Emergency supply questionnaire by AOC
The 116117 hotline in Germany serves as a vital central medical on-call service, providing medical advice, on-call doctors, home visits, and referrals to clinics for non-life-threatening urgent medical issues outside regular clinic hours. This service is designed to prevent overload of emergency services by filtering out patients with mild or moderate symptoms and guiding them to appropriate care levels, thereby reducing unnecessary visits to emergency departments [1][3][4].
The hotline plays a crucial role in ensuring that patients receive prompt and appropriate care while preventing unnecessary emergency calls and reducing ER congestion. By acting as a triage point for non-critical conditions, it helps maintain emergency services’ capacity for patients with genuinely serious or life-threatening health emergencies [1][3][4].
The 116117 hotline offers 24/7 access to on-call medical care, reducing the pressure on emergency rooms by dispatching doctors to patients' homes or advising them to visit urgent care clinics instead. It also allows health insurers’ organizations to manage appointment bookings and urgent care access efficiently [4].
While language barriers may exist, the hotline provides essential advice for non-German speakers and connects them to suitable care options [5]. The results of a Forsa survey commissioned by AOK Saxony-Anhalt show that people have uncertainty about what the best treatment option is for them in case of a suspected emergency [6]. However, 81% of respondents are familiar with the nationwide emergency number 116117 [7].
Patients can contact the guidance center under the number 116117 or a local on-call practice, which is also displayed on 116117.de. The Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians' acute guidance centers assess the urgency of treatment and complaints of those seeking help using a standardized initial assessment procedure and refer them to the appropriate treatment [8].
The survey results confirm the need for patients to be able to resolve their issues as quickly as possible and to be helped in being directed to the right treatment path [9]. Kay Nitschke, head of the outpatient and inpatient care division at AOK Saxony-Anhalt, suggests that a competent initial assessment could be provided by the employees of the 116117 hotline or through a self-assessment using the patient navigator on the 116117.de internet platform [10].
The black-red coalition has committed to tackling the overdue reform of emergency care and emergency services promptly [2]. By improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the 116117 hotline and other emergency services, Germany aims to provide timely and appropriate care to all its citizens.
References: [1] https://www.deutschland.de/burger/gesundheit/116117-hotline [2] https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/rot-schwarz-will-notfallversorgung-modernisieren-a-1265809.html [3] https://www.bundesgesundheitsministerium.de/coronavirus/116117-hotline.html [4] https://www.aok-sachsen-anhalt.de/presse/pressemitteilungen/aok-sachsen-anhalt-forsta-umfrage-zur-notfallversorgung-und-116117-hotline-veroeffentlicht [5] https://www.bundesgesundheitsministerium.de/coronavirus/116117-hotline/english.html [6] https://www.aok-sachsen-anhalt.de/presse/pressemitteilungen/aok-sachsen-anhalt-forsta-umfrage-zur-notfallversorgung-und-116117-hotline-veroeffentlicht [7] https://www.aok-sachsen-anhalt.de/presse/pressemitteilungen/aok-sachsen-anhalt-forsta-umfrage-zur-notfallversorgung-und-116117-hotline-veroeffentlicht [8] https://www.aok-sachsen-anhalt.de/presse/pressemitteilungen/aok-sachsen-anhalt-forsta-umfrage-zur-notfallversorgung-und-116117-hotline-veroeffentlicht [9] https://www.aok-sachsen-anhalt.de/presse/pressemitteilungen/aok-sachsen-anhalt-forsta-umfrage-zur-notfallversorgung-und-116117-hotline-veroeffentlicht [10] https://www.aok-sachsen-anhalt.de/presse/pressemitteilungen/aok-sachsen-anhalt-forsta-umfrage-zur-notfallversorgung-und-116117-hotline-veroeffentlicht
The hotline serves as a vital resource for health and wellness, providing medical advice and referrals to appropriate health-and-wellness services, thereby reducing overload on emergency services. By offering 24/7 access to medical care and a standardized initial assessment, the 116117 hotline helps ensure that patients receive prompt and appropriate treatment for non-critical medical conditions, making it an essential part of the overall health-and-wellness landscape in Germany.
