German companies want higher profile & special attention for "home care":
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
The German medtech supplies industry is using this week's Hauptstadtkongress, on healthcare and medicine, in Berlin, to focus attention on home care, a growing yet still largely overlooked care sector. Industry association BVMed is pressing for the concept to be accepted as an official healthcare industry sub-sector under social law, saying that the care it delivers and associated products are inseparable and, indeed, represent a cohesive and unique part of healthcare. Typical home care services centre around enteral/parenteral nutrition, dialysis (PD and home HD), advanced wound care, pain and infusion therapy and respiratory and tracheostomy services. Official recognition is warranted, given the high standards of care and efficient treatment possible in the home environment. Moreover, the concept of "ambulatory where possible, inpatient where necessary", espoused by industry, fits well with the trend towards outpatient treatment in Germany. The congress runs until June 22.