Das Gesundheitswesen
-
Das Gesundheitswesen · Jan 2005
Comparative Study[Study of the quality of codification of diagnoses and procedures under DRG conditions].
A system based on Diagnosis Related Groups was introduced in Germany and is mandatory for hospitals from 2004. Hospitals, health care providers and the Medical Service of Social Security-Health Insurance (MDK) face a common effort. Proper codification of diagnoses and procedures is essential. The Medical Service in the State of Hessen, the Techniker Krankenkasse and the Burgerhospital Frankfurt am Main combined forces to assess codification under the DRG system. ⋯ Further systematic reviews are required to develop the DRG System and identify faulty trends.
-
Das Gesundheitswesen · Dec 2004
[Glossary on patient safety -- a contribution to on-target-definition and to appreciate the subjects of "patient safety"].
Since the release of the report "To Err is Human" by the American Institute of Medicine (IOM) the subject "Medical Risks, Errors and Patient Safety" has gained increasing interest in literature. In Germany, neither extensive statistics nor generally significant epidemiological studies regarding common errors associated with damages caused to patients' health exist. In recent years the subject has become increasingly interesting both in specialist discussion and it the lay press; it has become evident that the different use of terms, especially those originating from the Anglo-Saxon language, can lead to misunderstandings. Hence, as one of the first steps of its action programme, the expert panel "Patient Safety" of the German Agency for Quality in Medicine has compiled a glossary of technical terms to provide adequate support to the discussion this important subject of nomenclature.
-
Das Gesundheitswesen · Dec 2004
[Communal health promotion in child and adolescent health services -- report on the experience with a organisational model for setting up an interdisciplinary network in a socially important area].
This report focusses on health promotion for children adolescents und families and on the aspects of organisation and resources. In 1991 the Public Youth Health Care (KJGD), a community health service for children und adolescents, set up a multi-professional "district committee" of distributors in leading positions in a socially important area (social workers, school teachers, kindergarten teachers, councillors, medical personnel, architects and town planners etc.). Medical examinations of all school beginners and children with special educational needs formed the basis of the social paediatric observations and data. ⋯ Social paediatric issues and preventative strategies became part of the work in social and educational organisations in the area und the city. A healthy environment for children und families was promoted. For the KJGD the conceptual work with distributors in leading positions led to initiatives for communal health promotion making time-saving use of existing resources.
-
Das Gesundheitswesen · Aug 2004
Comparative Study[Experiences of the German public health service with the implementation of a new infections disease control act--results of focus group discussions].
The new infectious disease control act (IDCA) enacted in 2001 has resulted in far-reaching structural and organisational changes in German public health service (PHS) especially in respect of the surveillance of notifiable diseases. We conducted focus group discussions with 54 employees of the PHS from 14 German states (Länder) in order to investigate how implementation has been received and what could be improved further. Four focus group discussions each based on an identical agenda were performed with 13 or 14 participants. ⋯ A major portion of the identified problems has in the meanwhile been solved; for others, solutions are under way. Some of the problems, however, would only be solvable by modification of the IDCA. Overall the focus group discussions were a useful tool to adapt the design of the surveillance system to the needs of local health departments.
-
Das Gesundheitswesen · Jul 2004
Clinical Trial[Smoking-attributable productivity loss in Germany--a partial sickness cost study based on the human capital potential method].
Costs of productivity loss for the Federal Republic of Germany attributable to smoking in 1999 was to be determined. ⋯ This partial disease cost study shows that immense economic productivity losses are associated with smoking. This loss of resources can justify a purposeful promotion of studies regarding cost effectiveness of anti-smoking therapeutic measures or preventive measures against smoking. But it should be considered that the use of the human potential capital method results in an overestimation of the actual productivity losses by smoking. In future the costs of productivity losses attributable to smoking should be determined by the friction cost method. With this procedure a more realistic estimation of productivity-relevant costs of smoking is possible.