BDPK at the federal-state meeting: Align consultations with regional needs
29.06.2023 17:57
After the announcement that the key points for the hospital reform would not be finalized until July 10th, the BDPK renewed its proposal to the negotiators of the hospital reform to place integrated regional care planning at the center of the upcoming consultations.
The BDPK warns against continuing to focus the reform solely on the planning of hospital care. If outpatient, rehabilitative and nursing care as well as the emergency services remain ignored, no real progress is possible for patients. Rather, the supply areas as a whole and their interaction must be taken into account. Otherwise, there is a risk of supply deficits, especially in rural regions.
Quality-assured care close to home is mandatory
Before the most recent federal-state talks, the BDPK had already suggested that the federal and state governments jointly develop a planning instrument that is aimed at the relevant supply offers in the regions. In the BDPK's opinion, the upcoming consultations should be used to flesh out this planning instrument. The focus is on the question of what types of care people in a region need in an outpatient and inpatient form close to where they live. For good hospital care, quality-assured care for heart attacks, strokes, accidents and internal emergencies close to home is essential. However, longer travel times are reasonable for care in maximum care hospitals or specialist hospitals. If there is no guarantee from outpatient providers, hospitals should be approved for these services. The planned clinics of the so-called Level I i as outpatient and inpatient providers are a good idea, but in order to be included in outpatient care they must also be included in the statutory medical fees of the statutory health insurance associations. In addition, “radical de-bureaucratization” should ensure greater efficiency: every regulation in the health system must demonstrate its purpose for good care; if this is lacking, the regulation must be deleted.