| Health is more than just an individual asset that affects personal well-being; it is also of considerable importance for the German economy. In 2021, the health care market accounted for nearly 392 billion euros, constituting over twelve per cent of the GDP.
In the May edition of our ZEW Monthly, we delve into the topic of “Health”. For example, ZEW researchers still see room for improvement in the hospital reform recently passed by the Federal Cabinet. Also, a study suggests that individuals who experience food scarcity in early childhood tend to overcompensate throughout their lives, often accompanied by medical issues. Furthermore, research reveals that GP appointments in Germany are notably brief yet frequent in international comparison.
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↗ HOSPITAL REFORM: NEED FOR IMPROVEMENT
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| The Federal Cabinet has approved the planned hospital reform. The draft will now be discussed in the German Bundestag. Simon Reif, head of the “Health Care Markets and Health Policy” Research Group at ZEW Mannheim and Professor for Economics with a Focus on Health Care Markets at Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU), has commented on the draft: “In general, it is a very good development that the government is pushing for hospital reform. The current hospital structure is one of the reasons why there are many ...
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↗ CHILDREN OF WAR OVERCOMPENSATE FOR DEPRIVATION FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES
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| Research shows that those who experienced the Second World War as children, especially girls, have overcompensated for the lack of available meat during the war ever since. Not only are they more likely to eat meat every day and spend more money on food on average in adulthood, but they also suffer more frequently from comorbities such as obesity or cancer than people who were not affected by meat shortages. These are the findings of researchers from ZEW Mannheim, Erasmus University Rotterdam and the Global Labor Organization.
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↗ GP VISITS IN GERMANY ARE SHORT BUT FREQUENT
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| The contact between doctors and patients is a key factor for good care, especially in primary care. Yet, the ideal duration for medical examinations and consultations – referred to as contact time – remains a topic of debate in health policy and the scientific community. A recent study by ZEW Mannheim, supported by the Strube Stiftung, reveals significant differences in primary care and reimbursement for primary care services among European countries. In comparison, Germany stands out in the data as patients spend little time during doctor visits but engage in a higher frequency of appointments.
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| | ↗ CONCERNS AND UNCERTAINTY IMPEDE AI ADOPTION IN COMPANIES
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| The Commission of Experts for Research and Innovation (EFI) presented its latest annual report to Chancellor Olaf Scholz. In the report, the commission notes that Germany and the European Union urgently need to catch up in the development and use of artificial intelligence. AI is a key technology that will decisively shape technological and economic development in the coming years.
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| | How to read the graphic:
68 per cent of companies in the information economy said that a lack of time or staff capacity posed an obstacle to using AI.
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↗ MORE HIGH-STAR RATINGS IN PRODUCT REVIEWS
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| In recent years, the number of stars for products in online shop reviews has seen an upward trend, even as the quality of these products, as indicated by accompanying review texts, has remained unchanged. Consequently, there has been an inflation in the stars awarded. This is the result of a study conducted by researchers from ZEW Mannheim and Stanford University, who analysed over five million online product reviews and compared the content of the text reviews with their corresponding star ratings.
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↗ ZEW IS PART OF THE LEIBNIZ LAB FOR PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS
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| The new Leibniz Lab “Pandemic Preparedness: One Health, One Future” connects excellent inter- and transdisciplinary research from 41 Leibniz institutes. For the first time, pathogen-oriented sciences and life sciences nationwide cooperate with health economics and educational research. This new instrument of the Leibniz Association is funded with three million euros for three years. The aim is to consolidate research efforts in the mentioned fields to prepare for, prevent and respond to future pandemics and to provide policymakers with the knowledge gained.
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↗ OPIOID CRISIS: FRIENDSHIPS CAN POSE A RISK
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| The social environment is one of the most fruitful illegal sources of supply of opioid painkillers in the USA. Between 2010 and 2019, over half of all US Americans who abused painkillers obtained them from friends and family, most of whom had access to excess prescription narcotics due to serious injuries or operations. These are the findings of a study conducted by ZEW Mannheim together with other research institutions, in which European and US researchers shed light on the opioid epidemic in the USA using longitudinal data.
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| | | The sustainable strengthening of Germany as a business location is an essential prerequisite for stimulating private investment and innovation activity in the future. In his guest article in the monthly report of the Federal Ministry of Finance, ZEW President Achim Wambach writes about the relevant factors.
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| | | MORE DATA AND FEWER CONCERNS
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| How can Germany’s digital infrastructure be made future-proof? Federal Minister for Digital and Transport, Dr. Volker Wissing, addressed this question during his visit to ZEW on 8 May 2024. Over 200 guests listened attentively to his speech and the subsequent discussion between the Minister and ZEW President Professor Achim Wambach.
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| | | ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE NEEDS TO BE SECURE
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| On 13 March 2024, the EU Parliament approved the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act. Representatives from the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the Council of the European Union had already agreed on this regulation in early December 2023 after lengthy trilogue negotiations. However, not all aspects of the regulation are yet fully specified. Among other things, the question of how large generative AI models with potential systemic risks can be specifically tested for their safety must now be answered. In this regard, the AI regulation refers to “codes of practice” and harmonised standards that are yet to be developed.
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| | | | UPCOMING | |
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| | | 22ND ZEW CONFERENCE ON THE ECONOMICS OF ICT
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| The objective of the conference on 27 and 28 June 2024 is to discuss recent scientific contributions to the economics of information and communication technologies (ICT) and the economics of ICT industries. One keynote speech will be held by Maria Petrova (Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Spain), a second one by Tommaso Valletti (Imperial College London, United Kingdom).
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| | | | → CONTACT FOR QUESTIONS OR SUGGESTIONS ON THE CONTENT | |
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| | | | | ZEW – Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research
L7, 1 · 68161 Mannheim
Phone: +49 (0)621/1235-01
E-mail: zewmonthly@zew.de
Website: www.zew.de
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| | | | | Executive Directors:
Professor Achim Wambach, PhD; Claudia von Schuttenbach
Chair of the ZEW Supervisory Board:
Ministerial Director Dr. Hans Reiter
Registered Office: Mannheim
Local Court Mannheim HRB 6554
USt-IdNr.: DE188318292
Commitment to Data Protection
Detailed Legal Note
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