The German Guideline Program in Oncology (GGPO): A central core of an evidence-based, patient-centered interdisciplinary oncology?

In 2008, the German Guidelines Program in Oncology (GGPO) was launched to promote the development and updating of evidence-based multidisciplinary practice guidelines. This paper describes the organizational structures and methods as well as the embeddedness of the program within a comprehensive strategy to enhance quality of cancer care. Using the example of the German Cancer Plan we argue that the GGPO guidelines are not only an instrument to transfer and exchange knowledge, but also provide an important basis for further initiatives in the field of quality improvement. It is illustrated what was achieved in the first seven years of the GGPO and which challenges will dominate the next years.