Strategy & realignment
Holistic care model for rural areas
The district of Lindau (Lake Constance) has set itself the goal of securing healthcare provision in rural areas in the long term through innovative and future-oriented planning. With a centralised and holistic approach, the region is positioning itself as a pioneer for integrated and sustainable care models.
The article illustrates that only the holistically planned and centrally coordinated combination of structural, organizational, and personnel measures can create the basis for establishing high-quality, economically viable, and local healthcare.
A changing healthcare landscape
“Thousands of family doctors will be needed by 2040 – especially in rural areas,” “Overprovision meets underprovision meets misprovision,” and “Telemedicine does not fill all the gaps in the healthcare system”: headlines like these are examples of the structural challenges that already characterize everyday healthcare provision in many regions today.
In rural areas, long distances, an above-average elderly population, and a lack of appeal for young doctors further exacerbate this situation.
The Westallgäu region is also affected by this as a rural area. Without structural countermeasures, the Lindau district (Lake Constance) faces a decline in GP capacity of up to 50% by 2035.
Against this backdrop, one key question comes to the fore:
How can reliable, needs-based medical care close to home be guaranteed for the population in the future?
Structural development for sustainable healthcare in Westallgäu
The medical care landscape in Germany is undergoing profound structural change. Advances in medicine and aftercare are increasingly enabling outpatient treatment for many conditions. The effect of this shift towards outpatient care exceeds the expected increase in inpatient services as a result of demographic change.
Despite declining demand for inpatient capacities, hospitals, especially emergency rooms, are often overburdened in reality. In order to respond to these developments structurally, a fundamental further development of the existing regional care model is necessary.
An integrated, holistic care model as the solution
Important approaches to further developing the care model can be divided into four categories:
- New structures for medical care
- Central coordination and control mechanisms
- Additional innovative care services
- Increased attractiveness for medical professionals
Related services
The long-term success of high-quality, locally accessible, and economically viable healthcare in rural areas does not lie in individual projects, but in the coordinated implementation of a centrally planned overall model. This must be implemented holistically and across sectors.
Contact
Are you also facing the challenging situation of securing long-term healthcare provision in your region?
We would be happy to support you in designing a holistic care model that is tailored to the specific needs and powers of your region.
