[Competition between physicians and hospitals--are hospitals the big winners?].

Competition and cooperation are contradictory aspects of economic systems; in the healthcare system they also govern the process of creation and distribution of value. Both are needed to reach higher levels of efficiency and innovation. Regarding competition as a universal remedy which only has to be applied in higher doses in order to cure the multiple illnesses of the healthcare sector is a single-sided view and does not match economic reality. As politics introduce more and more elements of competition the question arises as to what degree hospitals are in competition with private practice physicians. In contrast to statements of lobbyists we came to the conclusion that the degree of competition between hospitals and physicians is negligible when compared to the vast potential of cooperation.