More years of life at significantly lower costs: OECD modelling shows enormous potential

Expanding the OptiMedis model to the population of the EU27 countries could yield an average gain of 9.7 life years and 6.5 healthy life years per 100,000 people between 2022 and 2050. The modeling indicates a positive trend towards extended life expectancy and improved health outcomes.

Aside from its effectiveness, the OECD report also highlights the efficiency of the Integrated Care Model. Calculations suggest that implementing the OptiMedis model nationwide in Germany could lead to cumulative savings in healthcare expenditure amounting to approximately €3,500 per person by 2050. At the EU27 level, the estimated annual savings in healthcare expenditure as a proportion of total health expenditure average around 4%, reaching 4.6% in Germany. Considering the current health expenditure of the Statutory Health Insurance (SHI) at nearly €300 billion in 2023, these savings equate to approximately €14 billion.

The findings of the OECD report support the notion that OptiMedis’ integrated care model not only enhances years of life but also offers significant cost savings in healthcare expenditure.

Successfully combating health inequalities – Promoting health kiosks

At the same time, the OECD report emphasizes the OptiMedis model’s potential in reducing health inequalities. It identifies health pilots and health kiosks as essential components for facilitating needs-based and accessible healthcare. Given that vulnerable groups often face complex health needs, the integrated care model can be particularly advantageous for these populations. Consequently, the OECD recommends expanding health kiosks in suitable regions and promoting health literacy among vulnerable groups to enhance care utilization and enrollment rates.

Earlier access for patients – Decision-makers are needed

To further enhance the effectiveness of the OptiMedis model and similar approaches, additional measures can be implemented to reach patients at high risk of complex health needs more effectively. For instance, providing earlier access to prevention programs for patients can lead to improved health outcomes while also reducing costs. Taking proactive steps in this regard would be beneficial.

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Three guest speakers contributed to the meeting with their experiences.

They explained the Hungarian health system, its structure, strength, and weaknesses and highlighted several issues that can be related to other health systems worldwide. The presentation by Prof. Imre Boncz, Vice Rector of the University of Pécs was particularly relatable to OptiMedis, as it explored the use of insurance data to improve quality of care and support financial decision making. The presenter stated that unclear responsibilities regarding the health of the population, lack of incentives for integrating care, and data silos and inefficient capacities for sharing were the active restrictions to implementing efficient monitoring systems. Other concerns, such as creating appropriate frameworks and indicators were also deemed crucial, but in a second stage.

The meeting culminated with an assessment of possible interventions to guide health systems towards value-based care.

Within this work, several key statements were raised from the main stakeholders’ perspective for this purpose. For patients, value in healthcare is related primarily to the goal of maximizing health, but also care experience and, within a sensible range, decision making at both the care level and public health funding and management. For care providers, a comprehensible and measurable definition of value is crucial to refocus their business models towards this objective. In this sense, the partnership with higher structures such as payers and government are essential to define incentives and the support needed to integrate and align business models of multiple providers and the system objectives. From a business perspective, this means making value the unit of competition between, and the ultimate output of, care providers. From the payer perspective, value relates to maximize health within the budget restriction. Cost effectiveness and waste reduction in treatments are key for this purpose. Responsibility towards patients will push for patient outcomes and experiences to be part of the system evaluation. From a business perspective, sharing financial risks is essential to align objectives between stakeholders. Long term contracts are essential to see results from a payer’s perspective. Finally, from a government perspective, value in healthcare relates to the overall health of the population, the correct functioning of the system, the efficient and accountable use of public resource and the adequate support for different stakeholders to secure care provision, quality, and innovation.

Following this exercise, from my point of view, a health management institution such as OptiMedis, will determine its added value to the system by the ability to implement four main capacities; 1. To safeguard the safety and quality of care that reduces wastes and optimizes patient outcomes; 2. To ensure access to timely, complete, and quality patient information and performance data to monitor structures, processes and outcomes; 3. To optimize the use of a well-organized, high-performing, competent human resources force; and 4. To efficiently invest in interventions and intelligence to achieve these capacities.

The OptiMedis model complies in general terms with all the key principles stated above.

And consequently, the proposal for introducing value-based care in the German health system that resulted from this work is very much like the one proposed by OptiMedis. Nevertheless, there were two new ideas that are worth mention. First, the HealthPros group deemed sensible to consider the possibility to determine the unit of care in care cycles, to the detriment of patients’ freedom of provider choice. Following M. Porter[1] ideas for achieving value-based healthcare, the provision of care in cycles facilitates the competition in value as the responsibility for the health outcome stays within the cycle and is not shared between different actors. Second, the inclusion of the users of the health system, through patient and community associations, in the management and financing structure of the system. This way, a direct lever is put in place in the relation between providers and users, creating the space for priority setting and allocation of funds to people-centred innovative solutions. At the same time, patient and community associations can take part in the application for extra government funding directed to innovation, and this way secure an effective funding of initiatives directed to attend patient experience and quality in care.

By Nicolas Larrain, Analyst at OptiMedis

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31st May 2021, 9.50 am – 3:00 pm

“Exploring complexity – Our European Welfare System House is on Fire”

Dr. Oliver Gröne, Vice Chairman of the Board OptiMedis AG

More informations and registration

Please click here!

The post Health & Care Eco-systems as Drivers for Transforming European Welfare in the 2020s, European Encounter, 31st May 2021, virtual appeared first on OptiMedis.

Editorial

Dear Readers, dear Friends,

COVID-19 continues to take a toll on all of us. While there are positive developments, such as the availability of several vaccines developed in record tie, it will take a while before lock-downs are eased and work and life return to a somewhat more “normal” situation. At current, the C-19 toll on society remains visible mostly in the number of infections, hospital admissions, ICU utilization and case fatality rates. These figures are also the most visible ones in existing C-19 dashboards. However, as we are all aware, C-19 affects all areas of public and private life and the burden on health professionals, but also teachers and in particular children is significant. The choice of indicators to assess the evolution and management of the C-19 epidemic should therefore be reflected carefully and we are delighted to embark on such a project together with the HealthPros Network and WHO. We are further content that our project on improving workplace health promotion that we planned even before C-19 is now starting, given health professionals the opportunity to introduce health promoting changes to their organizations.

New integrated care region in Hesse / Germany

The immediate future will bring further challenges for health systems. Health system managers will need to balance scarce resources to address old and new challenges: “old” challenges embracing efficiencies in care organization and the burden of chronic disease, “new” challenges including yet unknown demands on health care systems due to secondary effects of C-19 and the impact of foregone care (elective surgeries being cancelled, cancer screenings delayed, routine health check-ups missed etc). In addition, the aftermath of widening inequalities during various lock-down periods which inevitably will manifest their effects in the coming months and years. In this context, the need to better integrate care pathways and address population health factors seems more relevant than ever. With the support of the B. Braun Melsungen AG we are therefore delighted to have won a partner to establish a new integrated care region and to further invest in our health care digitization strategy.

New initiative: Self-Management Europe

In managing complex health issues, the role of citizens, (digital) health literacy and self-management skills will be a key to success. We are thrilled to establish the new reference centre Self-Management Europe together with our partners NIVEL, Avedis Donabedian Institute and the European Patient Forum. We are also proud to continue our work in implementing the Patient-reported Indicators Survey for the OECD to give patients a central role in the evaluation of health services.

Finally, if these challenges were not enough, they may appear small in comparison to challenges associated with the climate crisis. We believe that the health care sector can make an important contribution to reducing climate impact and are pleased that the new Health Promoting Hospital and Health Services Standards now include items addressing this major topic. With all sectors of society realizing their role, the health risks stemming from climate change can be mediated.

We hope you will enjoy reading about our new projects addressing these and other challenges!

Sincerely yours,

Oliver Gröne, PhD, Vice Chairman of the Board at OptiMedis

Complete issue as PDF file

Contents

		About OptiMedis and our projects
		Promoting health and connecting sectors: “Healthy Schwalm-Eder District+” breaks ground!		> more
		The “DIGILO” digital platform will help you find what you need		> more
		OptiMedis, vdek, and DNGfK support training for occupational health in hospitals and care facilities		> more
		Common practice in the region and the individual patient: FORTA-EPI and MyFORTA uncover potential for improvement		> more
		Self-Management Europe – A new initiative to support patients		> more
		HPH publishes new health promotion standards		> more
		Large OECD study on the care of chronically ill patients – OptiMedis is part of the international PaRIS-consortium		> more
		At a glance
		OptiMedis is one of the top employers in the German medium-sized business sector		> more
		eJourney: OptiMedis AG’s successful integrated care networks in Germany		> more
		Helping decision makers making informed judgements: COMPAR-EU decision-making tools		> more
		Media Reports
		From rural Germany, Integrated Care grows into a global Model: “Health Affairs” article focuses on OptiMedis model		> more
		Publications
		Events, where you can meet us

The post OptiMedium February 2021 appeared first on OptiMedis.

What a year! We’ve all been put to the test and many of us have experienced extreme amounts of stress. This year has shown us how important health is and how much we need to protect it. In the new year, we will again focus on improving healthcare and adapting it to the needs of patients, doctors, and therapists. We look forward to having you as a partner in this effort.

In our January, New Year’s issue of OptiMedium, you can read about what we have been up to and what we have planned. If you have some free time before then, we recommend reading the European Research and Innovation Centre’s, “Self-Management Europe”, about improving the self-management of chronically ill patients. Read more about the development of “Self-Management Europe” here.

Or, discover more about OptiMedis AG’s successful integrated care networks in Germany with eJourney, produced by “Dialog Health”. The video and accompanying workbook are available for purchase in several languages on the Dialog Health website. Click here to see the trailer!

We wish you a peaceful holiday, good health, and all the best for the year 2021, when we hope to meet again in person!

Helmut Hildebrandt and Oliver Gröne, Management Board OptiMedis

The post Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy year 2021! appeared first on OptiMedis.

Selected Sessions

2^nd  December 2020, 2.30pm – 3:40pm

“Participation to the session “Developing health data ecosystems”

Dr. Oliver Gröne, Vice Chairman of the Board OptiMedis AG

More informations and registration

Please click here!

The post 2020 Thought Leader EHTEL Symposium 2nd – 3rd December 2020 (virtual) appeared first on OptiMedis.

Selected Sessions

8th October 2020, 11:10am – 12:00pm

“The new standards for health promotion in hospital and health services settings”

9th October 2020, 9:10am – 12:00pm

“Workshop”

Dr. Oliver Gröne, Vice Chairman of the Board OptiMedis AG

The post Cooperation between HPH networks in the Baltic Sea region- seminar, 8. – 9. October 2020 (virtual) appeared first on OptiMedis.

The post 2nd French HPH Network Conference, 5. October 2020 in Paris (virtual) appeared first on OptiMedis.

Selected Sessions

17. September 2020, 1pm – 2pm

“Development of the new standards for health promotion in hospital and health services settings and plan for the HPH Open School learning platform”

Dr. Oliver Gröne, Vice Chairman of the Board OptiMedis AG

Keriin Katsaros, Manager Research & Innovation OptiMedis AG

The post Swedish HPH Network Strategy Days, 17. September 2020 (virtual) appeared first on OptiMedis.

Selected Sessions

24th October 2020, 1:20 pm

“The Future of Health Promoting Hospitals”

Dr. Oliver Gröne, Vice Chairman of the Board OptiMedis AG

The post Global Health Forum 2020, 23. – 24. October 2020 in Taiwan (virtual) appeared first on OptiMedis.