Primary doctor system: new hope for patients or overloaded practices?

Primary doctor system: new hope for patients or overloaded practices?

The recent plans for the coalition to introduce a primary doctor system in Germany ensure different reactions within the medical community. According to Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger , the general practitioner association welcomes the project, while health insurance doctors highlight the benefits of 50 years. Federal Minister of Health Nina Warken presented the plans at the German Medical Day in Leipzig and presented the binding system, which is to be initiated by general practitioners.

The primary doctor system provides that patients first stop by their family doctor before they are transferred to specialists. However, ophthalmologists, gynecologists and dentists are excluded from this regulation. Separate solutions are to be created for patients who are seriously ill. Warken emphasizes that the goal is to establish the family practice as the first point of contact and to accelerate the appointment to specialists.

support and concerns

The chairman of the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians, Andreas Gassen, is positive about the model, especially for patients over 50 years. He sees the need for an orderly hand for multimorbid patients. Nicola Buhlinger-Göpfarth, her counterpart of the general practitioner association, supports the concept and speaks of an increase in the number of patients per family practice by 2 to 5 patients every day.

Janosch Dahmen, the Greens' health expert, is also for the introduction, but demands support for general practitioners, for example through lump sums and digital appointment management. He warns of a possible undersupply in rural areas if no viable solutions are found. In addition, Eugen Brysch from the German Foundation for Patient Protection indicates the high multimorbidity of over 65-year-olds and expresses concerns about the overload of family practices.

goals and challenges

The primary doctor system should not only improve the efficiency of the health system, but also reduce bureaucracy and documentation obligations for general practitioners. This idea is also supported by the Federal Medical Association, which, however, indicates possible challenges, especially at the risk of inadequate treatment coordination, which could result from rapid appointment. Warking takes into account that the reform cannot be implemented immediately and without any further burdens.

Another aspect of the new system is the introduction of a traffic light system for transfers that should mark the urgency of an appointment. It remains unclear what the actual relief of the family practices will look like, especially in view of increasing costs in statutory health and long-term care insurance.

The primary doctor system has the potential to lead to a faster and more efficient supply in the long term. Over 10 million people are currently participating in the “House -Department” program, which offers comparable structures. Patients should continue to have the opportunity to obtain second opinions or to go directly to specialists in chronic illnesses. However, the reform faces the challenge of implementing these positive approaches without being overloaded.

For many it is clear that the way to better health solutions is complex. It remains to be seen what the exact implementations will look like and what effects you will have on patient care. Tagesschau and pharmacies Umschau report on the different facets of this reform, which brings opportunities as well as challenges.