On April 4, 2025, the Scientific Advisory Board convened once again in Hamburg, demonstrating continuity and commitment. Since its founding in 2010, the board has provided comprehensive advice to the management, particularly regarding the establishment of benchmarking and the further development of key performance indicators (KPIs) derived from diverse hospital process data. Today, the board consists of 11 dedicated members and meets twice a year.

The core tasks of the Scientific Advisory Board include the in-depth analysis and discussion of current KPI developments in participating hospitals. Key process metrics are identified, defined, and continuously refined. The board is also responsible for recognizing trends and anticipating future requirements for performance indicators. Another essential aspect is promoting extensive information exchange with associations and institutions. Additionally, the board supports management in disseminating knowledge about the importance and possibilities of benchmarking.

The agenda of the meeting on April 4, 2025, covered numerous topics. Following the welcoming address, Dr. Thomas Klöss delivered an inspiring keynote on current health policy, presenting five theses on the health policy agenda of the new federal government. Building on this, participants engaged in an intensive discussion on data-driven decision-making, with a focus on the role of CROMs, PROMs, PREMs, outcome quality, and clinical registries. As in previous meetings, another key topic was the OPTEAMIZER roadmap, where the current development status and next steps were discussed. Scientific work was also addressed, with lively discussions on ongoing projects, new topics, and responsibilities.

The meeting was highly productive and inspiring. Participants had the opportunity to exchange insights on progress and developments in hospital benchmarking. We look forward to the next steps and continued collaboration and extend our heartfelt thanks to the members of the SAB.

Dr. Enno Bialas, Prof. Dr. Martin Schuster, Joß Giese, Prof. Dr. Patrick Friederich, Dr. Thomas Klöss, Dr. Christoph Denz, Matthias Diemer, Dr. Christian Taube, Dr. Jörg-Andreas Rüggeberg, Prof. Dr. Thomas Auhuber, Prof. Dr. Dirk Lauscher