Structures and performance characteristics of dermatology hospitals in Germany. Current status and long-term development

Background: The objective of the study was to characterize the performance of German dermatology hospitals. Methods: A structured survey questionnaire was sent out to all dermatology hospitals in October 2019 as part of a cross-sectional analysis based on health care research. Results: Of the 115 hospitals, 95 (82.6 %) responded, including 34 (35.8 %) university hospitals (UC) and 61 (64.2 %) non-university hospitals (NUC), of which 78 % were urban (43 % UC, 57 % NUC) and 22 % rural (10 % UC, 90 % NUC). The dermatology departments comprised an average of 45 inpatient and 11 day-care beds (UC: 52/13, NUC: 40/9). An average of 2,302 inpatients were cared for in 2018 (UC: 2,874, NUC: 1,983), and the case mix index was 0.76 (UC: 0.74, NUC: 0.77, overall range: 0.40–0.96). Mean length of stay was 5.5 days for UC, relevantly lower than 2013 (5.9 days) and 2011 (7.1 days) data, and also significantly lower for NUC at 5.9 (2018) versus 5.1 days (2013). Conclusions: German dermatology hospitals continue to have a high volume of inpatient care, with a comparison of the last six years again showing a compression with shorter length of stay and higher occupancy density. Dermatological hospitals represent an essential pillar of dermatological care.