New HCHE Research Paper: Hospital Responses to the Introduction of Reimbursements by Treatment Intensity in a (Presumably Lump Sum) DRG System
25 May 2020, by Andrea Bükow
Photo: UKE
Will efficiency improve if marginal treatments are additionally reimbursed in modern DRG systems? Dr. Matthias Bäuml and Christian Kümpel analysed the reactions of hospitals to a change in reimbursement practice in Germany with effect from 1 January 2006, when the regulatory authorities had introduced reimbursement according to treatment intensity in the market for stroke diseases. It was found that the proportion of admissions that received high-intensity treatment increased by about 7 percentage points around the turn of the year. At the same time, they found no accompanying (short-term) changes in the quality of care.