Rheumatism patients in Germany need more competent care
19.04.2017 16:41
More than 1.5 million adults in Germany suffer from inflammatory rheumatic diseases. According to the German Society for Rheumatology (DGRh), rheumatism is sometimes not recognized and therefore not treated appropriately. The reason for this lies, among other things, in medical studies, in which rheumatology is featured to a far too limited extent. In addition, there are not enough university chairs. For patients, this means pain and consequential damage, and high follow-up costs for health insurance companies.
The DGRh sees the solutions in strengthening research and teaching. At a press conference that took place in Berlin on April 19, 2017, experts discussed how the political framework needs to change in order to improve care and thus the well-being of patients.
Today, new medications enable many rheumatism patients to live with a high quality of life. However, the prerequisite for this is that doctors diagnose the disease early and reliably. That's not the case, says Professor Dr. med. Hanns-Martin Lorenz, President of the DGRh: Rheumatic diseases often only show non-specific symptoms at the beginning, which can also occur in other clinical pictures. Rheumatology must therefore play a larger role in medical studies. Several studies on rheumatological integration into student training - the RISA studies - show that internal rheumatology is poorly anchored here.
During their entire medical studies, students only have 14 hours of lectures in rheumatology, six rheumatology practical exercises and seven hours of bedside exercises. “This narrow-track training offers little chance of developing interest in the subject,” criticizes Professor Lorenz, “and we also have far too few university chairs to advance rheumatological research and teaching.” There are currently only seven medical faculties with C4/W3 chairs for rheumatology with an internal rheumatologist as director. That's why there is a lack of young doctors who are taking further training in rheumatology. “The result is an insufficient number of internal rheumatologists and, in the worst case, an undersupply of patients,” says Professor Lorenz. The current DGRh memorandum on rheumatological care in Germany also shows that, with around 770 internal rheumatologists, only half of the need for rheumatologists in Germany is currently covered.
“In view of the diversity and complexity of rheumatic-inflammatory diseases, the need for research remains high,” says Professor Dr. med. Matthias Schneider, Secretary General of the DGRh. In order to counteract the shortage of care, an independent internal rheumatology unit must be set up at every university hospital, continued the director of the polyclinic and the functional area for rheumatology at the University Hospital Düsseldorf. However, the small scientific rheumatological community in this country is very active. Rheumatism research of international standing comes from Germany. “This great potential must be maintained and strengthened,” says Professor Schneider.
The treatment of inflammatory rheumatic diseases also accounts for a large proportion of medication costs in the German healthcare system. “This dimension makes it clear that knowledge of rheumatology and its treatment must be part of medical training. “This is the only way to ensure that, in addition to the best possible treatment for the patient, the effective use of resources is possible,” explains Prof. Schneider.