[Participation of hospital nephrology departments in outpatient dialysis care. Joint Statement of the »Deutsche Gesellschaft für Nephrologie (DGfN)«, »Verband leitender Klinikärzte in der Nephrologie (VLKN)«, »Verband Deutsche Nierenzentren (DN) e. V.« , »KfH Kuratorium für Dialyse und Nierentransplantation e. V.« and »PHV - Der Dialysepartner Patienten-Heimversorgung«].

The proposals by health care providers to impose drastic limits on chronic dialysis in hospitals to the extent that it can only be provided on loss-making terms, will jeopardize the cost efficiency of nephrological departments in hospitals and hence their continued existence. Such departments play a key role within the discipline, however, as the training of nephrologists is tied to them by further training regulations. The authors take the view that the proposals by health care providers are short-sighted with regard to the quality of care and the safeguarding of care in the future, and that they counteract the goals of quality assurance currently dominating the health policy agenda.