Aligning healthcare with outcomes

Abstract

The German healthcare system is one of the most efficient in the world, with enormous potential for patients and society as a whole. Unfortunately, we are far from (yet) utilising this potential. We spend a lot on our health - but we are not healthier: according to the OECD ranking (1), our healthcare expenditure is the second highest in relation to gross domestic product, just behind the USA. In terms of life expectancy, mortality and self-assessment of health status, however, Germany is mediocre at best. Can we, or rather, do we want to continue to afford this? In view of the recurring discussion about the sustainable financing of statutory health insurance funds and the social and economic impact of illnesses, the question seems rhetorical in nature. The goal must be a healthcare system that guarantees the best possible individual care for all people in this system and that can be financed sustainably. This joint position paper is intended as a basis for discussion. It describes the concept and the added value of value- and outcome-orientated healthcare in the sense of Value Based Healthcare (VBHC) for people, the system and society and identifies areas of action in which political support is particularly necessary.