Experts lack patient expertise

23.12.2011 12:23

The legislator's efforts to optimize care structures with the Statutory Health Insurance Care Structure Act alone do not adequately meet these challenges. They are based on thought structures of the last century, according to the German Society for Citizen-Oriented Supply Management (DGbV eV) in a statement.

Discontinuations of therapy and inadequate adherence to necessary therapeutic measures (non-compliance, non-adherence, non-persistence and failure to follow guidelines) are particularly high at 50 percent. Treatment efforts fail, particularly in the case of chronically ill people (for example in the case of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, asthma or mental illnesses) and burden not only the individual affected, but also the solidarity system to a considerable extent, with costs estimated by experts at 15 to 20 billion euros annually will, according to Dr. John Weatherly, President of the DGbV.

The legislator's efforts to optimize the supply channels with the Statutory Health Insurance Supply Structure Act alone do not adequately meet these challenges. They are based on thought structures of the last century, which still largely see patients as objects of highly developed medicine. Without special care management concepts that enable patients to act independently, all structural optimization attempts remain piecemeal. The sick must be empowered to take on more personal responsibility, to orientate themselves better in the health system and to develop their own health literacy. If this does not succeed, all structural optimization attempts will remain piecemeal, the DGbV criticizes.

What is necessary is the development and mandatory use of specially trained non-medical specialists and assistants. They can support the treatment processes. Health professionals such as patient coaches, case managers, rheumatism guides, etc. are urgently needed. This requires the departure into new roles for actors and users of the health system - the departure into the century of the patient.