[Operationalized psychodynamic diagnostic (OPD)--potential for quality assurance].

Objectives: Psychotherapy is subjected to the legal conditions of quality assurance(QA). Does operationalized psychodynamic diagnostics (OPD) contribute substantially to this?

Methods: We investigated the application of OPD in outpatient psychodynamic psychotherapy, inpatient treatment, rehabilitation, and legal assessment.

Results: Psychodynamic diagnostics, treatment plan, and evaluation by means of the OPD and Heidelberg Structural Change Scale (HSCS) may be comprehensibly described for quality assurance (QA) of outpatient and inpatient psychotherapy. Virtually all psychodynamic conceptualized departments for psychosomatic medicine and psychotherapy as well as some rehabilitation centres applied OPD. Furthermore, data-collection periods were defined during and after inpatient short- and long-term psychotherapy. OPD serves QA in legal assessment and is of a pivotal significance in judicial proceedings.

Conclusions: It must be deliberated whether more extensive use of QA, in cooperation with outpatient psychotherapists and in comparison to institutions, could be of benefit to patients.