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The University Emergency Center at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg counted around 54,000 emergency contacts in 2023 / Newly established model location significantly shortens waiting times

In 2023, the University Emergency Center - University of Freiburg Medical Center recorded a record number of 53,545 patient contacts. Particularly noteworthy was the increase in seriously and critically ill or injured people in December, which led to the highest monthly figure since the UNC opened in 2012. This makes the University Emergency Center one of the largest emergency centers in Germany, as determined by the Action Alliance for the Improvement of Communication and Information Technology in Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine (AKTIN) in a benchmark in November 2023.

"The increase in patient contacts shows the great importance of the University Emergency Center as a point of contact for people in the region," explains Prof. Dr. Hans-Jörg Busch, Medical Director of the University Emergency Center. "In order to provide them all with the treatment they need as quickly as possible, we opened a model location with a shared counter for the care of acute patients in October.

Positive results from the new model location

More than 10,000 patients have visited the shared counter independently since October 2023 and have already been assessed by specially trained specialist staff from the Medical Center - University of Freiburg before formally registering. They decide immediately whether they should be treated at the University Emergency Center or by an integrated GP. As a result, more than 3,600 patients with less serious injuries or illnesses have been treated in the newly established GP emergency practice, which is also located on the hospital's premises. This GP care is provided by a contract doctor's practice and, outside of consultation hours, by the emergency practice of the Baden-Württemberg Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians.

"The model location is a real concept for success: thanks to the single point of contact, patients are treated quickly and accurately according to the severity of their symptoms. The waiting time to see a doctor has been significantly reduced, and incorrect registrations and unnecessary bureaucracy caused by referrals are avoided," says Busch.

Caption: The University Emergency Center - University of Freiburg Medical Center and the joint counter with integrated GP care recorded record numbers in 2023.
Image source: Medical Center - University of Freiburg