[Effects of 2 reimbursement models on house calls by general practitioners]

Abstract

This study compares the effects of the salary payment in the former GDR with the fee for service remuneration in Germany for outpatient service. The investigation focused on home visits 3 by family doctors in Magdeburg in the first two quarters of the years 1985 and 1992. The retrospective study based on existing documentations. Main questions were the modification of frequency resp. nature and matter of home visits. The frequency of home visits increased by about 134%. Distributed by age-groups, the home visits at patients up to the age of 55 showed only a small increase. However, the increase with patients between 60 and 79 years of age was 350%. In particular, diseases of the ICD Group VII (diseases of the vascular system) were affected by the increase. In contrast to this home visits of nurses were influenced to a lesser degree by the system changes. These are indications that the increase in the home visits is not due to an increased demand for them.