Wir überwinden Grenzen

Integrated emergency department at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg to open in October 2023 / Positive results from the new model site

The Medical Center - University of Freiburg welcomes the draft reform proposed by Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach to relieve the burden on emergency departments. One of the core elements of the reform is the establishment of integrated emergency departments as a central point of contact for acute patients. This step was already successfully implemented at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg in October 2023.

"Our model location is a real success story: thanks to the single point of contact, patients are treated quickly and accurately according to the severity of their symptoms. The waiting time for initial medical contact has been significantly reduced, and incorrect registrations and unnecessary bureaucracy due to referrals are avoided," says Prof. Dr. Hans-Jörg Busch, Medical Director of the University Emergency Center. "We therefore expressly welcome the initiative of the Federal Minister of Health, which aims to optimize emergency care nationwide and at the same time strengthen working conditions in hospitals."

Positive results from the integrated emergency department

More than 33,000 patients have visited the central initial assessment point at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg, the so-called "common counter", in Sir-Hans-A.-Krebs-Straße independently over the past nine months. Specially trained staff from the Medical Center - University of Freiburg assess the urgency of emergency patients on foot before they are formally registered. At the same time, a decision is made as to whether care should be provided in the University Emergency Center or in integrated GP care. "Around a third of acute patients on foot with less serious injuries or illnesses could be treated in the structurally integrated outpatient care facility," says Busch. "This relieved the pressure on our emergency department, which also needs more capacity for the increasing number of serious cases."

Adapting healthcare to the needs of society

In 2023, the University Emergency Center at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg recorded a record number of more than 52,000 patient contacts. In the region, centralized care for serious cases is concentrated on fewer and fewer shoulders. "The increase in patient contacts shows the great importance of the University Emergency Center as a point of contact for people in the region," says Busch. The establishment of the Integrated Emergency Center was an important step towards providing needs-based treatment for all emergency patients.