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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Z Orthop Unfall 2024; 162(01): 21-26
DOI: 10.1055/a-2110-3752
Review

Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery in Germany in 2023 – Will We Have Sufficient Doctors in the Future?

Article in several languages: English | deutsch
Steffen Ruchholtz
1   Klinik für Unfallchirurgie, Universitätsklinik Marburg, Marburg, Deutschland
,
Markus Blätzinger
2   Geschäftsstelle München, AUC – Akademie der Unfallchirurgie GmbH, München, Deutschland
,
Michael Schädel-Höpfner
3   Klinik für Unfallchirurgie, Orthopädie und Handchirurgie, Lukaskrankenhaus Neuss, Neuss, Deutschland
,
Wolfgang Böcker
4   Klinik für Allgemeine, Unfall- und Wiederherstellungschirurgie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Medizinische Fakultät, München, Deutschland (Ringgold ID: RIN54187)
,
Bernd Kladny
5   Orthopädie, Fachklinik Herzogenaurach, Herzogenaurach, Deutschland
,
Dietmar Pennig
6   Klinik für Unfallchirurgie, Hand- u. Wiederherstellungschirurgie, St. Vinzenz-Hospital, Köln, Deutschland
,
Maximilian Rudert
7   König-Ludwig-Haus, Orthopädische Universitätsklinik, Würzburg, Deutschland
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Abstract

Introduction

There has been a growing shortage of physicians in Germany in recent years. In this study, we analyse the situation facing orthopaedic hospitals and trauma centres.

Methods

Between 22 November and 5 December 2022, a web-based questionnaire was sent out by the Academy of the German Trauma Society (AUC) and by the Society of Leading Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgeons (VLOU).

Result

The questionnaire was answered by 185 heads of department. Of the responses, 20% came from university hospitals or major trauma centres, and a third from regional or local clinics. More than half of the hospital departments (55%) had a median of 2.7 vacant doctor positions. Among those hospitals, 47% had a vacant position for a consultant, 33% for a board-certified specialist, and 89% for a junior doctor. Within the university hospitals, only one third had vacant doctor positions. The responding heads of department gave negative feedback regarding the number of applications, the qualifications of young doctors, and their motivation for scientific work (in university hospitals).

Conclusion

More than half of the responding hospitals had vacant doctor positions. If we are to counteract the growing shortage of doctors in orthopaedics and trauma surgery, the number of clinical doctors in general and the working conditions in hospitals have to be improved. Teaching hospitals should try to improve the training of medical students with a view to inspiring greater motivation to work in orthopaedics and trauma surgery.

Keywords

shortage of doctors in orthopedics and trauma surgery - survey - medical successors


Publication History

Received: 23 January 2023

Accepted: 24 March 2023

Article published online:
30 August 2023

© 2023. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial-License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

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