Abstracts by keywords: innovation
The gross value added in the core area of the healthcare industry was around 350 billion euros in 2017. This corresponds to around 12 percent of the gross domestic product. The health sector is not only seen as an important economic sector per se, but also has great economic benefits, as health is seen as the basis for creativity and economic success (BMG 2019a, WHO). In the current discussion, in addition to medical progress and technological achievements, holistic considerations play a role, which lead to better care and can be achieved through the digital networking of the actors. Compared to other European countries, Germany lags behind when it comes to digital offerings, and the welcome initiative to establish a “Global Health Hub” cannot hide this.
04.04.2019
In order to ensure long-term existence, effective organization, introduction of successful innovations and benefit generation for all actors in healthcare networks, it is essential to recognize the factors influencing the sustainability of these networks (Buhl 2010: 13-31). Only in this way can these determinants be designed specifically for independent existence. In the first part of this study, a preliminary framework was created using a systematic literature review that presents the sustainability factors of innovative healthcare networks. The research field of sustainability factors of innovative networks has not yet been examined in the context of the German healthcare system, so the results generated so far come from other healthcare systems or related forms of cooperation. In order to refute the uncertainties of transferability and completeness, the determinants for selected innovative health networks should be examined qualitatively and the hypothetical model should be empirically modified and supplemented. By comparing the findings from theory and practice, an instrument is to be created that will support coordinators in innovative health networks in shaping cooperation and alliances sustainably.
19.09.2016
The German healthcare system performs well in international comparisons in terms of quality and efficiency, but comparative studies point to existing potential for optimization (Lauerer et al. 2013: 483–491; Manouguian et al. 2010). Trends such as demographic change, which poses new challenges for regional supply security, require a continuous improvement in the supply structure and quality (Stüve 2009: 51–60; Amelung/Wolf 2011: 1566–1572). In order to do justice to this, politicians are calling for stronger networking and cooperation between service providers in the form of integrated care models (Amelung et al. 2009; Mühlbacher 2002). Various studies view interconnected structural, product and process innovations as necessary in order to significantly increase efficiency and effectiveness (Omachonu/Objection 2010: 1-20; Varkey et al. 2008: 382-388; Ilinca et al. 2012: 193 –202). Innovations, which are defined as the successful implementation of a new idea in a way that increases value for some or all participants, are no longer initiated only by individual actors, but are increasingly developed and disseminated in cooperative networks (Akrich et al. 2002: 187-206 ; Varkey et al. 2008: 382–388). With the aim of improving medical care, EU, federal and state policies promote health innovations at all levels, but 40% of these only exist until the start-up funding runs out (Savaya et al. 2008: 478–493). This volatility of improvement initiatives negatively impacts society's support and trust in future projects (Shediac-Rizkallah/Bone 1998: 87-108). The high use of resources during the new introduction creates a legitimate demand for goal achievement and long-term success and increases the interest of stakeholders in the sustainability factor (Edwards et al. 2007: 37–47).
31.03.2016
The high reserves of the health fund and individual health insurance companies are particularly appealing to lobbyists who advocate “carry on like this” and “more of the same”. Here a patch in favor of the hospitals, there one against the worrying excesses of the different statutory health insurance and private health insurance fees and, not to forget, more money to ensure rural care. The grand coalition is also focusing more on small-scale, incremental reforms, but is opening a new door for innovative, cross-sectoral forms of care with an innovation fund of 300 million euros annually. At the same time, everyone involved knows that, depending on the economic and immigration developments, social service providers will probably face financing problems again from 2016 or 2017, which will require more fundamental reforms and will also increase significantly in the following years. The US innovation economist Clayton Christensen is now formulating the thesis that the actual disruptive innovations or leap innovations are not initiated by politics, but by the supplying economy. He has analyzed innovation processes from various economic sectors for many decades and comes to the conclusion that in all of these areas it is ultimately always possible, according to certain rules, to develop cheaper solutions for an increasing number of consumers. He also analyzed the healthcare system. Here too, the time is ripe for cheaper solutions. In the following, this thesis will be examined and the opportunities and obstacles of breakthrough innovations for the German healthcare system will be weighed up. In healthcare, do we really always have to automatically assume that everything will be more expensive? Or have we gotten ourselves into a system that produces exactly this spiral of inflation, and are there ways to get out of it? What can we learn for the future of our healthcare system from analyzing the innovation patterns of other industries? What role do new business models that are geared towards outcomes rather than quantity of services play? And above all: who will be the market participants who will launch these breakthrough innovations?
24.01.2013
The 2013 coalition agreement does not mention the words innovation and progress once in the “Health and Care” section (apart from the new innovation fund), but this aspect is given very broad consideration in the economic policy part of the agreement. The key point is the goal of investing at least 3 % of the gross domestic product in research and development in the future. In order to achieve this, the health care system is also mentioned very prominently in the contract, for which the federal government, for example, plans to promote innovative products and processes in the area of individualized medicine as well as gender and geriatric medicine. However, the question arises as to what effects such research initiatives have on actual care in the health system, i.e. whether the translation into the care context is successful and whether appropriate procedures and assessment methods are available to decide which innovations actually represent medical or social progress should therefore find their way into general care practice at all. This is the subject of health services research, which from a health economics perspective always involves weighing up the identified benefits of a measure and the resources required to implement it. The use of these findings varies greatly depending on the service sector in the healthcare system, which indicates that there is a need to catch up, which will be discussed in this article. The starting point should first be a brief distinction between innovation and progress, in order to then discuss what contribution cost and benefit analyzes can make in this distinction.
24.01.2013
On January 1, 2011, the law to reorganize the pharmaceutical market (AMNOG) came into force. Since the AMNOG came into force, pharmaceutical companies (companies) have had to submit evidence of the additional benefit of the new active ingredient for all drugs with new active ingredients as of the date of market launch. According to the draft bill for AMNOG, one of the objectives of this law was to create “reliable framework conditions for innovation, care for insured persons and job security” (1). The research-based pharmaceutical drug manufacturers have faced the extremely high administrative effort associated with dossier creation. In public statements, IQWiG certifies that the pharmaceutical companies' dossiers are of good quality. After three years of experience with early benefit assessment, the question now arises as to whether AMNOG is an obstacle or an accelerator for innovation.
24.01.2013
Health care research and health care reality are closely intertwined. A constituent part of health services research is to analyze, evaluate and contribute to optimization of the reality of care. This is particularly important in the context of statutory health insurance. The implementation and optimization of care models is one of the core tasks of a health insurance company. Scientific evidence and health care management thus form a quasi-natural unit. The implementation of the findings from health services research into everyday care provides a direct benefit for those insured by the health insurance company as well as for the statutory health insurance.