“The system must be as good as the people who look after us.”

Florian Fuhrmann senses a discord within the healthcare system. He argues that we have forgotten how to work together, and that many processes are inefficient. The financial authorities are therefore saying: things cannot go on like this; a systemic change is needed.

In this situation, he argues, healthcare management has shifted from patient-centred to resource-centred. Much has changed: patients are more digitally savvy, better informed and more self-assured. But treatments have also evolved. Multi-professional and highly trained specialists are working together, supported by new software and technologies, such as those from telemedicine.

Rigid structures hinder change

Despite this momentum, Fuhrmann sees a problem in the rigid structures of the healthcare system. These structures prevent innovations from taking root, for example due to data silos or because healthcare professionals are overburdened by redundant tests. At the same time, patients have not yet been sufficiently recognised as an active factor in care. Digitalisation is a catalyst for bringing healthcare into the new decade.

So who is best placed to steer healthcare? According to Fuhrmann, politics can provide legal certainty. However, it thinks in terms of election cycles and is ideologically driven. Self-governance, as the ‘engine room of healthcare’, is close to the action and can act quickly. However, it rarely speaks with one voice, meaning that joint solutions tend to boil down to the lowest common denominator. Digitalisation is indeed objective and fair, able to identify patterns quickly and overcome sectoral boundaries. However, it is only as good as the data it receives.

Finding joint solutions

Fuhrmann’s conclusion is therefore that no single party should take sole responsibility for managing healthcare provision. Policy guidelines, practical expertise and digital intelligence are all equally essential. At the same time, both healthcare providers and patients must be willing to adapt.

And what is gematik’s role? Fuhrmann does not see it as conducting like a conductor, but rather as enabling everyone to play together: a reliable partner for the industry. In the orchestra analogy, it stands like a technician behind the scenes, requiring governance and stability to reduce complexity. Gematik does not dictate what is played on the healthcare stage, but creates the conditions that allow the performance to take place. His wish for the future: “The system must become as good as the people who care for us within it.”