Large private hospital operator in Germany, tinkering on the digital visit to the doctor. Since then, the legal hurdles for telemedicine, pushing hospital groups in the market and promote diagnoses via Video, App, or phone.

Fresenius, Rhön and Asklepios are vying for digital platforms, which are likely to make some visit in the doctor’s office unnecessary, and patients save a lot of time. That could help against the shortage of Doctors in the country – and the company’s new revenue sources.

So is Germany’s largest hospital operator, Fresenius announced a new telemedicine platform. The Dax-group-started, in this country, an Advisory service on the community company Helios Dialogue to introduce, said Fresenius-Board of Directors Francesco De Meo, the German press Agency. Patients could dial in, in the future, via a digital platform, and also via Video with a physician assistant to record the first health complaints query. Subsequently, a Video-consultation, the Gang in the emergency room or to recommend a nearby specialist will give you.

“does It work like a digital waiting room, we have an internationally recognised procedure the other medical way,” said De Meo. Until the beginning of 2020, the Service should be activated for patients. Therapies on the platform were not provided unlike in the case of strokes, where Fresenius for years, Video Switch used in treatments.

Fresenius hopes of Helios, the Dialogue developed with the canadian Start-up Dialogue, more efficient processes, more Service and more focused patient flows. The utilization of the own 86 hospitals and 126 health centers in Germany. “When people come to the doctor, he already has the evaluation of the previous query”, said De Meo, Director at Fresenius clinic business. “And patients with complaints don’t have to sit long to a specialist in the waiting room until you get a diagnosis, or perhaps to the nearest doctor to be sent.”

The German ‘ Congress had paved 2018 the way for telemedicine, by treatment prohibition loosened the Remote. Previously, Doctors were allowed to advise you to unknown patients in personally. Experts expect much of the telemedicine because of a shortage of Doctors in the country. Advice from the distance, could be employed with little time to meet and old people to help, which is hard to come to the doctor.

For many consumers, the idea meets with the approval: 87 percent support Online diagnoses, at least in cases of slight disease, according to a recent survey conducted by the consulting company BCG under 1000 Insured. According to the estimates of physicians, every fifth doctor is, therefore, a visit by digital consulting to be replaced.

The biggest hurdle in the introduction are not skeptical patients, but analogous processes, said De Meo. “To the required conduct of patients and for an immediate appointment, we need access to the digital calendar of Doctors just More.” Many of the physician led but paper calendar or opened this yet just for their own staff. Fresenius intends to introduce the platform in the Spanish clinic daughter Quirónsalud and Doctors offer. So, the group wants to attract new patients.

Fresenius’s not with his advance alone. Rhön-Klinikum wants to bring in the second half of the year, a community company with the Swiss provider, Medgate will be at the Start and is the market leader in Germany. Rhön open cooperation with third Doctors. Companies could also pay for the service, in order to provide employees with occupational health services. In Canada, the is widely used.

In Germany, however, telemedicine is still at the beginning, also because of the remuneration rules for Doctors: so Far, you can settle a long-distance treatment without direct contact only in the case of private patients easily. Cash patients are largely out of the loop. The Minister of health, Jens Spahn (CDU) wants to align the rules of the Fee. Providers hope to gain a lucrative business: In Germany, a two-digit billion turnover digital, let’s move, says the industry.

“The readiness of patient for remote diagnosis is growing,” says Thilo Kaltenbach, a public health expert at the consulting firm Roland Berger. “The technology for virtual diagnoses in surgeries and hospitals is developing fast.” Insurance and specialized telemedicine companies urged also in the competitive market.

Germany’s second-largest hospital operator Asklepios has big plans. This year he wants to introduce tele-medicine services for established and clinical Doctors. These and other digital processes could increase efficiency, said CEO Kai Hankeln. “The nurses and Doctors spend in Germany more than a third of their time with documentation.”

unlike small hospitals to Fresenius or Asclepius with billions in sales, the financial strength, to software solutions to introduce. The attempts made by the hospital giant, which could result in a race to be the dominant digital platform. “At the end will prevail likely to a few portals,” says De Meo. “Who is better and faster, will have the nose in the front.”

dpa