At its delegates’ conference, the Association of Scientific Medical Societies (AWMF) presented a wide range of topics on the future health care of the population. Based on a current data analysis on hospital financing and the potential of outpatient care, the AWMF called for funding to be used in a coordinated and needs-based manner.

During the event, content was presented that highlighted potentials and hurdles for patient-centered healthcare, including presentations on National Care Guidelines and Hospital Reform. The AWMF had already focused on the topics of hospital reform and outpatient care at the Berlin Forum 2024.

AWMF President Prof. Rolf-Detlef Treede emphasised that it was not a lack of new concepts for a cross-sectoral system, but that the diversity of cost bearers such as statutory health insurance, accident insurance, pension insurance or long-term care insurance as well as the resulting complex financial flows posed the greatest challenge for planning and financing.

Dr. Robert Messerle from the Scientific Institute of the AOK (WIdO) also dealt with the financing of hospital reform and the potentials of outpatient care in his lecture. He pointed out that efficiency improvement potentials vary depending on the service group, with the AOP catalogue, IGES recommendations or potentially avoidable ASK cases offering varying possibilities. The analysis has shown that potentially outpatient cases occur mainly in primary care, where they account for up to 50 percent of cases. When implementing the reform, the outpatient potential must be taken into account in order not to permanently stipulate an inpatient provision for outpatient services.

Treede summarised that a reform of hospital financing would fall short if it was not embedded in a comprehensive concept for simplifying financial flows in order to use scarce funds where they were needed.

Editor: X-Press Journalistenbüro GbR

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