Medical wellness describes a development in which special wellness offers are combined with relevant medical services. Medical wellness developed out of the larger ?wellness movement? extending its health promoting effects by adding preventative methods as well as recognised natural therapies. Medical wellness has developed into a new branch that connects the medical market with the wellness industry.

Medical wellness is for people who wish to actively do more for themselves and their health over and above generally available health care provisions. They choose to undertake health care measures of their own accord aimed at preventing illness, stabilising their health and making long-term improvements to their individual quality of life and sense of health.
The basis for such health measures is an individual plan consisting of a carefully chosen combination of medical treatments and competent wellness, mobility and relaxation treatments that take into account the individual abilities, preferences and needs of the recipient and motivate them to lead a more health-conscious way of life, always with regard to their current state of health.

Medical wellness facilities are specialised and independently certified hotels, health centres and clinics that offer a high level of comfort and high quality standards and whose ambience and facilities promote a sense of well-being and relaxation.

The purpose of this letter of intent is to uphold and define generally-applicable high quality standards for all medical wellness treatments, to secure these in the long-term and promote them actively. This will only be possible through the concerted action of all relevant partners in politics, social care and welfare, the health economy, tourism, etc.
Instead of discussing lowest common denominators, our joint aim is therefore to define the highest possible quality standards that can serve as a standard-bearer for the whole branch and help enable one to differentiate between good and bad services.

The following key requirements for medical wellness facilities have been agreed on and recognised by the signatories and serve as a point of reference for both providers and consumers alike. These requirements can help harmonise activities in the medical wellness field and avoid duplicate certification initiatives.

1. Medical administration

• A doctor is directly involved in the day to day operation of the medical wellness facility.
• He/she is qualified as a general practitioner, doctor of internal medicine or orthopaedics and also has an additional qualification in the wellness field. If there are no additional staff with appropriate qualifications, he or she should also be skilled in physical therapy and recognised naturopathic treatments.
• The doctor responsible for the medical wellness area must be actively involved in determining the service concept (therapies, treatments, products) and be responsible for approving the individual treatment plans.
• He/she understands that communication and service quality are important for the success of treatments.
• He/she has an appropriate consulting room in the facility.

2. Medical availability

• The medical wellness facility ensures that a general medical checkup takes place on arrival. This serves as the basis for the individual?s treatment plan.
• Guests should be able to call on the doctor at any time during their stay. Depending on the duration of the guest?s stay, the doctor may offer interim consultations.
• In a final consultation with the doctor, recommendations for continued care at home will be elaborated and set down in writing.
• When the doctor is absent, a suitably skilled member of the medical staff must be available at all times.

3. Qualifications of employees

• All therapists must have a certified therapeutic qualification and coordinate their activities with the doctor at the facility.
• At least one therapist must be employed full time at the medical wellness facility.
• All staff must have a higher professional qualification, detailed knowledge of all services offered, work customer-focussed, uphold service quality and should have pronounced psychosocial skills.
• The management of the medical wellness facility will ensure that staff receive regular continuing professional development in all skills areas (professional, methodical, social and personal) and customer focus and service quality in particular.

4. Integrative concept

• The medical wellness facility has a holistic and scientifically grounded understanding of health (proof of efficacy), always centred on the guest.
• The facility works towards positive health goals (salutogenic model) and integrates multidisciplinary wellness programmes.
• Employs locally-available remedies where available and medically and therapeutically sensible.
• All medical and therapeutic treatments follow a standardised assessment sheet and therapy plans and are based on the physiotherapy service catalogue.
• The facility takes measures to ensure an exchange of information and communication among all service providers.

5. Treatments aim to achieve lasting improvement

• All medical wellness programmes are geared towards helping guests achieve long-term improvements to their way of life. Programmes should enable guests to help themselves and show how them how to integrate what they have learned into their day to day lives.
• Careful documentation of progress and aims makes it possible to make long-term proposals (nutrition plans, activity plans) and allows the guest to monitor their progress independently.
• Wherever possible, the consulting team at the medical wellness facility should continue to be available after the end of the guest?s stay.

6. High quality of furnishing and equipment

• Overnight accommodation, catering and treatment areas in the medical wellness facility should fulfil comfort and quality standards that comply with or are comparable to official classifications, e.g. DEHOGA/IHA.

• The ?hardware? of the facility should enable staff to provide professional treatment and care and create an environment that is conducive to relaxation, contemplation and well-being.
• The treatment and examination rooms should have modern equipment which communicate medical or therapeutic competency without being unduly clinical.

7. Documented quality management

• The medical wellness facility ensures reliable communication among all service providers and arranges, on request, for the safe transfer of guest?s data to external partners.
• The facility should have a mechanism in place for handling complaints and employ instruments such as customer satisfaction surveys to monitor the quality of professional (medical, therapeutic, catering) treatment and other services.
• The facility has implemented an ongoing quality management system and is able to demonstrate its level of quality through proof of awarded certification and own documentation.

Signatories:
Institutions that initiated this letter of intent:

• Deutscher Medical Wellness Verband e.V.
• Europäisches Gesundheitszentrum für Naturheilverfahren
• Sebastian Kneipp Institut GmbH
• Heilbäderverband Baden-Württemberg e.V. ? Medical Wellness Stars
• Wellness Hotels Deutschland GmbH

Facilities, companies and institutions that have contributed to this ?letter of intent? and have agreed to officially recognise it:

• BIO-Hotels ? Verein für Angebotsentwicklung & Marketing
• Deutscher Heilbäderverband e.V. (official approval pending)
• Eggensberger Wellnesshotel & Kurklinik
• Europäisches Wellness-Institut EWI
• International Spa & Wellness Association e.V. (ISWA)
• Marketinginitiative zur Förderung von Gesundheitstourismus ?med in Germany ? Premiummarke No.1®? e.V.
• MWM Medical Wellness Management GmbH
• RAL-Gütegemeinschaft Kureinrichtungen e.V.
• Sächsische Staatsbäder GmbH
• The Leading Medical Wellness Hotels & Resorts
• Verband Deutscher Kurörtlicher Betriebe e.V.
• BISA British International Spa Association