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Although the trends in the German healthcare system point to greater importance of health for insured persons and patients, healthcare is still not sufficiently oriented towards the needs of the individual patient. In particular, the patient perspective is not sufficiently taken into account when choosing diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. The health care researchers presented the current situation at the opening of the 17th German Congress for Health Care Research (DKVF) in Berlin1. Studies have also shown that expectations of concepts such as participatory decision-making (PEF), which are intended to promote the integration of patients, are changing have so far only been inadequately fulfilled and that the medical profession is still a long way from confidently adopting the basic principles of professional conversation and communication for the participation and integration of the patient.2 This means that there is significant potential for increasing the outcome, i.e. the level of impact Health services cannot be increased, and the legal requirements of the Patient Rights Act are not yet met.
04.10.2019
With its high density of care facilities, free access to medical services, free choice of doctor and a high degree of differentiation, the German health system offers its insured persons a wide range of services and a variety of options. Responsible and enlightened patients use this freedom and are increasingly taking matters into their own hands: They are better informed than ever before, question, demand, know their rights and work proactively to regain or maintain their health. Such self-determined and competent use of the care system requires that patients can deal with health-relevant information and actively participate in decision-making processes. However, the current study situation indicates that this is often not the case. According to this, over half of the German population faces significant problems when it comes to finding, understanding, assessing and applying health-relevant information (Schaeffer et al. 2016). The skills and abilities required for this are defined as “health literacy”. Competent handling of health-relevant information forms the basis for taking an active role in the treatment process, finding your way around the diversity of instances in the system and being able to participate in decisions in the treatment process. The term “health literacy”, which is derived from the English “health literacy”, has been growing in popularity in German specialist literature for several years and is increasingly being described as a significant factor in the public health debate worldwide (Sørensen et al. 2012).
04.10.2019
>> The BMC has developed seven proposals for a healthcare master plan (1). A central point is the development of business models for manufacturers of digital health applications. The proposal is likely to be widely accepted because every service provider strives for profit and every service user strives for security, and both goals correspond to basic human needs. Since health is one of the most important assets, it can be predicted that profit and security will be easily linked, although what one means by security will depend greatly.
04.04.2019
Around 70 scientists discussed a previously unsolved problem at the 7th Healthcare Research Forum of the German Network for Healthcare Research (see page III of the DNVF pages in this issue): that of the structured and efficient transfer of study results into real healthcare. This question arises in particular with the Innovation Fund, which, according to the draft bill for the “Law for Better Care through Digitalization and Innovation” – Digital Supply Act or TVG for short – is initially to be extended until 2024. The present interim report on the Innovation Fund (see p. 28), prepared by Prognos, recommends, for example, that in the future not only “the systematic evaluation of the project results with regard to the transfer process will be ensured”, but also that the “organization of a transfer process” should be evaluated more positively Project results should be incorporated into standard care by a “transfer committee”. The “how” was hotly debated.
04.04.2019
According to the most widely used definition in Europe, developed by a scientific consortium in preparation for the first European health literacy survey, health literacy (HC) means that “people have the knowledge, motivation and skills to understand information relating to health care, “To find, understand, evaluate and apply disease prevention and health promotion in order to be able to make decisions and actions to improve or maintain one’s own health over the course of life” (Sørensen et al. 2012).
04.04.2019
“RheinMain University of Applied Sciences wants to be one of the leading universities for applied sciences in Germany, recognized for its scientifically sound and professionally qualified teaching and for its application-related research, which is closely linked to teaching.” This is what Dean Prof. Dr. Stefan Jugel in the mission statement of the Wiesbaden Business School, a department of the RheinMain University of Applied Sciences with a total of 13,700 students. The Wiesbaden Business School offers its over 3,000 students an attractive range of courses in six degree programs with the aim of providing training that is practical and problem-solving oriented. In the “Health Economics” course, Prof. Dr. rer. pole. Hans R. Hartweg the subject combination “care planning, controlling and accounting in the healthcare system”.
04.04.2019
“If health services research does not take action in health and social policy based on its results, then the patient-oriented power and impact of health services research is lost.” With these words, Prof. Dr. Gerd Glaeske, co-head of the Health, Care & Old Age Security department and head of the “Live better for longer” institute in Bremen, presented his lecture “Transfer needs evaluation” with the subtitle “Interaction between care models and health care research as a basis for change”. he gave at the DNVF SpringSchool 2019 in Bonn. However, Glaeske, co-initiator, companion and honorary member of the German Network for Health Services Research, has a caveat: “However, this requires that health care researchers know and follow the current health and social policy discussions and legal framework in order to be able to place the results of their research in the appropriate context .” His demand: “Health care research must get involved and strive to bring evidence into the system based on diverse Windows of Opportunity.”
04.04.2019
Survey of research-based pharmaceutical companies represented on the MVF advisory board (carried out: April/May 2019). Written survey on the status of RWE study projects that have already been carried out. Pfizer Germany (Friedhelm Leverkus), Sanofi-Aventis Germany (Dr.-Ing. Janine Garbe, MHBA), Novartis Pharma (Dr. Andreas Kress) and Roche Pharma (Dr. Susanne Schach) responded.
04.04.2019
While the newly founded task force of the Heads of Medicines Agencies of the EMA (see p. 12 ff.) is dealing with the question of which real world data, in what quality and with which standards, are necessary to use this data for the management of the healthcare system To use this, the FDA has already presented a detailed “Framework for FDA's Real-World Evidence Program”, with which the US regulatory authority has developed a concept for integrating real-world data (see p. 14 ff.). A number of real-world evidence studies have already been carried out internationally, but in Germany this topic still seems to be of a certain concern. “Monitor Health Services Research” spoke to Dr. Marco Penske, Head Market Access & Healthcare Affairs at Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG; and secondly asked some research-based pharmaceutical companies represented on the advisory board for information about the status of RWE study projects that have already been carried out.
04.04.2019
“The great opportunity of the future,” says Prof. Dr. Frank Jessen, Director of the Clinic and Polyclinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at the University Hospital of Cologne, the model of Disease Interception. Many authors and interlocutors who speak in the specialist book of the same name – published in the “Monitor Healthcare Research” (MVF) series – find similarly strong comparisons. “A bold and hopeful vision,” for example, is what MVF editor Prof. Dr. Reinhold Roski in his editorial describes this “promising concept” (quote from Prof. Dr. Dr. Eva Winkler, senior physician at the National Center for Tumor Diseases and head of the research focus “Ethics and patient orientation in oncology), which “represents the most fervent wish of all affected patients and Patients” (Dr. Martin Danner, BAG) could make health instead of illness come true. Above all, because this “bet on a better future” (Wasem) has the potential to become “an established repair shop after centuries of medicine,” as Prof. Dr. Jochen A. Werner, Medical Director and Chairman of the Board of the Essen University Medical Center, states in his contribution that he is “opening a new chapter”.