Health care - The healthcare system is not crisis-proof, warns Chancellor's expert council
The German healthcare system, according to the expert council "Health and Resilience" at the Chancellery, is not well prepared for future crises. Although Germany invests extensively in healthcare compared to other countries, there is no corresponding improvement in people's health, the council stated in a statement obtained by the German Press Agency.
Additionally, Germany finds itself in a demographically challenging situation, as the population is aging. At the same time, around 30 percent of healthcare professionals will retire in the next ten years. Furthermore, health inequalities are increasing. The system does not provide a sufficient basis "for preparing for crisis situations, disruptions, and shocks," the council concluded. A change of the overall "inefficient, mediocre system" seems necessary.
Prepare Early for Crises
The expert council, consisting of 23 scientists from various disciplines, began its work in March. It succeeded the Corona Expert Council. Among the experts and experts are, for example, the former chairman of the German Ethics Council Alena Buyx and the virologist Christian Drosten.
Medicine has made great strides in recent years in innovative therapies and offers new treatment options for serious illnesses, said the Charité CEO and chairman of the expert council, Heyo K. Kroemer. This is the goal of scientific developments, but it is also very cost-intensive. Therefore, the question arises as to how future, often expensive innovations can be financed and made available to all affected patient groups in a needs-based manner. "If such a development can no longer be fully financed, the question arises as to which criteria decisions are made," said Kroemer. In the expert council, it is believed that "this foreseeable problem should be discussed now."
Make the Healthcare System More Efficient
To make the healthcare system more efficient and crisis-proof, the council recommends expanding the understanding of innovation. This should not only be about developing new medicines or diagnostic procedures but also about consciously abandoning performances or measures that do not add value. Innovations can also be structural changes or modifications. For example, discussions about whether and which non-medical professional groups can take over certain medical tasks have been ongoing for a long time. The restructuring of hospital care is an example.
The German healthcare system has an international very high standard, said Kroemer. "With that comes a great responsibility to consider how one can design the system for future challenges in a resilient way." It is important that politics and science work proactively together and use times without special healthcare challenges, such as the Corona pandemic, to prepare structurally and fundamentally for possible developments.
Scientific political advice like the expert council is helpful in this regard, said Kroemer. The council can build expertise outside of crises and quickly react and provide well-founded recommendations during crises.
The expert council, focusing on the healthcare system's preparedness for future crises, highlighted the concern that Coronavirus has exposed vulnerabilities within Germany's system. Despite substantial investment in healthcare, the council noted that there hasn't been a corresponding improvement in public health, which underscores the need for systemic changes.
Given the council's findings, it's crucial for Germany to heed their advice and begin implementing reforms to address inefficiencies and make the healthcare system more resilient. This could involve reevaluating the roles of various healthcare professionals in light of the impending retirement of 30% of the current workforce, as well as addressing rising health inequalities to ensure a stronger system that can withstand future crises, including the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic.
