Lesson 3.2 · 5 min
§ 21 Step-free access and appointments
Open in the coursewith narrated slides, a checklist to tick off and a quiz
At a glance
- Access with reduced mobility too. As far as circumstances allow, toilets included. Where it isn't possible, patients learn of the nearest suitable facility.
- Point to arztbarrierefrei.at. Especially with referrals, patients with reduced mobility learn of this source of information.
- Appointments and waiting times. A structured appointment system keeps waits short. Average waiting times are measured regularly.
In detail
What § 21 requires
- Patients with reduced mobility can get into the practice, toilets included, as far as the circumstances allow. If you can't treat them, you tell them of the nearest suitable facility that offers the treatment § 21(1).
- You tell patients with reduced mobility, especially when referring them on, about the information at www.arztbarrierefrei.at § 21(2).
- There is a structured appointment system meant to keep waiting times as short as possible. Average waiting times are measured at regular intervals, and improvements are started where needed § 21(3).
What works as proof
- a description of access: steps, lift, door widths, toilet;
- a list of suitable facilities nearby for cases you can't treat;
- the appointment system itself, an online calendar or appointment rules for example;
- the dated waiting-time measurements and what you concluded from them.
The regulation doesn't say how often "regularly" is. Write down what you've decided on, then do it.
Checklist
- Access for people with reduced mobility is described, toilet included.
- For cases you can't treat, the nearest suitable facility is known.
- The team mentions www.arztbarrierefrei.at with referrals.
- There is a structured appointment system.
- Average waiting times are measured regularly.
Quiz
What does § 21(3) require about waiting times?
- A waiting-time display in the waiting room
- A structured appointment system, regular measurement of average waiting times, and improvements where needed
- At most 15 minutes' wait
- Nothing, waiting times aren't regulated
Show the answer
The answer is B: A structured appointment system, regular measurement of average waiting times, and improvements where needed. § 21(3) sets no maximum. It requires the appointment system, regular measurement and, where needed, steps to improve.
Sources
This lesson's statements rest on:
Not legal advice. What counts is the text of the QS-VO 2024 in the Federal Legal Information System (version of 3 October 2026) and the Austrian Medical Chamber's Hygiene Regulation 2014. Not an offer of ÖQMED, the BIQG or the Medical Chamber.