The hospital sector in Germany: an overview.

The German health care system has recently experienced far reaching reforms within its hospital sector, including a new financing and remuneration system, the life span of which is to the year 2003. The reforms have been based on the DRG-system already in operation in another country. Other regulations of the new reform involve the system of quality assurance and quality management in German hospitals and a new form of supply of services, the so called "integrated care" system, the introduction of which was to overcome the fragmented system of ambulatory and stationary medical care in Germany. This article, in short, presents an overview of the hospital sector in Germany and reports on the latest developments resulting from implementation of the health care reform.