SVR report reinforces the need for hospital reform
20.01.2023 17:30
The report by the Expert Council on resilience in the healthcare system, presented on January 19th, comes to the conclusion that the healthcare system must become more crisis-proof. The experts particularly emphasize the necessary structural change in hospital care. This is the only way to prepare for upcoming crises. The knowledge is there, but in an emergency there is a lack of reliable information and the necessary implementation. In doing so, the Council of Experts once again clearly reinforces the necessity of the planned hospital reform.
“The regional supply structures and coordination mechanisms established during the corona pandemic have shown how supply can be managed well and quickly in a crisis. A university hospital has often taken over control in a region. “This could be a groundbreaking template for a future hospital landscape so that the inpatient care sector is better prepared for future challenges,” says Professor Jens Scholz, 1st Chairman of the Association of University Hospitals in Germany
The corona pandemic has also shown that university medicine not only played a crucial role in acute care, but was also an important contact for politicians in numerous local, regional and national crisis and advisory teams. “In our view, a well-structured transformation of the hospital landscape with strengthened university medicine and an urgent catch-up process in digitalization are essential factors for a resilient healthcare system,” adds Professor Scholz.
Bringing findings from research directly into care
In its 2018 report, the Advisory Council had already made suggestions for tiered care and the associated financing of the inpatient sector. The government commission is building on this with its recommendations, which the federal and state governments will use as a basis in their upcoming discussions on hospital reform.
In order for the health system to be able to respond quickly to crises, findings from research must also be brought directly into care. Here, too, networks such as the University Medicine Network (NUM) emerged during the pandemic. The Council of Experts would like to continue to provide these structures.
In order for the health system to be able to respond quickly to crises, findings from research must also be brought directly into care. Here, too, networks such as the University Medicine Network (NUM) emerged during the pandemic. The Council of Experts would like to continue to provide these structures.
Arm yourself against unforeseeable events
“The report shows very clearly that we need to strengthen research in Germany in order to be prepared against unforeseeable events,” said Professor Matthias Frosch, President of the Medical Faculty Association. “This requires new funding formats that can be planned reliably and in the long term, as well as offering real freedom for unconventional topics and solutions. This means that in biomedical and clinical research we must rely even more on cooperative formats and permanently established infrastructures such as the NUM and the Medical Informatics Initiative (MII).”
The Association of University Hospitals in Germany (VUD) and the Medical Faculty Association (MFT) represent the interests of the 3,006 university hospitals and the 39 medical faculties in Germany. Its umbrella organization is the German University Medicine Association. Together, the associations stand for cutting-edge medicine, first-class research and internationally respected medical training and further education.