Health - Sick note by phone - GPs happy about the option
The General Practitioners' Association welcomes the foreseeable possibility of being able to take sick leave by telephone in future. Doctors' surgeries are "working at the limit" due to the current wave of colds and coronavirus, said association chairman Markus Beier on Deutschlandfunk radio on Thursday. The option to call in sick by telephone would make practice processes easier and also help patients.
The Federal Joint Committee of doctors, health insurance companies and clinics intends to adopt an amendment to the guidelines on Thursday. Under certain conditions, it should make it possible to have an incapacity for work established without a visit to the practice - if you are already known to the practice and have no serious symptoms of illness. The model is a special regulation that existed during the coronavirus crisis to prevent infection. It expired in April. A permanent option for sick leave by telephone is now to be established. The background to this is a corresponding legal mandate from the Bundestag to the Federal Committee.
Beier emphasized that doctors had always demanded that the option should only be opened up for "known" patients. He therefore considers the potential for abuse to be low. It is also clear that this would only be used for minor illnesses, for example if "the nose is running and the head is a little sore". In practice, according to Beier, the procedure would be for someone to call reception and then be called back by the doctor for clarification.
"Need time for the really sick"
In the case of more severe symptoms, patients should of course continue to come to the practice, Beier emphasized. "We need time for the really sick," warned the head of the association. In this context, he also criticized the state of digitalization for practices. In Beier's view, this is not working properly and "eats up time". Beier spoke of a "pseudo-digitalization" and a campaign for the paper industry.
Employers have reservations about the possibility of telephone sick notes. Steffen Kampeter, Managing Director of the employers' association BDA, sees this as a measure that "significantly challenges" industrial peace in companies, as he told Deutschlandfunk radio. Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD), on the other hand, told Handelsblatt: "This is a significant relief for employees, employers and doctors."
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The General Practitioners' Association in Germany, led by Markus Beier, supports the prospect of obtaining a sick note over the phone in the future. This is particularly beneficial during periods of high illness rates, such as the current wave of colds and coronavirus. The proposed amendment from the Federal Joint Committee could allow for established incapacity for work without a practice visit under certain conditions. This model was previously used during the coronavirus crisis to prevent infection, but expired in April. If adopted, this would provide a permanent option for telephone sick notes, easing practice processes and benefiting patients. However, employers have reservations about this measure, as it could potentially challenge industrial peace in companies.
Source: www.stern.de
