DMPs (disease management programmes) detrimental for patients, says GPs (General Practitioners) group:
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
Fears that Germany's disease management programmes (DMPs) will divert funds away from certain chronic and acute diseases by focusing on four (initially) chosen conditions were voiced last week by a leading doctors' group. The general practitioners doctors association, NAV-Virchow-Bund, last week claimed that the government's DMPs had forced statutory health insurance funds to restructure their finance systems in order of provide funds for the treatment of diabetes, asthma and breast cancer. While the NAV-Virchow-Bund welcomes any moves to provided optimum treatment for the chronically ill, it claims that money for this treatment can only be realised by redirecting funds that would otherwise help in the treatment of rheumatism, Alzheimer's and other acute or chronic illnesses.