W Hoffmann1, N van den Berg, U Stentzel, R Großjohann, C Jürgens, F Tost. 1. Institut für Community Medicine, Abt. Versorgungsepidemiologie und Community Health, Universitätsmedizin Greifswald, Ellernholzstr. 1/2, 17487, Greifswald, Deutschland, wolfgang.hoffmann@uni-greifswald.de.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Demographic change not only affects patients with ophthalmological diseases but also ophthalmologists. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this article is to evaluate the consequences of an aging society on health care provision. How can these challenges be overcome? MATERIAL AND METHODS: Evaluation of publications from the German Federal Statistical Office about the current and projected population, analysis of own studies about health care provision, utilization, and delivery as well as the presentation and discussion of regulatory and organizational conditions. RESULTS: There is a continuous increase in chronic and age-related diseases. At the same time the prevalence of multimorbidity and the number of patients dependent on long-term care is rising, leading to an increase in the demand for ophthalmological care. Regarding health care providers we observed a cutback in qualified ophthalmological personnel, especially for remote areas thus causing difficulties in providing adequate eye care to the population. CONCLUSION: To deliver health care to a growing number of patients with a decreasing number of medical professionals is the major challenge of demographic change. This will have an enormous impact on ophthalmological health care in terms of maintaining high quality health services covering a nationwide area.
BACKGROUND: Demographic change not only affects patients with ophthalmological diseases but also ophthalmologists. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this article is to evaluate the consequences of an aging society on health care provision. How can these challenges be overcome? MATERIAL AND METHODS: Evaluation of publications from the German Federal Statistical Office about the current and projected population, analysis of own studies about health care provision, utilization, and delivery as well as the presentation and discussion of regulatory and organizational conditions. RESULTS: There is a continuous increase in chronic and age-related diseases. At the same time the prevalence of multimorbidity and the number of patients dependent on long-term care is rising, leading to an increase in the demand for ophthalmological care. Regarding health care providers we observed a cutback in qualified ophthalmological personnel, especially for remote areas thus causing difficulties in providing adequate eye care to the population. CONCLUSION: To deliver health care to a growing number of patients with a decreasing number of medical professionals is the major challenge of demographic change. This will have an enormous impact on ophthalmological health care in terms of maintaining high quality health services covering a nationwide area.
Authors: Ulrike Siewert; Konstanze Fendrich; Gabriele Doblhammer-Reiter; Rembrandt D Scholz; Peter Schuff-Werner; Wolfgang Hoffmann Journal: Dtsch Arztebl Int Date: 2010-05-07 Impact factor: 5.594
Authors: Henry Völzke; Dietrich Alte; Carsten Oliver Schmidt; Dörte Radke; Roberto Lorbeer; Nele Friedrich; Nicole Aumann; Katharina Lau; Michael Piontek; Gabriele Born; Christoph Havemann; Till Ittermann; Sabine Schipf; Robin Haring; Sebastian E Baumeister; Henri Wallaschofski; Matthias Nauck; Stephanie Frick; Andreas Arnold; Michael Jünger; Julia Mayerle; Matthias Kraft; Markus M Lerch; Marcus Dörr; Thorsten Reffelmann; Klaus Empen; Stephan B Felix; Anne Obst; Beate Koch; Sven Gläser; Ralf Ewert; Ingo Fietze; Thomas Penzel; Martina Dören; Wolfgang Rathmann; Johannes Haerting; Mario Hannemann; Jürgen Röpcke; Ulf Schminke; Clemens Jürgens; Frank Tost; Rainer Rettig; Jan A Kors; Saskia Ungerer; Katrin Hegenscheid; Jens-Peter Kühn; Julia Kühn; Norbert Hosten; Ralf Puls; Jörg Henke; Oliver Gloger; Alexander Teumer; Georg Homuth; Uwe Völker; Christian Schwahn; Birte Holtfreter; Ines Polzer; Thomas Kohlmann; Hans J Grabe; Dieter Rosskopf; Heyo K Kroemer; Thomas Kocher; Reiner Biffar; Ulrich John; Wolfgang Hoffmann Journal: Int J Epidemiol Date: 2010-02-18 Impact factor: 7.196
Authors: W Hoffmann; N van den Berg; A Dreier Journal: Bundesgesundheitsblatt Gesundheitsforschung Gesundheitsschutz Date: 2013-04 Impact factor: 1.513
Authors: Thomas Fiss; Jochen René Thyrian; Konstanze Fendrich; Neeltje van den Berg; Wolfgang Hoffmann Journal: Int J Geriatr Psychiatry Date: 2012-04-16 Impact factor: 3.485
Authors: Thomas Fiss; Adina Dreier; Claudia Meinke; Neeltje van den Berg; Christoph Alexander Ritter; Wolfgang Hoffmann Journal: Age Ageing Date: 2010-09-07 Impact factor: 10.668