Interdisciplinary complex therapies in inpatient hospital treatment in Germany: Evidence from Germany

Abstract

Interdisciplinary complex therapies are rarely a part of German hospital care. The aim of this article is to provide the reader with an overview of the complex therapies currently used within the German health system. The paper first defines who is entitled to hospital treatment at all in Germany. Examples of pathway entry criteria for entitlement to interdisciplinary complex therapies are then presented. The contents are highlighted of two complex procedures which focus on the treatment of diseases and disturbances of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue, and the importance is demonstrated of structural, process, and outcome quality for the provision of inpatient services. Complex therapies in inpatient care in Germany establish the basis for an interdisciplinary provision of services. They define minimal criteria for the organization of a hospital, enable the integration of different therapeutic approaches and, therefore, lead to an intensive and holistic treatment by a specially trained team. In this setting, aspects of process and outcome quality acquire considerable importance. The paper shows that for many patients in Germany with chronic diseases, complex therapies were designed to ensure that the patients received a high standard of interdisciplinary care during longer periods of hospitalization. Not every patient is entitled to this kind of treatment. If specific pathway entry criteria regulating provision of such treatment are met, the hospital receives higher remuneration for covering the higher costs incurred.