The Gesellschaft für Systemberatung im Gesundheitswesen (Association for Systems Consulting in the Health Sector – GS_bG) has a single corporate mission: to improve patient care. Better patient care is usually reflected in a shorter case history, which in turn reflects a speedier recovery.

Medical research alone isn’t enough to bring about shorter case histories. The financing of services is a key factor in deciding how services are rendered. This business principle applies in the health sector as well. Decisions about the financing of medical services shape patients’ case histories and, by extension, the health sector. This is the responsibility towards the public health system that GS_bG has embraced.

The GS_bG fulfills this responsibility in three fields of activity:

(1) Scientific research on the effects of financing systems on patient care; basic research in Health Sector Economics includes calculating the costs of patient care – in particular hospital costs – as well as new methods in hospital planning and success monitoring for integrated care.

(2) The GS_bG is known for putting these scientific insights into practice in its own model clinics. Beyond testing new ways of financing patient care, the GS_bG lives the following fundamental experience: only economically healthy companies in the health sector can provide high-quality patient care. As medical technology progresses, it requires continual investment and innovation, especially for the OP and employees. Patients benefit from these elements in performance and quality competition.

(3) Based on its practical/scientific experiences, GS_bG is approached by all sides for political consultation: by the three federal ministries (Health, Employment, Research), the WHO, several state governments, state and federal hospital associations, university clinics, specialty hospitals and doctor’s practices. Beyond financing systems, GS_bG focuses on strategies for putting hospital planning into practice, geriatric care, the early rehabilitation, integrated care for chronically ill patients and connectivity in health services / health service networking/networks.

It takes many years of debating the pros and cons before established financing systems in the health sector finally change. For instance, standard case costs in ophthalmology that were tested as early as 1985 by the GS_bG will be introduced by 2003/2004 for all medical fields and all hospitals throughout the country, with only few exceptions, by the G-DRGs (German Diagnosis Related Groups). Doing health-economics research on dynamic prices and integrated compound fixed charges, and implementing it in own model clinics means taking an innovative step into the future, today.


1985: The “Kiel Bellevue” eye clinic is the first clinic in Germany to charge fixed prices for every service rendered, using case-based lump sums– regardless of the time a patient spends in a clinic bed. All services are clearly defined in the diagnoses. The clinic thus does away with the standard daily charge (Pflegesatz) and helps to reduce length of stay (LOS) for the patients.

1991: The Park-Klinik Manhagen model clinic clearly defines the services patients receive during their treatment and charges fixed prices for these services regardless of length of stay (LOS). The Park-Klinik Manhagen also does away with the standard daily charge and helps reduce LOS for patients. The Park-Klinik Manhagen was the point of departure for Germany’s amended legislation on hospital financing.

1992: In the Park-Klinik Manhagen model clinic, patients are given acute inpatient care, receive any necessary early rehabilitation as well as regular rehab. The cost bearers pay a fixed price for this continuous treatment of their insured persons, again regardless of the total length of treatment. Patients no longer have to wait for rehabilitation, and sick times are shortened considerably. This model set a precedent in Schleswig-Holstein and in Germany.

1998: The dynamic price system is tested in ophthalmology: Treatment is charged at a fixed price, regardless of whether the patient is ambulatory (outpatient status) or has to be checked in for medical reasons (inpatient). Also, greater numbers of cases cause the prices to drop. Dynamic prices are one response to the unchecked proliferation of costs and treatment in the health sector.

2001: The Park-Klinik Manhagen model clinic gives patients “integrated, cross-sector care” – in addition to the acute inpatient care provided at the clinic, a large part of the treatment is furnished before and after the clinic stay, as outpatient care from the operating orthopedist as a compound case-based set fee. The continuity of treatment improves the progression of an illness, and eliminates duplicate exams and duplicate prescriptions.

2004: The Park-Klinik Manhagen model "integrated care" is continued and covers orthopaedic patients an eye-surgery patients.

2005: The Park-Klinik Manhagen plans in cooperation with GSbG a new system of care called "Portalklinik". The new modell covers more qualified care for the rural region.

2006: Cooperation and fusion between the University of Schleswig-Holstein (eye and orthopaedic clinic sector) is politically discussed.

2007: Going forward, GS_bG will focus exclusively on models sponsored by the enterprise