[Innovative outpatient models].

Area of Science:

• Healthcare policy and delivery
• Psychiatric services research
• Health services management

Background:

• Germany introduced integrated care (IV) and selective contracts in 2004 to foster innovative outpatient care.
• While numerous IV contracts for psychiatric care exist, most are short-term, with limited patient reach (1-2%).
• Multiprofessional patient care is a key focus across various service models.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present two permanently established, innovative outpatient psychiatric care service models in Germany.
• To highlight opportunities in networking and coordinated treatment steps for improved psychiatric care.
• To showcase how these models facilitate group therapy and guideline-based treatment intensification.

Main Methods:

• Focus on two established service models: Psychiatry Initiative Berlin Brandenburg (PIBB) and Neuropsychiatric and Psychotherapeutic Care (NPPV) North Rhine.
• Analysis of how these models leverage networking resources across different care levels.
• Examination of coordinated treatment steps, including group therapy organization.

Main Results:

• Established models demonstrate effective utilization of networking resources and coordinated care pathways.
• Group therapy organization is facilitated, allowing for varied treatment intensities and content.
• These models enhance guideline-based treatment through interactive therapeutic exchange.

Conclusions:

• Innovative outpatient psychiatric care models can be permanently established by exploiting networking resources.
• Coordinated treatment steps and flexible therapeutic approaches, like group therapy, improve patient care.
• Medical networks, with statutory financial support, offer significant opportunities for complex outpatient psychiatric treatment.