally valid understanding of quality. At the same time, it is helping to professionalise work carried out in addiction assistance and health promotion. In this way, the FOPH is supporting long-term quality development and creating optimum conditions for a continuous quality improvement in both services and results. In working out the measures required, the FOPH and its partners pool their experience and build a shared understanding of quality.

The QuaTheDA modular reference system

The QuaTheDA modular reference system is a quality standard that addresses the quality of structures and processes at institutions engaged in health promotion, prevention and therapy. It serves as the basis for QuaTheDA certification. The reference system was drawn up in accordance with standard ISO 9000-2015, taking elements from the EFQM model, and aligned to the specific characteristics of the individual addiction assistance sectors. QuaTheDA was revised in 2020.

The QuaTheDA reference system comprises a basic module and ten service modules. The basic module, divided into management and support processes, applies to all institutions and takes up the key requirements of ISO 9001:2015.

The ten service modules are aligned to the specific areas of activity in addiction assistance, health promotion and prevention. They are structured as follows:

Inpatient addiction therapy and rehabilitation
Outpatient counselling, support and therapy
Substitution-based treatment
Accompanied work
Assisted and accompanied living
Emergency overnight centres
Low-threshold contact points and drop-in centres
Outreach work
Withdrawal
Health promotion, prevention, early detection and early intervention

To be certified to QuaTheDA, an institution must fulfil the quality requirements of the basic module and at least one of the service modules.

To familiarise themselves with the application of the reference system, interested institutions can consult the QuaTheDA Guide (in German, French and Italian) published by Infodrog or attend a QuaTheDA training course. The 2021 Guide to the 2020 QuaTheDA Reference System contains explanations and assistance with the quality requirements as well as examples of good practice. It also has updated links to new technologies and further professional developments in all the different areas of addiction assistance.

More detailed information may be found on the www.quatheda.ch website or under the “Links” tab.

The QuaTheDA modular reference system and other documents can be ordered or downloaded free of charge from this website.

QuaTheSI – client satisfaction in addiction assistance institutions

QuaTheSI-online enables all institutions listed on Infodrog’s Suchtindex.ch website or with QuaTheDA certification to have their services assessed free of charge from the client’s perspective. They can also compare themselves with similar institutions and identify potential for improvement. Client satisfaction is recorded by means of a secure, high-grade online tool. The software solution employed is a locally hosted platform made available by Infodrog/Radix on behalf of the FOPH.

The client questionnaires are drawn up in simple language and can be filled in on a smartphone, tablet or computer. QuaTheSI-online is available in the three languages of French, German and Italian. Paper surveys can also be conducted with the aid of the tool, since each institution can print out its online questionnaire as required.

The online tool permits straightforward, automated assessment of the results in real time. Once the survey is complete, the institutions can export their assessment results in the form of diagrams and Excel tables.

You will find further information at QuaTheSI – QuaTheDA.

QuaTheTeam – employee satisfaction in addiction work

The QuaTheTeam-58 questionnaire is used to record the satisfaction of employees with their work situation and the general conditions of their job.

An external assessment can be drawn up of employee surveys conducted with QuaTheTeam-58 for use as an element in quality development. If you have any questions or are interested, please contact the person in charge at the Swiss Research Institute for Public Health and Addiction (ISGF), Zurich.

German-speaking Switzerland: Susanne Schaaf, susanne.schaaf@isgf.uzh.ch, Tel. 044 448 11 62
French-speaking Switzerland and Ticino: Heidi Bolliger, heidi.bolliger@isgf.uzh.ch, Tel. 044 448 11 64

Further information is available at QuaTheTeam - QuaTheDA

QuaTheDA Symposium

The QuaTheDA Symposium is the place to go and find out about the development of the QuaTheDA quality standard and engage in discussions with other specialists from all over Switzerland. It is held on a regular basis and aimed at all institutions and specialists in the area of addiction assistance as well as at public authorities, certifiers and researchers.

The next QuaTheDA symposium is being held on 30 May 2023. This sixth symposium is entitled “Quality – digital”.

Further information is available at Symposium - QuaTheDA.

QuaTheDA-E – measuring the quality of results in addiction assistance

How can the results of addiction treatment be measured?

What instruments are available and what experience has been acquired with them? Which indicators can be used to compare the results of the different institutions?

An overview of various instruments and presentations may be found in the QuaTheDA-E section of the QuaTheDA website (in French, German and Italian).