/Daniel Ernst, stock.adobe.com
Berlin – Doctors’ time must be used more efficiently in the German healthcare system. This is what Yüksel König, board member of the Berlin Medical Association (ÄKB), yesterday at the Capital Congress (HSK) In Berlin.
“If we can optimize the use of physician time, this will not only influence the quality of treatment, but also physician satisfaction,” König said. More teamwork, more interdisciplinarity and more cross-sector collaboration could help.
The number of doctors in the German healthcare system has been increasing for years. “The simple number says nothing about whether we have good care or not,” emphasized König, who works as chief physician at the Clinic for Endocrine Surgery at the Vivantes Humboldt Clinic in Berlin. “The deciding factor is how many doctors work in direct patient care.” The efficient use of doctors’ time is a decisive lever for changes in the healthcare system.
More time for additional training
The sensible use of IT and technology can also help to use doctors’ time more efficiently, König explained: “Today, we spend too much time on nerve-racking data matching. Digitalization should reduce the workload, not transfer it.”
She called for a legal obligation to implement IT systems in the healthcare system. “And we need more time for additional training,” says König. “We can only inspire young doctors if we provide enough time for ongoing training.”
She also criticized the fact that contact with patients in Germany only lasts five minutes. “During this time, the doctor is unable to draw up an adequate history or treatment plan,” criticized König. “As a result, the patient has doubts and may look for another doctor to obtain more information.”
Weaknesses in the organization of work
Julian Dilling’s National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds quoted from the current Health Advisory Council report (SVR), which was recently published on the topic of skilled workers. “The international comparison of individual occupational groups provides evidence that the German health care system has a relatively high number of employees per resident,” it states.
“However, there is a comparatively high workload for employees, as there are a higher number of cases or patients per resident in Germany.”
This indicates, among other things, the organization of work and the structural weaknesses of the German healthcare system. “Addressing these deficiencies must be the focus of health policy efforts because simply increasing the number of employees further is expensive, appears unrealistic due to changing demographics, and promotes the maintenance of inefficient structures,” the report states.
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Michael Weller, Head of the Department of “Health Care, Health Insurance” at the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG), announced legal changes to reduce the number of unnecessary medical contacts.
For example, the Health Care Strengthening Act (GVSG), which was discussed in the Bundestag today in its first reading, should, for example, abolish the quarterly payment of the chronic care allowance and introduce a flat fee that is charged annually.
Weller also criticized the fact that emergency services are now paid more when they take patients to hospital – even if they do not need to be taken to hospital from a medical point of view. This regulation is expected to be changed with the emergency law. © fos/aerzteblatt.de