Diagnosis related groups (DRGs) still imperfect, but new system succeeding
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
The DRG system is clearly beginning to work in Germany, but the DRG catalogue needs to be improved. So said the federal health ministry's DRG expert Dr Karl-Heinz Tuschen. Speaking at a MedInform/BVMed progress update conference, in Bonn on January 24, he said that the introductory transition phase (to 2009) will be most useful if the system progressively changes from a budget- to a prices-based system, and more services are fully integrated into the full DRGs. Transparency of the system has clearly improved.