Hospitals in Germany: World’s Advanced Healthcare System
With the ease of travel in today’s increasingly globalized world, a large number of people have started to travel for medical treatments. Each of them has a different motive for getting medical treatment abroad, but most of the people travel for two main reasons: the treatment they require is not available in their country, and for saving their money as Hospitals in Germany are highly recognized.
Germany is not just a popular tourist destination, but also an increasingly popular destination for medical travelers. Many hold the view of the German health care system as one of the best in Europe and around the globe. Germany is famous for its strict ethical standards, topmost quality of care, and quick access to specialists. Also, it balances a great cost-to-quality ratio. Germany is not the cheapest medical destination worldwide, but the cost that the patients bear for their medical treatments is significantly lower than many other industrialized nations.
The Background of German Health Care System
With the excellent international reputation for the health care system, Germany’s standard of care is really high. But what makes it rise up so high? Of course, well-trained nurses, doctors, and other medical specialists. Medical specialists have to go through a strict training phase before they are allowed to practice medicine. And for the doctors and surgeons, it is essential for them to continually educate themselves for staying up-to-date about the latest developments in the field. The treatment possibilities and medical technology are considered as the state of the art. Germany is also famed for superior engineering and technical innovation. Most of the Hospitals in Germany are equipped with high-tech imaging technology.
Many specialized clinics provide patients with the latest treatments. Targeted radiation therapies for cancer patients, surgical robots, and heart catheters are just a few examples of the pieces of technology that can easily be found in German clinics. Germany has an average of 380 physicians per 100,000 inhabitants according to the WHO which is higher than the averages for both Canada and the USA. Germany also maintains strict laws for the protection of the patients, the patients can also expect strict hygienic measures, comprehensive follow-up care, and transparency in treatment outcomes. All these factors make medical tourism in Germany an ideal thing to do for medical tourists.
Why Hospitals in Germany are Chosen by the Patients for Medical Tourism?
German health care system is known to be one of the best healthcare systems in the world. The medical assistance provided here is regulated in the state level: German hospitals must be approved by certain certifications and some of them are named below:
- – German Institute for Standardization (DIN).
- – Telemedicine for the Mobile Society (TEMOS).
German clinics are also certified by JCI (Joint Commission International) and ESMO (European Society for Medical Oncology) for ensuring that the medical procedures being performed are safe and are done with the highest quality standards.
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Price
The necessity of paying for the quality makes the German medicines slightly expensive than others.
But visitors coming from around the world pay just as much as the German residents. German clinics do not charge extra to foreigners.
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Medication
German physicians carry out treatments in accordance with the international protocol. Doctors and specialists consume drugs manufactured especially for the members of the EU.
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Robotic Surgery
German Hospitals are well equipped with robots that work with high accuracy. One of them is the Da Vinci robot, which assists and performs surgeries through incisions up to 1 cm. This robot helps carry out surgical procedures in prostate cancer, bladder, kidney stone, and cancer patients and helps in applying catheters in cardiac patients. These robots make the surgery quick and also lessen risk and recovery period.
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Innovative techniques
There are research centers working on the grounds of university hospitals. The purpose of to develop innovative methods for surgeries and therapies and implement them during the treatment. For example, surgeons use True Beam STx linear accelerators and Trilogy system to remove malignant tumors. The pros of these technologies are that they target the specific tumor without causing damage to the neighboring muscles, cells, and tissues. External fertilization of HIV positive men is done by cleaning the seminal fluid of the patient and then using it for in vitro fertilization
Top Hospitals in Germany
Hospitals in Germany total in excess of 2000. Out of which 50% of the hospitals are public, 30% are university hospitals and the other half of hospitals are private being not-for-profit and the remainder for-profit. The main criteria for ranking the hospitals in Germany are statistics of the hospital’s curability of diseases, ratings of the doctors, and the reviews of the patients. Here’s a list of 9 top hospitals in Germany.
1. Located in Berlin, The Charite University Hospital occupies the 1st place at the top of the ranking.
2. The University Hospital of the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich is known as one of the oldest and largest clinics of Germany.
3. The University Hospital Frankfurt am Main is rated as one of the best educational institutes for future professionals.
4. The University Hospital Cologne, having one of the strongest scientific basis for research in the field of neurology.
5. The Asklepios Academic City Hospital Bad Wildungen is known to be the best in terms of equipment in the country.
6. The University Hospital Bonn is the youngest hospital, but it still managed to earn a place in the 9 top hospitals in Germany.
7. The University Hospital RWTH Aachen is known to be one of the most convenient and comfortable hospitals for patients.
8. Alfried Krupp Hospital in Essen-Ruettenscheid is a highly-equipped clinic in the country, mostly VIP patients pay a visit there.
9. University Hospital Tuebingen offers high-standard medical assistance to patients. In this hospital, it is conceivable to place an accompanying person in the ward with the patient.
Top 4 Specializations German Hospitals
- Cardiac surgery.
- Orthopedics.
- Oncology.
- Neurosurgery.
Germany is a primary destination for medical tourism for both patients and specialists. The country offers the latest technologies and treatments for curing patients with advanced diseases. Patients all around the world visit Germany to get their illnesses treated.
Top 5 Things About German Hospitals, Doctors, and Healthcare
1. High-Quality Care
Patients should keep in mind the differences between the German and other health care models. To have a good, tension-free experience with the doctor, it is important you do thorough research and know what too and what not to expect from the German healthcare department.
2. Quality Treatment is The Foremost Priority of the German Hospitals
They aim to give their patients the best hospital experience with worry-free medical care and treatment. However, German local hospitals do not focus on providing a luxurious hospital experience, due to which outsiders and non-German residents might complain about the level of privacy and comfort.
3. The German Government Has Strict Laws When It Comes To Corruption In The Healthcare Department
Hence the German doctors are very honest and faithful to their duty. Patients in German hospitals do not have to worry about bad treatment or any kind of corruption in their treatment. The German specialists are honest to their patients, always telling the truth even in cases of severe or bad diagnosis. German hospitals do not believe in hiding the condition of the patient from them. However, on the request, if the family members, the information might be kept as a secret from the patient.
4. Efficiency Is All That You Expect From A German Hospital
Germany is all about doing jobs with great efficiency, especially in the healthcare department. The German hospitals’ aim is to provide their patients with the best effective treatment possible and avoid keeping patients and dragging the procedures and treatment needlessly to save patients’ time and money.
5. The German Doctors Will Provide Complete Information To The Patients
Doctors are legally required to provide complete information to the patients about their treatment. The patient needs to sign an approval form before the treatment starts, also the
patient can ask all questions that satisfy himself.
Medical Procedure Costs of a Treatment in Hospitals in Germany
One thing that you have to keep in mind is that many hospitals in Germany require the full treatment cost to be paid in full prior to receiving treatment. Later, you can get paid by your insurance company. A very common question, “How much does medical treatment cost in Germany?” arises in everyone’s mind who is traveling to Germany. The answer to this question is quite simple, for planning your budget, you also need to think about things like insurance coverage, accommodation, and transport. The Hospitals in Germany, rarely advertise their prices, but, the German government has fixed the prices of the procedures in G-DRG (German Diagnostic-Related Group), which is a large catalog. Overseas and private patients can access healthcare based on G-DRG codes. Moreover, all patients have the right treated without GOÄ fees. The hospitals can only charge these fees if the patient signs a separate contract.
Germany has the very best facilities that help the patient to stay healthy or recover from illness. One thing to note that all patients are treated equally in Germany. That is the sole reason that today, medical tourism in Germany is highly famed. Staff in German hospitals are highly qualified and often have significant experience in their specialization, either through research or practice, or both. Along with that, they maintain a high level of professionalism while interacting with you.