Wie Mindestmengen die Patientenwanderung beeinflussen

Abstract

If a new minimum quantity is introduced for an inpatient service, some of the service providers will be below the required number of cases. Their service volumes must be redistributed among the remaining providers. This leads to a regional increase in the number of cases, which can also lift those providers that are below the minimum volume above the threshold. In a simulation study, we illustrate the relationship between minimum volumes and patient migration. Before the introduction of the minimum volume of 30 cases, there are 745 providers in the simulation, 510 of which are below and 235 above the minimum volume. Patient migration leads to a further 79 providers being raised above the required case number threshold. These include providers with only 12 cases initially. Patient migration can therefore play a role in justifying a site‘s positive prognosis for reaching the minimum volume.