Evaluation of the Suitability of the "Platform Model" as an Instrument for Staffing in Psychiatric and Psychosomatic Clinics (EPPIK) - Subproject Psychosomatics

The aim of the study is to test the suitability of a structural model (so-called platform model) developed by a working group of various scientific societies and professional associations for staffing in psychosomatic medicine and psychotherapy. For this purpose, in three steps (1.) the four treatment clusters developed in the platform model will be quantified and empirically validated on the basis of the therapeutic services provided in health care practice; (2.) the current staffing for the four treatment clusters will be described ("as-is analysis"); and (3.) prototypical therapy plans will be developed as a basis for estimating the target staffing requirements. On this basis, a target staffing estimate will be made for all professional groups.

For the study, a total of 80 psychosomatic clinics from Germany will be randomly selected, belonging in equal parts to the groups of psychosomatic university clinics, psychosomatic specialist hospitals, and psychosomatic departments in somatic or in psychiatric hospitals. In addition, 20 day clinics are included. In these clinics, the structural framework conditions including staffing will be surveyed and the routine documentation of therapy units will be evaluated by cluster analysis in order to empirically validate the presumed treatment clusters and to describe the necessary staffing requirements.

The empirical examination and validation of the platform model, including the four assumed treatment clusters, has the potential to positively influence care practice in the long term by adjusting staffing levels in psychosomatic clinics to actual care requirements.