Background: The increasing economic burden of the German healthcare system often leads to controversial discussion with hospital management about adequate allocation of the financial budget and staff resources within the stationary gastroenterology.
Material and method: The working group of the managing hospital gastroenterologists (ALGK) conducted a survey among its members from February to March 2019. Two-hundred-seventeen members with correct email addresses of all 264 members were contacted. In addition, participation in the survey was asked for by announcement in the February and March issue of the Zeitschrift für Gastroenterologie with the link https://www.surveymonkey.de/r/TFBFGMV.
Results: The response rate was representative and was 64 % (138 members). Seventy-three percent of the gastroenterological departments/clinics are in hospitals with 250–750 beds, 71 % of the hospitals are local and regional hospitals. Eighty percent supply more than 2000 patients per year with a comparable number of outpatients. There exists a significant heterogeneity among the hospitals, because two-thirds of the gastroenterological departments/clinics also represent other disciplines. Forty-six percent are certified as colon cancer centers and 28 % as oncologic centers by the Deutsche Krebsgesellschaft. More than 70 % of the departments/clinics perform between 2000 to 6000 endoscopies per year. Ninety percent offer endoscopic ultrasound, APC technique, mucosectomy, OTSC and gastrointestinal function tests. Sixty-seven percent and 73 % of the departments/clinics have increasing positions for assistants and senior physicians, respectively. Only 10 % of the departments/clinics employ physician assistants. Forty-four percent conduct their own scientific studies and over 70 % participate in multicenter studies. Eighty-percent offer structured rotating plans of at least 6-month duration.
Conclusion: This ALGK survey will most likely provide significant input for future professional and political discussions.
Background: The increasing economic burden of the German healthcare system often leads to controversial discussion with hospital management about adequate allocation of the financial budget and staff resources within the stationary gastroenterology.
Material and method: The working group of the managing hospital gastroenterologists (ALGK) conducted a survey among its members from February to March 2019. Two-hundred-seventeen members with correct email addresses of all 264 members were contacted. In addition, participation in the survey was asked for by announcement in the February and March issue of the Zeitschrift für Gastroenterologie with the link https://www.surveymonkey.de/r/TFBFGMV.
Results: The response rate was representative and was 64 % (138 members). Seventy-three percent of the gastroenterological departments/clinics are in hospitals with 250–750 beds, 71 % of the hospitals are local and regional hospitals. Eighty percent supply more than 2000 patients per year with a comparable number of outpatients. There exists a significant heterogeneity among the hospitals, because two-thirds of the gastroenterological departments/clinics also represent other disciplines. Forty-six percent are certified as colon cancer centers and 28 % as oncologic centers by the Deutsche Krebsgesellschaft. More than 70 % of the departments/clinics perform between 2000 to 6000 endoscopies per year. Ninety percent offer endoscopic ultrasound, APC technique, mucosectomy, OTSC and gastrointestinal function tests. Sixty-seven percent and 73 % of the departments/clinics have increasing positions for assistants and senior physicians, respectively. Only 10 % of the departments/clinics employ physician assistants. Forty-four percent conduct their own scientific studies and over 70 % participate in multicenter studies. Eighty-percent offer structured rotating plans of at least 6-month duration.
Conclusion: This ALGK survey will most likely provide significant input for future professional and political discussions.