[Hospital structure and control measures]

A new legislation concerning financial matters of hospitals in Germany requires fundamental changes and adjustment. Formerly grown structures of a high-grade centralization erode into a process of change. Despite hospitals will maintain their non-profit character in public health services, modifications of medical care processes will promote elements of cost-centres. All medical care units as well as hospital management are confronted with rising requirements concerning performance and transparency. Increasingly patients and social health insurances behave like self-confident customers not willing to accept rising costs. Public health services loose their character of a planned economy. Hospitals with features of health-entrepreneurship are on the incline. A process of quality-planning and efficient management has been evoqued.