Decentralized health care instead of paralyzing bureaucracy

In the course of the engagement of the new curiawoman for resident doctors, Dr. Dagmar Fedra-Machacek, a first short exchange with Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner took place in the Sankt Pöltner Landhaus. The talks on the announced reform partnership will begin soon at the level of the governors. The discussion about repairing the ÖGK reform was already initiated by Governor Anton Mattle and ÖGK chairman Andreas Huss. Governor Stelzer also sees urgent need for action in health care and demands more freedom of making a decision on site.

Health planning must be decentralized and regional

„I very much welcome this advance – we have no time to lose. We need reforms that make the system better, more decentralized and affordable, without medical loss. Countries like Denmark show us that this is possible. The principle there is: the more residential location, the more it is decided on site. We have to plan, control and implement health services decentrally and regionally. It takes a seam between the intra- and extramural area and financing from a single source“, sagt diebfrau Dr. Dagmar Fedra-Machacek.

Current ÖGK structure paralyzes processes at all levels

For the spa chairman, it is obvious that health services in urban areas have to be planned differently than in the country. This affects not only differences between the federal states, but also between the districts. “”We have different topics and challenges in the Horn district than in the Mödling district. This cannot be decided on the drawing board in Vienna. Until a year ago, we still had contact persons in the ÖGK state office on the respective topics. Now there is a responsibility for medication permits in Carinthia, the preventive examination in Burgenland and the medicine pharmacy matters in Vienna. However, these responsibilities are constantly changing. That paralyzes on all levels ”, says Fedra-Machacek.

Decisions are delayed by months

As a concrete examples, the general and family doctor, for example, mentions the already agreed Decision on substitution therapy – Seven months have passed until the final signature of the ÖGK. At the start of the pilot project “HerzMobil“ – A project for telemedical care of heart failure – Lower Austria’s patients still have to wait due to the lack of signatures, although the Curium Assembly of the Eknö has already decided to implement the project in May.

Why stagnate prevention and psychosocial care

For Fedra-Machacek, the completely outdated separation between the health and social sector is urgently in need of reform. “”These areas are too strictly separated in terms of insurance in order to be able to optimally look after patients in the team. That is why we do not progress in Austria in psychosocial care and health prevention. We need the expansion of primary care, a modern performance catalog and increased cooperation with other health professions, especially at regional level. Reform talks are a first step – we need deeds“, Fedra-Machacek concludes.