The future of academic medicine : German University hospitals are internationally far

the University clinics do not have it easy. Patients should treat it, future Doctors are trained, and by the way, still doing research on a world-class level. These requirements, the hard reality is: There is a lack of money and personnel, and in research, the United States and China are well ahead in many areas already. Also in the digitalisation of the German medicine is lagging behind. To discuss these problems, invited to the Hanns Martin Schleyer-Foundation and Heinz Nixdorf-Foundation in cooperation with the Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen on Wednesday and Thursday to a higher education Symposium under the Motto "academic medicine to the test".

"We could close 200 hospitals"

Minister of health, Jens Spahn (CDU), urged in his opening speech to an acceleration of the digitalization: "I want us to 2020/21 for anyone who wants it, the electronic patient record on a Smartphone." Incomprehensible Spahn finds that there is always the same, "a small Form of hysteria," if we want to use health data for research. It was important to him to be of the digitalization of the medical training. The training is being designed in the framework of the "master plan study of medicine 2020".

This Plan, the 2017 of the SPD and the CDU, it was decided, and a complete reform of the medical studies provides defended Spahn also in the subsequent panel discussion. He also praised the establishment of new medical faculties in Augsburg and Bielefeld, Germany. The rising doctors ' needs could not be met, but this is by far.

Charité-chief Karl Max Einhäupl said that through the training of more Doctors, the problem of Distribution between town and country will not be solved. "Because it needs other mechanisms that we need to discuss," said Einhäupl. Another large Problem he named that there were in Germany, far too many hospitals, some of them with a below-average quality. "We could close 200 hospitals, and no Patient would die from it," said the medic. He asked in the round, who wants to let a surgeon operate on you who performs this SURGERY only a couple of times a year. Spahn agreed with: "Who provides long-term poor quality, the network must." Einhäupl predicted that in ten years it will be in Germany, only five to seven large academic medical centers, "all the others will have to be on a lower level".

Where is the courage, the things to change the polarity?

For this Form of centralization, as it takes place in the USA already for a long time, came in Otmar Wiestler, the President of the Helmholtz Association. "We need to make haste on the way, a tip segment," he said. It is crucial to create a basis for a data-based medicine and health research. Together with the industry he was in talks on how this could succeed. There is in the area worldwide, a huge competition, "and let's be honest: We are far," said Wiestler. The University hospitals, he advised, in science, more often the shoulder to look for circuit with non-University research institutions.

Uni-medicine, such As economical University hospitals must be

"Envious" look at it from Switzerland to the excellence initiatives and the medical infrastructure in Germany, said Peter Suter, former President of the Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences. In some areas, the German University hospitals are developed but, for example, in the supply of research. With this in mind, how high school of medicine for the future could equip said Suter, one must have "the courage, things change the polarity". Only: the medicine is so far not known.