Which factors influence the decision of hospitals to provide procedures on an outpatient basis?

27 February 2025, by Hannes Rathjen

A research team from the Hamburg Center for Health Economics at the University of Hamburg has gained new insights into the factors that influence the decision of hospitals to provide procedures on an outpatient basis. Despite a uniform payment system, there is still a significant variation in the extent to which hospitals provide outpatient care. Factors such as the range of services offered by a hospital, its size, the emergency care infrastructure and, above all, the number of procedures performed play a major role. However, demographic and socio-economic influences, such as the proportion of single households in the region and the resulting possibility of adequate follow-up care, were also identified as reasons in the analysis. A sole focus on financial incentives therefore falls short of the mark.

In summary, the study underlines the need to address a variety of factors as part of healthcare policy reforms in order to sustainably increase the effectiveness and efficiency of care. The results provide decision-makers with important insights into the promotion of outpatient services.

The full press release (in German) can be found here.

The paper “Which factors influence the decision of hospitals to provide procedures on an outpatient basis? – Mixed-methods evidence from Germany” can be found here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthpol.2024.105193