Abstracts by keywords: outpatient care
After more than 30 years of development, physician networks represent a promising approach to strengthening outpatient care in Germany. In light of growing supply bottlenecks, demographic change, and a growing need for interprofessional collaboration, they are increasingly becoming the focus of health policy. The resulting network structure is extremely heterogeneous, both in terms of structure, maturity, and actual effectiveness. This article analyzes the current state of development of physician networks in Germany, identifies key success factors, and explores their future potential. Using selected best-practice examples, it demonstrates the conditions under which physician networks can not only contribute to improving care but also function as economically viable business models. This provides concrete recommendations for action to further develop physician networks and establish them as a strategic management instrument in the healthcare system.
04.08.2025
For many years, experts have been warning that the historically created sector boundaries and the associated false incentives with breaks in care and incorrect care in the German healthcare system should be addressed and eliminated (SVR 2012; SVR 2018; Nagel et al. 2017). The care areas of the medical care centers (MVZ) implemented in the Fifth Social Code (SGB V) according to § 95, the day hospital treatment according to § 115, the pre- and post-inpatient treatment according to § 115a, outpatient surgery according to § 115b, the authorization according to § 116 , outpatient treatment at the hospital (ABK) according to § 116b old version, the university outpatient clinic according to § 117, the social psychiatric outpatient clinics according to § 120, the affiliated doctor system according to § 121, the disease management programs according to § 137f, the previously integrated and now special Care in accordance with Section 140a SGB V, to name just a few, have neither eliminated the parallel care structures nor reduced sector boundaries nor equalized the differences between urban and rural areas (Dengler et al. 2018; Jacobs 2019; Wolf 2020).
03.10.2023
Results of a Delphi survey and retrospective data analysis
07.06.2021
Influence of insurance status and income on waiting times in the outpatient sector. The length of the waiting time for an appointment in the outpatient and inpatient sectors is considered an important quality indicator and a significant parameter for access to medical care in most countries. Since waiting times are often perceived as an implicit form of rationing of healthcare services, this […]
25.09.2012
With the reform of the statutory health insurance provider's remuneration of the GKV WSG in 2007, the legislature decided that the total remuneration of the statutory health insurance associations, after standardization of the price component, would be determined primarily by the change in the necessary treatment requirements. To determine the necessary amount of services, the number and risk structure of insured persons residing in the area of responsibility of an association of statutory health insurance physicians as well as the shift in services between inpatient and statutory health care should be taken into account. Their determination - relevant to remuneration - proved to be a complex undertaking given the conflicting interests and the lack of an internationally established methodology. Fundamental methodological questions are still discussed in the evaluation committee; Only when these have been resolved can the money follow the performance. This results in the health economic importance of this research area, which has so far been little developed. This article aims to stimulate further methodological discussion using a simple projection.