[Case numbers and revenues of main and affiliated ophthalmological departments: Developments since 2005].

BACKGROUND: Currently, very little data exist on the development of healthcare-related and financial parameters of both types of inpatient treatment: clinical units run by affiliated physicians and those run by hospital physicians. AIM: This study used a methodology based on published secondary data to estimate the annual number of cases and revenues for in inpatient ophthalmological treatment differentiated into clinical units run by affiliated physicians and those run by hospital physicians. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The case-based flat-rate catalogs and accompanying research data published annually by the Institute for the Hospital Remuneration System (Institut fur Entgeltsysteme im Krankenhaus, InEK) served as a data source. The numbers of annual cases according to major diagnostic categories (MDC) and diagnosis-related groups (DRG), stratified by the unit type are reported for the period 2005-2012. The cumulative total revenues were calculated based on the number of ophthalmological cases, the effective DRG cost weighting, the length of stay and the national basic case values. RESULTS: Between 2005 and 2012 the units run by affiliated physicians showed a contrasting trend to those run by hospital physicians: the number of cases in units run by hospital physicians increased by  14 %, while those in units run by affiliated physicians decreased by  6 %. Up to 2012 the effective cost weighting for cases in units run by hospital physicians decreased to 0.60 (- 3 %) and increased to 0.43 (+ 5 %) for units run by affiliated physicians. In 2012 the corresponding effective case revenue accounted for 1767 euros and 1271 euros, respectively. Total revenue estimates for all inpatient ophthalmological treatment increased from 549 million euros in 2005 to 630 million euros in 2012, while the share of units run by affiliated physicians amounted to 10.6 % and 9.7 %, respectively. CONCLUSION: According to the indicators "number of cases" and "total revenue", the affiliated ophthalmologists lost ground compared with inpatient units run by hospital physicians over the period from 2005-2012.