Health - Bad experiences: Insured persons see shortcomings in the system
Based on their own experiences, a significant proportion of insured people in Germany see shortcomings in the healthcare system, according to a survey. Most people are satisfied with medical care in Germany, according to a representative survey commissioned by the Siemens company health insurance fund. However, there is a significant proportion of people who have experienced deficits in many areas - for example in care, in hospital or when looking for a pediatrician.
For example, 28% of parents surveyed with children under the age of twelve had difficulties finding a pediatrician's office to care for their children. Almost a third (31 percent) had to wait an unreasonably long time for appointments, according to the results of the survey, which were made available to the German Press Agency in Munich. According to the adults surveyed, 30 percent of them had also not been able to get an appointment at a GP or specialist practice quickly enough despite the urgency of the matter.
According to the survey, one in four (24%) do not consider the often life-saving emergency care in their own region to be guaranteed. As many as 35% of those who have been in need of care themselves or have cared for someone were not satisfied with the outpatient or inpatient care facilities. A further two percentage points more were also unable to find a place in a care home or a care service quickly enough.
It was also annoying that 26 percent of all respondents stated that the same examinations were carried out again at short intervals because results such as blood tests or X-rays had not been passed on from one practice to another. Of those in need of care, more than half (54 percent) had even had such duplicate examinations. Nevertheless, 77 percent of those surveyed were satisfied overall with their doctor's practice.
It is striking that this satisfaction increases with the net income of households. According to the survey, only 71 percent of those with low incomes of up to 1000 euros are satisfied with their medical practices, but 83 percent of those with at least 4000 euros. This group is also significantly more likely than the average respondent (72% to 63%) to say that they can get an appointment within a reasonable time if they need it urgently.
The market research institute YouGov surveyed 2022 people aged 18 and over for the online survey commissioned by the Heidenheim-based Siemens company health insurance fund SBK. The results of the survey from July 19 to 21 were weighted and are said to be representative of the adult population in Germany.
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Despite some challenges, a majority of people are content with the medical care in German hospitals. Nevertheless, 28% of parents in Munich struggled to find a pediatrician, and 31% had to wait excessively for appointments, as reported by the German Press Agency in Munich. Furthermore, 30% of adults surveyed had difficulty securing appointments at general practitioner or specialist practices promptly, despite urgent needs.
Source: www.stern.de
