Case Managers for Patients

Germany

External stakeholder

Stiftung Deutsche Schlaganfall-Hilfe, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Muskelkranke (DGM)

Disease / Indication

Cancer

Cardiovascular Diseases

Neuromuscular Diseases

Psychiatric-neurological Diseases

Stroke

Target Audience

Family and friends

Patients

Patient Navigators

They offer help and orientation in the healthcare system: Navigators support patients and their relatives. They are available as contact persons for questions and provide therapy coordination.

Navigator programs are particularly valuable for patients who require complex, interdisciplinary care – for example, patients with neuromuscular disease or after a stroke. Their case management is often particularly complicated and support is therefore especially important. Also, navigator programs can help to make therapies more efficient and to save costs in the healthcare system.

German healthcare policy has recognized the value of this concept. According to the German government's current coalition agreement, navigator programs are to be promoted so that even more patients can benefit from them in the future.

"Therapy support by qualified navigators is the right approach to coordinate the treatment setting and make it more efficient. Navigator models enable diagnoses to be made earlier and in a more differentiated manner, so that therapy can be started more quickly, which saves resources. In patients with neuromuscular disease, the chronic course and the very complex indication require an interdisciplinary view in diagnosis and therapy. Therefore, the support potential of navigators for the healthcare system is high, and the coordination, documentation and communication of the navigator’s activities is extremely helpful. Other projects in the field of chronic diseases also see the high benefit for all parties involved. As a result, more than 50 individual projects have now been created."

Joachim Sproß, Federal Managing Director German Society for Muscle Diseases e.V. (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Muskelkranke DGM)

50+

navigator projects were or are active in Germany.

75,000

patients have benefited from navigator support to date.

6-12

months is the average duration of case management by patient navigators.

Health.

After a diagnosis, many patients are hardly able to deal with a multitude of formalities and service providers in addition to the illness. Problems often arise, particularly at the interfaces between the sectors. The consequences are health, mental and social impairments for those affected and their relatives, as well as clearly negative economic consequences for society.

Heart.

Those who are supported by a professional navigator can devote themselves to what is most important: getting well. Navigators help patients through the jungle of care, take away worries and burdens and give them confidence. Relatives are also relieved. Those affected and their environment can concentrate on themselves and their recovery.

Science.

According to a study by the Bundesverband Managed Care (BMC) e.V. (German Managed Care Association), patient navigators are primarily active in therapy areas with complex care needs and a high level of coordination, such as geriatrics, oncology, cardiovascular and psychiatric-neurological diseases, or across the board in cases of multimorbidity.

Please find more information at the Stiftung Deutsche Schlaganfallhilfe (German Stroke Foundation) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Muskelkranke (DGM) (German Society for Muscle Diseases)