INVEST Billstedt/Horn
Hamburg Billstedt/Horn as a prototype for integrated health care in socially deprived urban areas
Germany is one of the richest countries in the world and has comprehensive systems of social security and medical care. At the same time, considerable social inequalities can be observed, which are also reflected in the health and life expectancy of the population. In Hamburg, too, there is a clear correlation between social class and health status. Socially disadvantaged population groups are often concentrated in segregated urban districts. The districts of Billstedt and Horn are among the poorest in Hamburg and are characterized by an above-average number of socioeconomically disadvantaged residents. These problems are often exacerbated by a shortage of outpatient care services close to home. This can lead to inefficiencies in care and rising expenditure on services. A further aggravation of the problem is the inadequate orientation of the services offered in the German healthcare system to the needs of socially disadvantaged population groups.
The aim of the project INVEST Billstedt/Horn was to improve the problem situation outlined above by developing and implementing a range of care services that ensures low-threshold care close to home and without language barriers, and thus to achieve the goals formulated in § 70 of the German Social Code, Book V - quality, humanity and economic efficiency - in the socially disadvantaged urban area of Billstedt/Horn. To this end, a regional, integrated and population-oriented care model was developed and implemented, focusing on prevention, health promotion and maintenance.
A focal point of the project, unique in Germany, was the establishment of a health kiosk, a population-oriented, low-threshold and supportive neighborhood institution where patients receive holistic advice, support and training on all health issues in their native language.
The project was evaluated by the HCHE. Based on quantitative and qualitative analyses, the achievement of objectives and the transferability of this innovative approach to care were evaluated and the factors of successful implementation were analyzed
Find here a pre-publication of the short evaluation report and the evaluation report according to No. 14.1 ANBest-IF (in German).
In addition, the Federal Joint Committee announced in a press release dated 16 February 2022 that the project’s approaches should be transferred to regular care and that the results of the project should be forwarded to the ministries of health and social welfare of the federal states and the Federal Ministry of Health.
Project Information INVEST
Principal:
Innovation Committee at the Federal Joint Committee (Innovation Funds for the Promotion of New Forms of Health Care (§§92a article 1 and 92b SGB V), DLR project sponsor
Project Term:
2017-2021
Transfer Output:
- Evaluation of the degree of achievement of new forms of health care, analysis of the transferability to other regions
- Recommended actions for health policy decisions
Transfer Target Group:
- Politics
- Management companies
- Health professionals
- Decision-makers at insurance companies