What it’s all about
Like all other players in the healthcare system in Germany, GPs and specialists are also facing a major challenge: digitalisation. However, the widespread reluctance of many practice owners to embrace this transformation is often misinterpreted. It’s not primarily about a rejection of the technology itself, but about a deeper, often unconscious realisation for doctors: current practice management models are reaching their limits and a comprehensive redesign of management is unavoidable.
Digitalisation as a placeholder for deeper problems
Many doctors in private practice in Germany see digitalisation as a threatening force that brings additional effort and complexity to their day-to-day work. However, this view masks the real problem: current practice management is not sufficiently geared towards the challenges and opportunities of modern technology. The aversion to digitalisation often serves as a placeholder for the inadequacies of current practice management.
The limits of current practice management
Traditional practice management models were effective and sufficient for years. However, with the advent of new technologies and changing patient expectations, their limitations have been apparent for some time. They are often inflexible, inefficient and not in a position to fully exploit the potential that is fundamentally available in practices, nor that of digitalisation. This leads to a discrepancy between the requirements of modern medicine and the available management approaches.
Mastering the medical mindshift
Digitalisation requires a gradual, but ultimately complete realignment of practice management to improve practice performance, for example in the form of workflow automation, but also for more efficient diagnostic and therapeutic patient care. Doctors must learn to view digitalisation as a tool that supports them in their work as part of a mindshift.
Digitalisation needs a solid foundation
The prerequisite for this is a solid foundation in the form of practice management aligned with best practice standards. This validated guideline describes all regulations, instruments and behaviours that are essential in the areas of practice management, from planning, market research, organisation, management, patient care and marketing to controlling, in order to ensure that work functions smoothly even under changing requirements. Implementing the standard not only helps to significantly improve the efficiency of work in the current situation, but as the basis for digitalisation, it also ensures that practice teams can implement the transformation smoothly and profitably in the long term.
One figure shows how far German medical practices are from this status: on average, German GPs and specialists only use just over half of the best practice standard in their practices.
Conclusion
The digitalisation of the German healthcare system is unstoppable. Practice owners need to recognise that their reluctance to transform is often a reflection of the inadequacies of their own current management. The introduction of the best practice standard is the key to fully utilising the benefits of the digital revolution and successfully mastering future challenges.
R2049 