Litsch: Thinking digitalization and centralization together in hospitals

28.03.2019 11:43

German hospitals are lagging behind in international comparison when it comes to digitalization. As the current hospital report from the AOK Scientific Institute (WIdO) shows, around 40 percent of German hospitals hardly work digitally. For example, they do not use electronic patient records or have a digital medication process that extends from the prescription to the patient's bedside. According to the CEO of the AOK Federal Association, Martin Litsch, both would significantly improve patient safety. The digitalization gap is particularly pronounced in small hospitals with fewer than 200 beds.

For Martin Litsch, CEO of the AOK Federal Association, digitalization must be thought of together with the hospital structures: “The WIdO hospital report uses various studies to only highlight digitalization in German hospitals, but these are enough to clearly identify the digitalization gap. As with the quality of supply, digital change also shows that small houses in particular cannot keep up.

Simply pouring more money into existing structures, which are characterized by overcapacity, quality deficiencies and a shortage of skilled workers, will not accelerate change. The insufficient financing of investment costs by the federal states and poor general conditions such as hesitant broadband expansion do play a role. But digital change is also opposed by an insufficiently developed culture of innovation and our fragmented supply landscape. The international comparison shows that digitalization progress is significantly greater in more centralized clinical structures.

It is all the more gratifying that the German Hospital Association has finally recognized the need for structural change and would like to advance this constructively in the future. This makes much more sense than simply calling for more money.

In order to noticeably advance the advantages of digitalization for patients, the AOK is developing the Digital Health Network, a platform for exchanging health data between patients, practicing doctors, clinics and other players in the healthcare system. It also includes a digital patient file for AOK insured people. The digital health network has already started with two regional pilots in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. In Berlin, for example, we work with the third largest private hospital group Sana Kliniken AG and with Germany's largest municipal hospital group Vivantes. This is how we create concrete advantages for our insured persons. The collaboration shows that there are already clinics today that are very interested in digitalization and are open to changes,” said the CEO of the AOK Federal Association.