Review of the Platform Model for Staffing in Psychiatric and Psychosomatic Clinics

Current situation: To determine the necessary staffing requirements in psychosomatic clinics, a structural model (so-called "platform model") was developed, which provides for different treatment clusters for psychosomatic medicine, each with its own minimum staffing requirements.

Aim of the project: Scientific review of the "platform model", which is intended to provide an estimate of staffing levels in psychiatry and psychosomatic medicine, in order to provide an empirical basis for the legal definition of minimum staffing levels in psychosomatic clinics.

Subproject Psychosomatics: In psychosomatic clinics, staffing levels are predominantly based on psychotherapeutic and medical-somatic services. In the platform model, 4 treatment clusters were defined for psychosomatic clinics, which differ according to psychotherapeutic and medical-somatic effort. Therefore, in a representative observational study, the actual staffing, somatic-medical services and psychotherapeutic services will be assessed in 80 psychosomatic clinics for 2 months each. All occupational groups (nursing, physicians, psychologists, creative therapists, physiotherapists and social workers) will be considered. The data transmission to the German Hospital Institute (DKI) is pseudonymized. After completion of the data collection, the extent to which the 4 treatment clusters formulated in the platform model can be empirically confirmed and the platform model’s use for staffing purposes will be examined.

For the first time, this study collects data on current staffing levels plus psychotherapy units provided in psychosomatic clinics throughout Germany and is thus intended to serve as an empirical basis for anchoring minimum staffing requirements in law.