New networks for the best possible hospice and palliative care
27.02.2023 17:30
In order to provide the best possible care for seriously ill and dying people everywhere in Germany, the diverse regional offers in accordance with the new § 39d SGB V are to be optimally coordinated in new hospice and palliative care networks in all 400 districts and independent cities. The focus is on coordinating local care with all those involved in such a way that it does justice to the seriously ill person in question.
In the future, this close cooperation between all actors will be organized by network coordinators in the municipalities. In order to support the development of appropriate networks, a cooperation project was started in January 2023 in which the Association of Private Health Insurance, the German Hospice and Palliative Association (DHPV), the German Society for Palliative Medicine (DGP) and the German Medical Association (BÄK) are involved are.
They want to advance the development of networks that are still missing in many regions, promote their collaboration and further training, and improve information for patients about their care options. The partners now want to jointly support the necessary supra-regional structures in order to contribute to the nationwide success of the hospice and palliative networks.
Private health insurance (PKV) will make a financial contribution of 2 million euros over the next 5 years. To implement the cooperation project, the PKV Association has concluded a funding agreement with the German Hospice and Palliative Association.
“The promotion of hospice work and palliative care is a particular concern of private health insurance,” emphasizes PKV association director Florian Reuther. “That is why, with this contract, we have voluntarily expanded funding beyond the PKV’s existing commitment to outpatient hospice services in order to support the development and coordination of hospice and palliative networks.”
“The diverse palliative offerings are always intended to be multi-professional and cross-sectoral. This requires the further expansion of networks to implement needs-oriented and comprehensive hospice and palliative care. The promotion of private health insurance takes up this urgent concern and thus makes an impressive contribution to establishing and further expanding palliative networks in different regions,” said the President of the Saarland Medical Association and palliative care representative of the German Medical Association, San.-Rat Dr. med. Joseph Mischo.
Heiner Melching, Managing Director of the German Society for Palliative Medicine (DGP), expressly welcomes the funding of PKV and hopes that this will provide effective support in setting up new hospice and palliative networks in particular: “This includes advice on drafting contracts, creating... Templates and the dissemination of experiences from existing networks as well as networking and improving visibility. Specifically, we are planning a corresponding expansion of the guide for hospice and palliative care in Germany.” The DGP is also keen to evaluate the development and effectiveness of these networks in order to be able to develop recommendations for adapting the legal regulations if necessary. (www.wegweiser-hospiz-palliativmedizin.de)
“The funding of the project by the PKV Association contributes to the further expansion of hospice work and palliative care and thus to the further improvement of help for those affected. The German Hospice and Palliative Association was therefore happy to take over the sponsorship of the project, which is now being started in close cooperation with the German Society for Palliative Medicine and the German Medical Association,” says Benno Bolze, Managing Director of the German Hospice and Palliative Association (DHPV).