Deutsche Krankenhausgesellschaft

The Deutsche Krankenhausgesellschaft e. V. (DKG) is a non-profit interest and umbrella organization that has represented the leading and state associations of hospital operators in Germany since 1949. Based in Berlin, the DKG works closely with 28 member associations, including 12 leading associations and 16 state associations of hospital operators.

The DKG is dedicated to supporting its members in fulfilling their legally mandated tasks in the hospital sector. The association advocates for the preservation and improvement of the performance of hospitals and advises governmental bodies and authorities on the implementation of laws. A central aspect of the DKG's work is representing the interests of hospitals and their over 1.2 million employees to politics and other relevant entities[3][4].

• Political Advocacy: The DKG actively engages in health policy and advocates for the concerns of hospitals, particularly regarding financing, personnel, and infrastructure.
• Quality Assurance and Research: The association is a founding member of the Federal Office for Quality Assurance gGmbH (BQS) and the Institute for the Payment System in Hospitals (InEK) and awards evaluation and research contracts to improve the quality of medical care[3].
• International Cooperation: The DKG represents Germany at the European Hospital and Healthcare Federation (HOPE) and coordinates the HOPE exchange in Europe[3].

• Bureaucracy Reduction: The DKG is committed to reducing bureaucracy in hospitals to create more time for patient care. Currently, doctors and nursing staff spend about three hours a day on bureaucratic tasks[2].
• Personnel Concepts: The association promotes modern and flexible personnel concepts to address the challenges of skilled labor shortages and outpatient care[2][5].
• Inflation Compensation: The DKG calls for sustainable inflation compensation to combat the structural underfunding of hospitals and to secure patient care in the long term[5].

The DKG sees the future of hospitals in a stronger shift towards outpatient care and digitalization. Outpatient care is to be expanded, especially in regions without established structures. Additionally, it is expected that patient data will play a larger role through wearable technologies and point-of-care testing. Despite these changes, hospitals will continue to be indispensable for highly complex treatments[5].

With its comprehensive work and commitment to high-quality medical care, the Deutsche Krankenhausgesellschaft e. V. is a central player in the German healthcare system.

• 1 - https://www.bundesgesundheitsministerium.de/fileadmin/Dateien/3_Downloads/Gesetze_und_Verordnungen/Stellungnahmen_WP20/MFG/Deutsche_Krankenhausgesellschaft_e.V..pdf
• 2 - https://www.dkgev.de
• 3 - https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deutsche_Krankenhausgesellschaft
• 4 - https://www.dkgev.de/dkg/
• 5 - https://dkgev.deutsches-krankenhaus-verzeichnis.de/datenschutz