[How should German statutory health insurance-accredited physicians handle non-covered individual health services? Deficits and recommendations from patients' point of view].

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

German statutory health insurance-registered physicians increasingly offer individual health services (IHS). Within a mixed methods study, focus groups were conducted to describe deficits and recommendations from patients' point of view about how physicians should handle IHS.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Seven semi-structured focus groups (alltogether 50 participants) were conducted, stratified for region, gender and school education and homogenised for age and health status. The discussions were recorded, transcribed and content-analysed (thematic coding).

RESULTS

Across all focus groups patients wished in-depth advise, neutral information, transparent dissociation of IHS from services of statutory health insurances (SHI), appropriate time for consideration and information, consultations for a second opinion and transparent billing of all medical services. There was no consensus about who should initiate IHS and who should develop and disseminate information on IHS. Members of SHI wish for information on SHI services and transparent information developed by neutral parties.

DISCUSSION

The handling of IHS needs to be regulated urgently. Based on the integration of quantitative and qualitative data we infer patient-centred conclusions and recommendations for SHI-accredited physicians.