On June 18, the Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH held a health summit at which experts and citizens of Germany had their say to initiate a new start and reforms in the German health care system. Proposals for this have already been developed for three years by the New Start Initiative, including the Future Agenda.
According to Robert Bosch Stiftung, the weaknesses of the German health care system have not only been evident since the Corona pandemic because prevention and the social health care sector have been the main targets of criticism. However, treatment and therapy are developing well.
The policy paper „New start! Future Agenda – for Health, Participation and the Common Good“ criticizes above all the underdevelopment of strengths and the particular interests of individuals. The German healthcare system is also too fragmented, unmanageable, and provides too little new impetus. Instead, it calls for a solidarity-based, future-oriented, and patient-centered concept that will serve as an international role model and sets three priorities:
The primary goal to be able to speak of a genuine health care system is the further development of the preservation and promotion of health. Merely combating diseases is tantamount to a „disease system,“ which is why experts and patients call for a paradigm shift.
In addition, priority should be given to strengthening public health, which could be supported via a „National Center for Health,“ according to foundation experts who have worked on the viable solutions. So-called primary care centers could then take over tasks from smaller hospitals that are no longer profitable.
In health, Robert Bosch Stiftung is primarily committed to a sustainable health care system that focuses on people. For this reason, insured persons and patients should also have their say and participate in decision-making. The foundation also demands the same from politicians because each individual must exercise personal responsibility for their own well-being. Health literacy and participation are therefore values for a future-oriented healthcare system. This goal is achieved through dialogs with citizen experts and health conferences, and advisory councils with citizens.
Source: Presseportal