[Medical services: patients' and physicians' perceptions]

In 2007, the German health-care system was once again subject to reform. Demographic changes and a rising demand for health-care services on the one hand and technological progress with increased medical-technological possibilities on the other lead to questions about organising and financing health care. Moreover, with the German health care being a mixture of a public insurance systems and private insurances, the extent, quality and equality of access is constantly under debate. In an empirical study, 1 604 patients were asked about their satisfaction with medical services and their insurance as well as their views on the recent reform. 90 physicians were questioned about their job satisfaction and their views on the health care system and the recent reform. Patients, irrespective of their type of insurance, on average were very satisfied with the physicians' services. Privately insured patients on average were more satisfied with their insurance than publicly insured. Patients were not well informed about the reform. Physicians' job satisfaction was markedly lower, they anticipate problems with health-care provision and they judge the health-care reform as inappropriate. Thus, patients on average are very satisfied with medical services, physicians on average are not satisfied with their situation, and the health-care reform is not perceived as a great success.