The Reform of the German Health Sector: Integrated Service Delivery Systems - Cost Containment and Quality Enhancement - Attaining Diverging Ends by Similar Means

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Introduction
• Managed Care
  • What is Managed Care?
  • Instruments of Managed Care
    • Gatekeeping and Specialists
    • Case and Disease Management
    • Compensation Schemes and Incentives
    • Quality Control
  • Evolution of Managed Care
  • The Three Pillars of Managed Care
  • Applicability of Managed Care from the US to the German System
• Integrated Service Delivery Systems
  • Current Deficiencies and Goals to be achieved
  • Development and Concept
    • Legal Aspects
    • Contracting Partners
    • Compensation
    • Financing IV Structures
  • Factors for Success
  • Organization and Management
• Quality Management in the System of IV
  • Results of Empirical Research
  • Is the IV Approach suitable for Quality Enhancements?
  • Quality of Provision - Contractual Means
  • Outlook

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This bachelor thesis aims to analyze the reform of the German health sector, focusing on the implementation of integrated service delivery systems (IV). It explores the potential of IV to achieve cost containment and quality enhancement, while examining the challenges and considerations surrounding this approach.

• The concept and evolution of managed care
• The implementation of integrated service delivery systems in the German health sector
• The impact of IV on cost containment and quality enhancement
• The role of quality management in the IV system
• Factors influencing the success of IV implementation

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

• Introduction: Provides an overview of the topic and introduces the research question.
• Managed Care: Defines managed care, explores its instruments, evolution, and key principles. Analyzes the applicability of managed care from the US system to the German health sector.
• Integrated Service Delivery Systems: Discusses the current deficiencies in the German health sector and the goals of IV implementation. Examines the development and concept of IV, including legal aspects, contracting partners, compensation schemes, and financing structures. Analyzes factors contributing to the success of IV systems.
• Quality Management in the System of IV: Presents the results of empirical research related to quality management in IV systems. Evaluates the suitability of the IV approach for enhancing quality, and explores contractual means of improving quality of provision.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

Key terms and concepts examined in this thesis include: German health sector, reform, integrated service delivery systems (IV), managed care, cost containment, quality enhancement, quality management, empirical research, contracting partners, compensation schemes, and financing structures.