Urologie (Heidelberg, Germany), Volume 62, Issue 9, 22 4 2023, Pages 903-912 [Models for collaboration]. Köhrmann KU, Schneider AW
In the future, a need-base health care system should be ensured by cooperation between the service providers. To promote this, the current legal framework is being adjusted to include the introduction of "day treatment at hospitals", distribution of "service groups" to individual clinics, and the establishment of integrated control centers and emergency centers. Healthcare providers are to be motivated to collaborate via financial support, and also the utilization of synergistic effects and the need of training of future professionals. However, the pursuit of collaboration is limited by professional law, regulations regarding anti-corruption, and the patients' interest in freedom of choice, up to competition law to antitrust law. Collaborations between hospitals and contracted physicians/practices are based on the specifications of the Hospital Remuneration Act (collaboration on a fee basis or in an employment relationship) and the German Social Code (contractual forms of collaboration for emergency services, medical care centers, before/after in-patient treatment, outpatient surgery, specialized medical care on outpatient basis, cooperating with attending physicians, and special healthcare services), as well as being employed at the hospital. Due to their precarious situation, hospitals increasingly cooperate with each other through strategic alliances, up to mergers. To make these collaborations successful, certain principles need to be considered. These concepts entail risks and require trust and a well-balanced relationship between costs and benefits for all partners. The bold path of fair collaborations, focusing on high-quality and efficient patient care, can represent a disruptive innovation for addressing our challenges in urology and healthcare in general.
