The Central Institute for Statutory Health Insurance (Zentralinstitut für die kassenärztliche Versorgung – Zi) is continuing its “KWEX” study that began last year and is launching a nationwide online survey of employed doctors and psychotherapists in practices and medical care centers (MVZ). The aim of this survey is to gain detailed insights into the professional careers, current employment situation and future professional plans of these specialists. The survey runs until February 28, 2025.
| Key figures for outpatient care at a glance * 187,441 doctors and psychotherapists participate in statutory health insurance. * There are 98,985 practices in Germany. * 575.7 million treatment cases are carried out in practices every year. * 1 billion patient-general practitioner or patient-specialist encounters happen each year. * General practitioners work an average of 53 hours per week. * 330,000 medical assistants (MFA) work for general practitioners. * 70% of emergency outpatients are treated by general practitioners. * 83% of patients in Germany get an appointment with a specialist within a month. * Doctors and psychotherapists usually have 12 years of training before they can set up as a general practitioner, specialist or psychotherapist. * A general practitioner or psychotherapist must complete at least 37.5 hours of training per year. * Outpatient care in a practice costs an average of 624 euros per patient per year, while inpatient hospital care costs 6,796 euros per patient. * 98.3% of the population can reach the nearest general practitioner in under 15 minutes. https://www.kbv.de/html/zahlen.php (accessed February 15, 2025) |
In recent years, the proportion of employed doctors in outpatient care has risen continuously. Currently, almost 30% of all doctors working in practices and MVZs are employed, with a clear upward trend.
This development brings with it specific challenges that need to be addressed:
- Working conditions and working time models: Many employed professionals strive for a better work-life balance, which leads to increased part-time work. However, this trend can exacerbate the existing shortage of doctors and affect the care situation.
- Economic pressure: In medical care centers, cost optimization is often the main focus. This can lead to increased pressure on employees, especially when financial investors are involved who primarily aim to maximize profits.
- Staff shortages: Both in MVZs and in individual practices, there are difficulties in recruiting specialist staff. In 2019, 30% of MVZs reported problems in filling medical positions, especially in general surgery.
- Aggressive patient behavior: An increasing number of attacks on medical staff is a serious problem. Surveys show that a significant proportion of practice teams are regularly confronted with aggressive behavior from patients, which increases the workload and stress levels.
The results of the “KWEX” study are intended to help better understanding these and other challenges and to develop solutions that both improve the working conditions of employed specialists and ensure patient care in the long term.
