Rheumatology centers according to the regulations of the Federal Joint Committee

Abstract

With the Nursing Staff Strengthening Act (Pflegepersonal-Stärkungs-Gesetz), the legislator delegated the specification of the special tasks of centers and focal points to the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA). Due to extensive preliminary work it was already possible to agree on quality requirements and special tasks for rheumatology centers and centers for pediatric and adolescent rheumatology in the first version of the G‑BA regulations. Since publication in the Federal Gazette (Bundesanzeiger) on 12 March 2020, rheumatology centers have been able to negotiate surcharges for their special tasks if they have been designated accordingly by the state authorities responsible for hospital planning. So far, 14rheumatological centers have been designated. Many patients continue to be treated in healthcare structures that are not specialized in acute inpatient rheumatological care. In addition to the additional remuneration, the designation as arheumatology center can also contribute to patients becoming even more aware of the healthcare structures that are specialized for them. Acute inpatient rheumatology has several specializations. Some clinics have specialized in the multimodal treatment of chronic rheumatism patients and have gained ahigh level of expertise in this field. Many of these highly specialized clinics have so far been denied recognition as acenter because the regulations of the G‑BA require the provision of further specialist departments at the same location. While for alarge number of medical specializations the establishment at amaximum care hospital is likely to make sense, the specialist clinics focusing on the multimodal treatment of chronic rheumatism patients offer the possibility of strengthening rural areas.