[Health policy guidelines for ambulatory and brief inpatient surgery. Backgrounds, facts and possible future...

Ambulatory and short-stay surgery in Germany are regulated by two different political committees with different members. Currently, hospitals are permitted to practice ambulatory surgery on the basis of a mere notification sent to the health insurance companies. The details for access, reimbursement, and quality assurance are negotiated between the hospitals' association, the health insurance companies, and the association of the physicians. Compared to other fields of ambulatory care, the legislation for ambulatory surgery is rather loose concerning hospitals' access to this field of health care provision. Short-stay surgery is designated under inpatient care. With the introduction of so-called diagnosis-related groups (DRG) in 2003, a steep decline in length of stay is expected. Further efforts of the government and health insurance companies to extend ambulatory surgery to further indications are expected, too. However, the hurdle of transferring services from the inpatient sector to the ambulatory sector is a major challenge in Germany. We recommend lowering the legislative hurdle hindering hospitals and physicians from entering the area of ambulatory surgery for specific diagnoses. Same-day treatment should also be encouraged.