Welfare state crisis - what does it mean for critical care medicine?

The crisis of the German welfare state, caused by drastic changes in the age structure and excessive demands placed on the social system by the German citizens, will result in a shortage of medical services in the near future. Critical care is one of the most expensive facilities in hospitals. The expenses for critically ill patients can be justified only if the performance is fairly optimal. The demand for critical care services will continuously increase over the next few years. However, it will not be possible to increase the number of ICU beds accordingly. Therefore, structures will have to be optimized, economy measures to be taken, and limits to be set for diagnosis and therapy.