Resistance to the primary doctor system: General practitioners demand new solutions!

Resistance to the primary doctor system: General practitioners demand new solutions!

In the shadow of the Federal Training Congress for General Medicine (BAM), which took place in Berlin last week, discussions about a new primary doctor system are in full swing. It became clear that a majority of participants in a TED survey advocated sanctions against patients who want to see a specialist without a referral. This development causes divided opinions, such as: Doctors newspaper reported.

Professor Nicola Buhlinger-Göpfarth, co-chair of the General Practitioners Association (HÄV), was critical of the proposed sanctions. She believes that instead of punishment, it would be better to work on “improving the system”. This was also heard on the podium: Dr. Markus Beier, the chairman of the HÄV, described the plans of the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV) as unrealistic, while Gertrud Demmler from the Siemens Company Health Insurance Fund (SBK) emphasized the need to reduce the number of doctor-patient contacts and to establish a digital initial assessment system.

The primary doctor system in focus

The new Health Minister Nina Warken (CDU) presented the primary doctor model in order to increase efficiency in the healthcare system. The aim of the reform is to relieve family doctors of bureaucracy and promote digitalization. It is important that the model applies to most groups of doctors, with exceptions for gynecologists, ophthalmologists and dentists. A guarantee for timely specialist appointments is even offered, so that a hospital can step in if early appointments are not possible, as is the case daily news reported.

The German Medical Association is fundamentally supportive, but warned of inadequate treatment coordination. Medical President Klaus Reinhardt points out that patients themselves are often responsible for organizing their medical care. This could become complicated in the new structure.

Concerns from psychotherapy

The planned reform is particularly criticized by psychotherapists. Dieter Adler, the chairman of the German Psychotherapist Network (DPNW), warns that access to psychotherapy could be made more difficult by the introduction of a prior family doctor visit. “We must not unnecessarily increase the hurdles for those seeking help,” emphasized Adler. Patients in Germany can currently see a psychotherapist directly, which could be at risk due to the primary doctor system, explained RND.

The reform plans aim to strengthen family doctors as central coordinators in the health system and to increase patient satisfaction. Hendrik Streeck (CDU) defends the main role of general practitioners and sees their pilot function as an advantage for the entire system.

A lot will happen in the political landscape in the coming months, and the details of the design of the primary care system are still pending. Given the diverse opinions and concerns, it will be interesting to see how the government will address the challenges and whether a solution can be found that satisfies both GPs and patients.