Fitness goes Medical 2.0, Part 1:
Hospitals and fitness centers as full-service providers of healthcare services
There is still a gap between the 1st and 2nd healthcare markets. Only in a few cases are patients accompanied from prescribed exercise therapy to lifelong, independent "health training". Many people are losing out on quality of life and an entire market segment is not being served. This scenario has its causes, including encrusted health policy structures or blinkered thinking among healthcare providers. Thomas Kotsch shows ways to open up a new market sustainably.
It's no longer really a secret. Back in the early 2000s, studies by Roland Berger and Ernst & Young showed that two types of facilities would survive in active healthcare: The all-rounders and the specialists.
But are the service providers of the 1st healthcare market - doctors, physiotherapies, hospitals - developing in the direction of fitness, i.e. in the direction of lifelong therapy and health companions? Or do these 'hospitals' still have exactly this image: all white, all sterile, all Latin, all boring?
And the fitness centers, the 2nd health market? Are these coming onto the extended stage of a large health center, true to the motto: exercise should be fun, goals must be achieved - and if a doctor or therapist is needed, no problem, we have everything on the second floor or just around the corner!
2 markets, 2 core problems
When looking for examples of complex health landscapes, we will always come across two core problems:
Firstly, the fitness market still lacks the personnel, i.e. the actual content expertise, to be able to help sick, elderly or even multi-morbid members.
Secondly, it really does seem to be a lifelong passion of therapists to successfully resist anything that has to do with active selling.
So it's worth taking a closer look! What are the individual players doing, where are they already really good and where do they still need to catch up? And how are politicians, health insurance companies, major international corporations and, above all, people and patients following this path?
Hospitals and clinics going fitness!
If you enter 'hospital and fitness' in the world-famous search engine, the district hospital in Glauchau in Saxony appears in first place. I have been following the development of this hospital for years, which shows that the integration of real health services is progressing and succeeding very well.
The directly connected health center offers rehabilitation sports, courses and medical fitness to its predominantly own patients and thus not only excellently raises the comprehensive quantity and quality of care, but also develops into a lifelong health companion for people.
Further examples of a complete care program based on a clinic or hospital can be found here:
- Physioklinik im Aitrachtal
- Klinikum Itzehoe
- Ortema Markgröningen
- Gesundheitszentrum Chiemgau
But are these already examples of a MEGA trend? In my opinion, the answer to this question is a clear NO, unfortunately!
The clinical and semi-inpatient part of the 1st healthcare market is still too busy with itself. The structures in the processes, organization and sponsorship leave too little scope for free market development. The minds are too burdened with everyday changes in legislation and problems. They are not free enough to think in a visionary way, without the prejudice of the old fitness center in their heads. The image of clinics and hospitals, whether privately or publicly run, is still characterized by SICK.
Most managers of privately run clinics do not believe in the great 'cross-selling and marketing potential' of an integrated health center. The vision for the house of health is missing. They are fighting the windmills of bureaucracy and refinancing on a daily basis, which consists at least of flat rates per case, integrated care contracts and MVZs (medical care centers).
Outpatient
Outpatient rehabilitation as a model?
Outpatient rehabilitation centers, especially those in the orthopaedic field, are already further ahead. Large facilities have been built in the last 20 years, often with a total area of 2,000 m2 or more.
Here we do not find the surgical part of an acute hospital, but a comprehensive care program immediately after an operation for patients who do not want to be treated in an inpatient facility, but rather close to home. Up to 100 employees, from doctors to dieticians, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, psychologists, speech therapists, sports scientists and social counselors, work up to eight hours a day to help patients recover.
During medical rehabilitation training (MAT) or medical training therapy (MTT) at the latest, the question inevitably arises as to what happens after the rehabilitation process financed by the cost bearer. Should the knee get fat again, is the other hip also 'soon to go' or when should the back tweak again or do we simply want to maintain and build on the restored health?
Only because the cost bearers are constantly demanding new procedures, personnel requirements and new rooms here too, the space for the 'medical fitness members' on training areas that are planned too small often becomes scarce and there is a threat of a freeze on admissions - faster than most center operators would like.
Criteria for sustainable healthcare
Outpatient rehab facilities are already implementing some of Ernst & Young's Healthcare 2020 visions extremely well:
1. the patient is at the center of healthcare (GV).
2. the patient's own contribution to the financing of GV is over 30%.
3. customer orientation is progressing: from care facility to BRAND!
4. the recipe for success in the battle for the customer/patient is the quality of treatment and care.
5Care facilities are more like a hotel than a 20th century hospital.
6. Marketing is a standard tool of the trade for facilities, as are press spokespersons, etc.
7. Companies are systematically honing their unmistakable, individual image.
As a supporter of the Bundesverband ambulanter medizinscher Rehabilitationszentren (BamR) e.V., which currently has 50 member facilities throughout Germany, I have been experiencing the strongest development in this area for years in terms of the solidarity between the healthcare markets.
We will be presenting some of the centers as examples of best practice in the next issues of F&G.
Outstanding centers near you:
- Reha Vita in Cottbus
- Rehazentrum Rainer Junge Göttingen
- Reha Hess Bietigheim - Bissingen
- Top life Berghaupten
- F+P Kempten
- Sportreha Cloppenburg
- Gesundheitszentrum Lang Dinslaken
- Impuls Heidingsfeld
- Reha am Kreuz Erfurt
- Rehafit Marburg
- rehaMed Hameln
to name just a few. For a more detailed list, please contact the author.
In the next issue of F&G you can read how self-confident entrepreneurs can overcome the bureaucratic hurdles when entering the first healthcare market and how qualified customer care helps to realize the vision of the 'House of Health'.
Thomas Kotsch
Source: F&G
Published on: 29 August 2014