With reforms in the years 2000 and 2004, respectively, the German government created a new playground for actors in Germany’s health sector. In previous years, a cumulative number of events were said to seriously impair the efficiency of the health system as it was established. The recent policy can be characterized by a shift towards rationing and standardization, in short, a trend towards Managed Care (MC). This paper is supposed to take up the part of the reforms which are aimed at introducing MC practices in the German health sector. This comes mainly in the form of Integrated Service Delivery Systems (ISDS), which overcome the burden of the traditional sectoral splitting of prevailing institutions in the health economy. The state’s priorities have been cost containment and quality enhancement. Yet these goals were perceived to be unattainable at the same time due to their state of being. The primary focus of this work is to show how government outlines the compatibility of these measures and which legal context has been established to put them into practice. The first section deals with the evolution of Managed Care, outlines its instruments, and tries to figure out why this structure seems to be particularly useful in reacting to market failures in the health sector. Information asymmetries, moral hazard and public good character are problems that need to be overcome. Policy means of information, communication, technology, and networking are suitable approaches to address the above disturbances. An attempt to examine the transferability of Managed Care from the Anglo Saxon to the German system is to be undertaken. The main part of this work attempts to outline the development of ISDSs in Germany, of which the predominant version is the ‘Integrierte Versorgung’ (IV). The legal framework, contractual means, payment schemes, and possible partners in the IV system are to be analyzed just as well as factors for success of this rather new model of care provision. It follows an introduction to the concept of network organizations which will lead directly to management areas that are particularly important when setting up networks. Eventually, advantages and disadvantages for the main actors in the system of IV are listed. The last part of the paper analyzes whether ISDS are able to smooth out imponderabilities resulting from the traditional system of provision. [...]
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Managed Care
- What is Managed Care?
- Instruments of Managed Care
- Gatekeeping and Specialists
- Case and Disease Management
- Compensation Schemes and Incentives
- Quality Control
- Evolution of Managed Care
- The Three Pillars of Managed Care
- Applicability of Managed Care from the US to the German System
- Integrated Service Delivery Systems
- Current Deficiencies and Goals to be achieved
- Development and Concept
- Legal Aspects
- Contracting Partners
- Compensation
- Financing IV Structures
- Factors for Success
- Organization and Management
- Quality Management in the System of IV
- Results of Empirical Research
- Is the IV Approach suitable for Quality Enhancements?
- Quality of Provision - Contractual Means
- Outlook
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This bachelor thesis aims to analyze the reform of the German health sector, focusing on the implementation of integrated service delivery systems (IV). It explores the potential of IV to achieve cost containment and quality enhancement, while examining the challenges and considerations surrounding this approach.
- The concept and evolution of managed care
- The implementation of integrated service delivery systems in the German health sector
- The impact of IV on cost containment and quality enhancement
- The role of quality management in the IV system
- Factors influencing the success of IV implementation
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Introduction: Provides an overview of the topic and introduces the research question.
- Managed Care: Defines managed care, explores its instruments, evolution, and key principles. Analyzes the applicability of managed care from the US system to the German health sector.
- Integrated Service Delivery Systems: Discusses the current deficiencies in the German health sector and the goals of IV implementation. Examines the development and concept of IV, including legal aspects, contracting partners, compensation schemes, and financing structures. Analyzes factors contributing to the success of IV systems.
- Quality Management in the System of IV: Presents the results of empirical research related to quality management in IV systems. Evaluates the suitability of the IV approach for enhancing quality, and explores contractual means of improving quality of provision.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
Key terms and concepts examined in this thesis include: German health sector, reform, integrated service delivery systems (IV), managed care, cost containment, quality enhancement, quality management, empirical research, contracting partners, compensation schemes, and financing structures.
- Quote paper
- B.Sc. Economics and Management David Wagner (Author), 2006, The Reform of the German Health Sector: Integrated Service Delivery Systems - Cost Containment and Quality Enhancement - Attaining Diverging Ends by Similar Means, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/61282
