AGREE
Health care planning for the last phase of life (according to §132g SGB V) in integration assistance: Implementation, challenges and recommendations for further development
Background
People with disabilities often face challenges at the end of their lives. Since 2018, it has been possible to provide health care planning (GVP) services for the last phase of life in special forms of residential integration assistance in accordance with Section 132g of the German Social Code, Book V, and these services can be billed via statutory health insurance. This is intended to support residents in developing ideas for future treatments and documenting them for healthcare staff in the event of incapacity to express themselves. So far, however, the implementation of GVP in integration assistance appears to have been slow. It is not yet known which hurdles stand in the way of a nationwide introduction, how GVP works in the field of integration assistance and how people with disabilities deal with this new and challenging offer.
Objectives
The AGREE research project aims to answer the following questions:
- To what extent are Facilities or Institutions of integration assistance aware of the legally enshrined opportunities for health care planning and to what extent do they offer them?
- What experiences, challenges and good practices regarding the implementation of GVP in integration assistance exist among Facilities or Institutions?
- What experiences have residents had with the GVP service?
- What are the care pathways of residents with GVP in integration assistance?
- How can care planning in integration assistance according to §132g SGB V be further developed in practice and under social law in the future?
Methods
The AGREE project uses qualitative and quantitative methods:
- Expert interviews are used to explore GVP in integration assistance.
- Questionnaires are used to collect data on the structural framework conditions of GMPs in integration assistance and the experiences of those involved in the interviews.
- To explore the effectiveness of GVP in integration assistance, characteristics of counseling sessions are determined and care pathways are reconstructed. The experiences and perspectives of residents of integration assistance are explored with the help of interviews.
- Focus group interviews will be conducted in order to develop recommendations for improving the care practice of GVP in integration assistance.
Relevance of the expected results
Based on the recommendations developed in the project, the practical implementation of GVP in integration assistance can be optimized. In addition, the agreement in accordance with Section 132g SGB V can be further developed. This can contribute to improving the quality of care, treatment satisfaction and the quality of life of people with disabilities at the end of life.
Funding
The project is funded by the Innovation Fund at the Joint Federal Committee with a duration of 30 months from 01.05.2025 (funding code: 01VSF24029).
Publications
Schleef T, Heyl L, Schwabe S. AGREE - Evaluation of health care planning for the last phase of life (according to §132g SGB V) in integration assistance: Implementation, challenges and recommendations for further development. Interdisciplinary health services research 2025 2(5):19-20
Consortium and cooperation partners
Consortium partner
Prof. Dr. PH Falk Hoffmann, MPH; Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Department of Health Services Research, Department of Outpatient Care and Pharmacoepidemiology
Cooperation partner
- AOK Lower Saxony
- GVP AGATE
- State Support Center for Hospice Work and Palliative Care Lower Saxony
- Dr. Helga Schlichting and PiCarDi-U2 research team, University of Leipzig - Institute for Special Education
AGREE team
Dipl. Med. Päd. Tanja Schleef, MPH
Phone: +49 511 532-4991
Dr. Lia Heyl
Tel.: +49 511 532-4997
Maria Bonin
Phone: +49 511 532-4506
Dr. Sven Schwabe
Phone: +49 511 532 8599
Publications
- Schleef T, Heyl L, Schwabe S. AGREE - Evaluation of health care planning for the last phase of life (according to §132g SGB V) in integration assistance: Implementation, challenges and recommendations for further development. Interdisciplinary health services research 2025; 5 (2):19-20.
Contact
Address
Hannover Medical School
Institute ofGeneral Medicine and Palliative Medicine
Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1
30625 Hannover