[Fair allocation of reduced resources in the German health care system. The patient's view]

The financial resources in the German Public Health care system are running short due to reduced budgets and demographic changes. Reform plans of the state, backers, and care providers seem to neglect patients' needs. To analyse this problem by scientific means, inpatients were interviewed as to their views concerning fair allocation.

During 6 weeks, 532 inpatients were interviewed. The structured questionnaire consisted of eight closed-end questions with multiple choice answers. The gender ratio was balanced, and the age pattern represented the typical patient collective of our clinic.

The majority of the patients do not support the reform plans in the German public health care system. They feel comfortable with the present medical standard and quality of health care and wish no reductions in the medical service. The required individualisation of risk and care is rejected. Thus patients reveal an almost dichotomous understanding of medical care on the one hand and its cost on the other. Modern reform and change concepts need effective professional public relations to increase public understanding and reduce objections to unpopular measures.