Health kiosk in the coalition agreement: 14 million people receive new health services to improve health literacy
29.11.2021 12:42
In their coalition agreement, the SPD, Greens and FDP agreed to set up health kiosks in “particularly disadvantaged regions”. Should this coalition form the next federal government, the health kiosk model, which was developed by Gesundheit für Billstedt/Horn UG in Hamburg and has been successfully implemented for five years now, would become a government program. According to the “Disparity Report: Unequal Germany” by the Friedrich-Ebert Foundation, around 13.6 million people in Germany live in so-called disadvantaged regions with more difficult access to medical advice.
For Falko Droßmann, SPD member of the Bundestag and former district office manager from Hamburg Mitte, inclusion in the coalition program is a result of the effective work of the Hamburg health kiosk: “I am very pleased that our model project “Health Kiosk” will now serve as a model for the entire Federal Republic and has found its place in the coalition agreement of the new government. This health project got off to a very successful start in Billstedt and Horn and has become an integral part of our districts. Such an offer is particularly important in economically weaker parts of the city in order to ensure good supply for the local people. You can ask all your questions about your health at the health kiosk and receive competent, multilingual advice there. For many people, it's all about staying healthy. The health kiosk also offers great preventive offers here. Our health kiosk is a role model! I assume that the financing of such projects will now be permanently secured.”
The health kiosk is the innovative interface in a large cross-sector network with highly qualified, academic nursing staff, which was established for the first time in the deprived district of Hamburg-Billstedt. The comprehensive concept of health kiosks is low-threshold, needs-oriented and culturally sensitive advice in native languages on all issues affecting people's health. An evaluation of the work of the health kiosk carried out by the University of Hamburg confirms measurable successes.
Alexander Fischer, Managing Director of Health for Billstedt/Horn UG, emphasizes the health policy significance of this decision. “We welcome the intention of the future federal government to improve care in socially disadvantaged regions. The corona pandemic has once again shown how fundamental it is that health literacy is improved in all parts of society and that information is not only made more easily accessible to all parts of the population, but is offered proactively.” Every month, for example, the health kiosk in Hamburg organizes vaccination days, where around 200 people, mostly with a migrant background, come and get vaccinated.
The corona pandemic has further exacerbated existing health and social inequalities, so fair and equal access to health care should be a central goal of the new Federal Ministry of Health, said Fischer.
A look at hospital cases and outpatient doctor visits shows that the project has demonstrably improved access to outpatient care. “People are going more to local outpatient practices and less to hospitals,” says Prof. Dr. Jonas Schreyögg, scientific director at the Hamburg Center for Health Economics. At the end of the project, a decline in hospital cases that could be avoided through effective outpatient care was recorded by almost 19 percent compared to other parts of Hamburg. At the same time, the number of doctor visits in Billstedt and Horn has increased by an average of 1.9 visits per insured person per year compared to the other districts of Hamburg.
Health for Billstedt/Horn UG has been operating the first health kiosk in Germany since 2017 and supports municipalities and health insurance companies in setting up this model. The next city is Essen, which is preparing to open two health kiosks in the north of Essen together with Gesundheit für Billstedt/Horn UG.