BCG study: Better opportunities for Germany's healthcare system
29.10.2013 16:10
In a study, the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) evaluated the data from the quality assurance required by law for every hospital and developed suggestions on how the quality of medical care in Germany can be improved. Germany has an internationally recognized health system. Nevertheless, there are major challenges that need to be solved in order to improve the quality of care in Germany.
On the one hand, there are significant differences in quality between service providers and, on the other hand, costs increase faster than performance. The BCG study “Quality Competition – Opportunities for Germany’s Health System” provides answers to these challenges. The study authors are calling for stronger quality competition through the measurement of patient-related outcome parameters as well as publication in a nationwide ranking portal in which the best hospitals for all important treatments can be easily identified, as well as opening up the obligation to contract for certain service areas.
Anyone who wants to improve the quality of care in Germany must focus on patient well-being and quality transparency, because the basic prerequisite for higher quality is comprehensive transparency. “We have to enable doctors to see how their ward compares qualitatively with others and enable patients to choose the best clinic themselves,” demands Benjamin Grosch, BCG partner and co-author of the study. “To do this, we need quality parameters relevant to the patient, such as data about the course of treatment, pain, mobility and ability to work.” These outcome parameters are currently defined by the ICHOM (International Consortium for Health Outcome Measurement). Since 2005, the collection of parameters for various indications has been required by statutory quality assurance in Germany.
The study authors found that the main reason for the strong differences in quality between individual clinics is the lack of specialization. There are too many clinics that perform the same operations but do not specialize in other procedures. Specialization and the associated more frequent performance of the same operation lead to better results simply because of the greater experience gained. This problem is particularly known in metropolitan areas. For example, there are over 60 hospitals in Berlin and Brandenburg that implant hip endoprostheses - that's far too many.
“Our study clearly shows that we need a fair and widely accepted risk adjustment,” demands Grosch. “Clinics with complicated cases must under no circumstances be disadvantaged. A hospital ranking must be fair, generally accessible and easy to understand.”
The results of the study also evaluate international experiences. In some countries, hospitals are already measured by their quality. It is extremely important for physicians to know how their clinic compares to other hospitals. “Increased transparency equals increased quality,” says Grosch. “Politicians must also accept this. The scope of health insurance companies should be expanded to allow them to give preference to high-quality hospitals.”