Concerns regarding the high volume of interactions between doctors and patients in Germany are prompting a renewed focus on structural reform within the healthcare system. Markus Beier, Chairman of the German Association of General Practitioners and Family Doctors, voiced his support for initiatives by Federal Health Minister Nina Warken aimed at reducing these contact rates.
Minister Warken has previously highlighted that Germans seek medical attention at a higher frequency compared to citizens of other European nations, without a corresponding improvement in health outcomes or life expectancy. She emphasized the need for greater coordination to minimize unnecessary appointments and expedite access to care for those with urgent medical needs. Plans are underway to introduce a primary care physician system.
Beier echoed Minister Warken’s observations, attributing the high contact rate to the complexity of the existing system and patient difficulty navigating appropriate care pathways. He warned that the aging population and demographic shifts render the current level of interaction unsustainable.
Beier strongly advocated for a nationwide primary care physician system, where general practitioners serve as the first point of contact for patients. Such a system, he believes, would streamline the process, directing patients to the most appropriate care setting, ultimately reducing overall doctor visits and improving the quality of care. He pointed to successful examples in other European countries, noting that Germany already has a voluntary ‘Hausarztmodell’ which incorporates elements of a primary care system.
He urged the government to leverage existing structures, particularly the current framework for ‘hausarztzentrierte Versorgung’ (patient-centered care) already mandated by statutory health insurers, as outlined in the coalition agreement. A complete overhaul, he cautioned, would be a protracted process, a luxury the country cannot afford.