Structural, procedural and personnel prerequisites for outpatient vs. inhospital provision of cardiological services A position paper of the German Cardiac Society (vol 17, pg 95, 2023)

Performing interventions currently done in-hospital on an outpatient basis is desirable because of technical improvements in many such interventions, shortage of nursing staff, and pressure on overall healthcare cost as well as patients' preference. Cardiology is especially affected because of the large number and variety of cardiac interventions as well as device implantations. However, due to the demographic development, patient age and comorbidities increase. Thus, the structural, personal and procedural requirements necessary to perform such procedures without compromising patient safety must be defined. In this policy paper, such criteria are defined for the German healthcare system, based on current scientific evidence and expert consensus. The final decision whether an intervention is performed in an outpatient setting should remain with the treating physician in agreement with the patient's wish ( "shared decision making ").