DRGs in dermatology: Results of the DRG evaluation project of the German Society of Dermatology (DDG)

Abstract

Background: The implementation of a DRG system in Germany - voluntarily since January 1 st , 2003, and obligatory after January 1 st , 2004 - has led to uncertainty, particularly in the hospitals. There are fears that current well-accepted German diagnostic and therapeutic services may not be properly financed by the new system. In response, the German Dermatologic Society (DDG) in cooperation with the DRG Research Group of the University Hospital Muenster and the German Medical Association carried out a DRG evaluation project in order to investigate the medical and economic homogeneity of the case groups. Patients and methods: 19,403 dermatological cases from 19 hospitals - ten university hospitals and nine non-university hospitals - were collected over a period of four months and then evaluated with regard to their performance, length of stay and cost homogeneity. Results: The data provided the background needed to indicate suspected potential deficiencies for mapping dermatology cases within the German DRG system. Based on the data 10 modifications were formulated and submitted to the InEK by the deadline of March 31 st , 2003. Conclusions: The results of the DRG Evaluation Project show that the G-DRG-Variant Version 1.0 does not offer the necessary possibilities of differentiation to map the broad spectrum of various dermatology services in Germany.