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The population of Germany is getting older due to a low birth rate (approximately 1.4 children per woman) and ever improving medical care. In the year 2050, according to the Statistisches Bundesamt, there will be twice as many 60-year-olds than newborn babies. This has an impact on the number of people in need of healthcare, as well as the demand for rooms in retirement homes and supervised residential accommodation.
The focal points of innovation in the healthcare industry are medical technology and electrical medicine, for example telemedicine. This is the possibility to exchange/transfer medical data like diagnostic findings or radiograms electronically over great distances, adding a diagnostic or therapeutic value. Telemedicine will enable doctors to take care of patients remotely.
E-health is a popular topic, but the implementation of the „Gesundheitskarte“, an electronic patient file, is progressing very slowly, even though it is agreed that a file managed by both doctor and patient could certainly improve treatment management. The introduction of information and online services, like those already present in the US, is also predicted. These services include search engines, patient databases and a collection point for medical diagnosis, all in one portal. This saves visits to the doctor, because the patient can now do his own research in the internet and grant the attending doctor access to his data. Heavyweights in the IT industry like Microsoft and Google are ready for a running start considering this topic.
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