Telephone sick notes should be permanently possible
In future, patients should generally be able to obtain a sick note from their doctor's surgery by telephone for minor illnesses. The Joint Federal Committee of doctors, health insurance companies and clinics will decide on December 7 on an amendment to the corresponding incapacity for work guideline, according to the committee's agenda.
In contrast to the usual practice for such guidelines, insured persons will be able to make use of the option immediately after the decision is made, as a spokeswoman for the Federal Committee told the German Press Agency. The plan is for "a so-called retroactive entry into force", i.e. from the day of the decision, she said. The Federal Ministry of Health still has to formally review the decision. Doctors, health insurance companies and clinics decide on specific healthcare services in the Federal Committee.
Permanent rule
During the coronavirus pandemic, there had already been a special regulation on telephone sick leave that had been extended several times. It expired in April. The planned step would make such a regulation permanent.
A spokesperson for the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV) explained that the committee had been instructed by the coalition in the summer to establish corresponding regulations for sick leave by telephone.
No severe symptoms
The basic new regulation will apply to patients "who are known in the doctor's practice and who do not have severe symptoms", said the committee spokesperson. This is in contrast to the special coronavirus regulation. Patients with severe upper respiratory tract diseases were able to take advantage of this. The telephone sick note is intended to relieve the burden on doctors' surgeries and reduce the risk of infection in waiting rooms.
Committee member Monika Lelgemann told ARD-Hauptstadtstudio that if the Federal Committee approves the regulation, it will come into force immediately. "That means it will be possible from December 7."
Tense situation in the practices
Germany's GPs had criticized the fact that the planned reintroduction of telephone sick notes was moving too slowly. Originally, a decision by the Federal Committee had not been planned until January.
The Federal Chairman of the Association of General Practitioners, Markus Beier, had already called for the new regulation to be "urgently needed" this winter in an interview with RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND) due to the "current extreme demand on GP practices". The committee spokesperson explained that the deadline set until January did not have to be exhausted due to rapid consultations.
Video consultation possible
"In addition to sick notes by telephone, there are also video consultations to avoid having to go to the doctor's surgery if you are ill and your illness allows for such a video consultation," the spokesperson continued. Patients who are known to the practice can be prescribed sick leave for up to seven days - and up to three days for patients who are not known to the practice.
Follow-up sick notes can also be issued via video if the previous sick note was based on a personal examination.
In this new regime, patients with minor health issues and no severe symptoms can request a sick note over the telephone, alleviating the pressure on doctors' surgeries and reducing the risk of infection in waiting rooms. The implementation of this permanent rule aims to address the current tense situation in medical practices, as highlighted by the Association of General Practitioners.
Furthermore, video consultations have become an alternative for patients who are ill and can benefit from such an approach, allowing for prescriptions of sick notes up to seven days, or three days for new patients, and followed by video-based follow-up sick notes if the initial sick note was based on a physical examination.
Source: www.dpa.com
