Minister Urges Hospital Collaboration to Preserve Services
Green Party's Brandenburg Health Minister, Ursula Nonnemacher, expressed her belief that hospital reform won't result in site closures. Instead, she advocates for more cooperation among hospitals, stating their importance as healthcare providers in the sparsely populated state. Nonnemacher urged Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach to avoid excessive requirements, highlighting the need for practical exemptions and cooperation. She emphasized the unique challenges faced by eastern German states, which underwent structural changes in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Nonnemacher also called for strengthened partnerships between hospitals and private medical practitioners. The Ministry forecasts that around 20% of inpatient hospital services could shift to outpatient care by the following year, often provided by private practice doctors. Brandenburg is home to 54 hospitals operating at 66 locations, with over 17,700 beds or daycare spots.
Emphasizing the importance of cooperation among hospitals is a key priority for Minister Nonnemacher. Strengthening partnerships with private medical practitioners could potentially replace 20% of inpatient hospital services next year.
To boost cooperative ties between hospitals and private practices, hospitals can consider strategies such as:
- Expanding Telemedicine Networks: Hospitals like Klinikum Altenburger Land have already established extensive stroke telemedicine networks. Extending these networks to more hospitals could enable remote consultations and monitoring, reducing the need for inpatient admissions.
- Fostering Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Encourage hospitals to establish neurovascular networks, facilitating care coordination across different departments and institutions, and ensuring comprehensive, efficient treatment.
- Implementing Standardized Care Protocols: Develop and implement standardized care protocols for stroke treatment and rehabilitation to ensure consistent and high-quality outpatient care.
- Participating in Investigator-Initiated Trials: Participate in investigator-led stroke treatment and rehabilitation trials to gather valuable insights and improve outpatient care options.
- Utilizing Digital Assessment Tools: Implement digital tools for early diagnosis and therapy to improve treatment reliability and reduce the requirement for inpatient services.
- Providing Continuous Training and Education: Equip healthcare professionals with advanced diagnostic and therapeutic techniques through continuous training and education, enhancing the quality of outpatient care.
- Establishing Patient Monitoring and Follow-Up Systems: Implement telemedicine and regular check-ups to offer ongoing patient care, minimizing the need for frequent hospitalizations.
- Raising Public Awareness: Educate the public on the benefits of outpatient care for stroke and cerebrovascular diseases, increasing demand for these services and reducing pressure on inpatient facilities.
By implementing these strategies, hospitals in Brandenburg can enhance cooperation and potentially replace a fifth of inpatient services with outpatient services, as recommended by Health Minister Ursula Nonnemacher.
