[Updated results of a survey on outpatient healthcare structures in rheumatology]

Abstract

Aim: the aim of this study was to give an update on outpatient healthcare structures in rheumatology in Germany.

Methods: a survey among the members of the German Association of Rheumatologists was carried out via a self-developed questionnaire, followed by a detailed descriptive and explorative statistical analysis. Contents of the questionnaire focussed on data concerning the practice, structure of the patients with regard to different indications and therapies, structure and quality of healthcare services provided, quality assurance and the economic situation of the practice as well as a subjective assessment of the outpatient healthcare environment. This approach is similar to the first survey conducted in 2005.

Results: compared to the findings from the first survey in 2005 no significant changes could be found in many areas. As this may intuitively sound disappointing it must be stated that high positive levels maintained in some areas, which cannot be taken for granted, can also be counted as success. With respect to the structure of services provided and medical therapies, a further upward trend could be observed. Topics which were assessed for the first time dealt with communication with healthcare insurers and teaching of rheumatology as a discipline in hospitals.

Conclusions: rheumatologists in Germany offer a broad spectrum of different services and actively make use of quality assurance measures in the daily practice. The communication with general practitioners and the training of new rheumatologists in the future remain an area of concern and need to be addressed.