[Cooperation instead of competition-new approaches in urological care]

Urological care in Germany is in a state of flux. New interfaces are emerging between outpatient and inpatient structures, which pose not only organizational and professional but also economic challenges. The central challenge is the increasing importance of outpatient care and its integration into everyday clinical practice and the associated cooperation between hospitals and community-based physicians, including in the context of urological training. Only through close and trusting cooperation is it possible to ensure high-quality patient care and act in an economically sensible manner. The author is particularly critical of the "cold" streamlining of the hospital landscape in North Rhine-Westphalia due to the increasing insolvency of hospitals. This could also jeopardize urological care in the medium and long term. Existing urological hospital structures, especially inpatient departments, have been closed, while the care of urological patients has been made considerably more difficult due to a lack of opportunities for expansion, e.g., of operating room capacities in the hospitals providing care. At the same time, the article aims to provide encouragement. The younger generation in particular is prepared to think, act and work across sectors. The author appeals to all those involved to see cooperation not as a necessary evil, but as a strategic opportunity. This is the only way that patient care can be guaranteed in the future in a comprehensive and quality-assured manner. It is not just about medical expertise, but also about structure, communication and trust between the people involved.