Health as the key to growth: Experts call for a new course!

On March 12, 2025, a collective of health professionals called for health to be placed at the center of political action in a position paper from the WifOR Institute. This document, entitled “With health out of the growth crisis”, sees health as a central pillar for stability and growth.

The healthcare industry will account for around 12% of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2023 and employ over 8 million people. According to the paper, the industry helped cushion the recession by indirectly creating 210.3 billion euros in added value and 2.7 million additional jobs. This underlines that every euro invested in the healthcare industry generates an additional 0.81 euros in the national economy.

Important aspects of healthcare

Innovations in healthcare make a significant contribution to reducing the burden of disease and increasing participation in social life. Germany could therefore position itself as a leader in the global health economy by prioritizing health as a fourth area of ​​public spending alongside transport infrastructure, defense and education.

Prevention is seen as the key to sustainable financing of statutory health insurance (GKV). On average, people in Germany spend 10.82 years of their life in illness or infirmity. Disease prevention measures could help close social justice gaps. The measures required include higher vaccination rates, early detection measures and tax incentives for healthy products.

The digitalization of healthcare also plays an important role in increasing efficiency and innovation in the healthcare system. Telemedicine could serve as a first point of contact for patients, resulting in both cost savings and efficiencies. According to statistics, Germany could face a shortage of up to 690,000 nursing staff by 2049, which would endanger health care and the economy.

Digital transformation in healthcare

How gesundheitswirtschaft.at reported that Austria has a medium level of digitalization in the health system compared to international standards. The pandemic and demographic changes have shown the limits of existing systems. Digitalization is not only seen as an innovation, but also as an urgent necessity.

The level of digital transformation is crucial to the potential of a healthcare system. The lack of current data makes it difficult to analyze and control measures in crisis situations. eHealth includes all electronic applications in healthcare, but there is a lack of a uniform definition and clear measurement dimensions for the degree of digitalization.

Austria ranks tenth in the Bertelsmann Foundation’s Digital Health Index. Denmark is considered a leader in digital healthcare, where almost all healthcare providers use electronic health records and telemedicine was introduced nationwide in 2012.

The Austrian digital health infrastructure includes the e-Card, ELGA and gesundheit.gv.at. Results of a survey from 2023 show increasing awareness and acceptance of ELGA in Austria. Planned expansions include radiological image data and online appointments to facilitate the digital connection of all relevant healthcare providers.

The eHealth strategy in Austria is expected to be implemented by 2030, supported by supranational institutions such as the WHO, OECD and EU, which are driving national digitalization strategies in the health sector. The EU is particularly promoting the development of the European Health Data Space and a regulatory framework for artificial intelligence in healthcare.