Patients are often underserved

Patients with serious diseases often under-supplied

09/16/2014

The aging of society means that more and more medical supplies such as medications, rollators or pacemakers are needed for the needy. However, the supply of remedies and remedies is often regionally dependent and also incorrectly documented. A recent report by Barmer GEK has analyzed the data of their patients for the tenth time. Overall, data from around nine million patients were taken into account.

The health insurance companies are registering a significant increase in expenditure on remedies and aids. Spending on applications such as physiotherapy and speech therapy increased by 7.1 percent in the first half of 2014. Equipment, including wheelchairs and hearing aids, increased spending by 9.5 percent.

Supply shortages in patient care
The GEK criticized that there are indications of different patient care situations. For example, diabetics are often poorly cared for. Patients with diabetes need special foot care by podiatrists to prevent nerve damage. However, the analyzes show that 75 percent of those affected are not treated podiatry, which in the worst case would result in amputation. The use of podiatry by patients varies widely by region. The report reveals that the care of patients with open wounds is also deficient. Only 40 percent of patients who have an open ulcer on the lower leg (ulcus cruris) would receive compression therapy.

"Their omission is in the opinion of the experts a treatment error", means Dr. med. Rolf-Ulrich Schlenker, Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board of Barmer GEK.

According to the report, about 210,000 people are affected by this vein-affected lower limb. In cooperation with the health insurances some wound centers try to close these treatment gaps.

In 2013, 5.26 billion euros were spent on remedies
Leading the field of physiotherapy, the statutory health insurance funds spent around 5.26 billion euros on remedies throughout 2013. The aid costs amounted to approximately 6.8 billion euros. That is an increase of 5 percent compared to the previous year. The Barmer GEK criticizes that "in the case of aid authorizations, often only a manufacturer-defined self-declaration is sufficient to bring new products to market". Thus, the usefulness of such aids for patients is not examined. (Bn)

Picture: Kai Niemeyer