Are there too many inpatient treatments? The panel doctors demand that every fourth operation should be carried out on an outpatient basis in the future. Up to ten billion euros could be saved annually.
The panel doctors have asked Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) to significantly reduce the number of hospital operations and create more opportunities for outpatient treatment. The chairman of the board of directors of the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV), Andreas Gassen, called for “a turnaround in the OP” in the “Bild”.
“There are still far too many inpatient treatments in Germany,” said Gassen. Of the approximately 16 million operations a year, three to four million could be carried out on an outpatient basis, i.e. also by resident doctors.
Example: groin and joint surgeries
Gassen warned that Lauterbach must finally define which operations “should also normally be carried out on an outpatient basis for a uniform fee in the future”. Gassen named groin and joint operations as examples, which should be taken over by resident doctors in the future.
Savings of ten billion euros?
This could save around ten billion euros per year, said Gassen. The contribution increase announced for 2024 could therefore fail. He also emphasized that in the case of outpatient treatment, patients could return to their usual environment immediately after the procedure. Among other things, this could also reduce infections caused by dangerous hospital germs.