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FFor Dirk Spelmeyer, the next corona vaccination campaign is a “project of the century.” As chairman of the board of directors of the Westfalia-Lippe Health Insurance Statutory Physicians Association, the 60-year-old urologist represents one of the largest medical associations in the country, which is largely responsible for the operation of vaccination centers. .
WORLD: Statutory health insurance associations are responsible for ensuring that there are sufficient medical staff at vaccination centers. How is it in your region, Mr. Spelmeyer?
Dirk Spelmeyer: We launched a call a week ago and more than 8,000 volunteers have volunteered, about half of them doctors and the other half medical assistants. That is really impressive. That speaks to a very high level of willingness.
Dirk Spelmeyer, Executive Director, Westphalia-Lippe Compulsory Health Insurance Physicians Association
What: KVWL
WORLD: For months, medical personnel have often been working above their limit. Now we have the next daunting task ahead. Does this arrangement surprise you?
Spelmeyer: I don’t want to hide the fact that at the beginning of this campaign I was cautiously skeptical as to whether we could really motivate medical staff again in this stressful situation. But the numbers show that people are still incredibly motivated. It’s normal for us to administer tons of flu shots this season, but what’s next has a completely different dimension. This is a project of the century.
WORLD: Where do the medical personnel come from?
Spelmeyer: These are mainly general practitioners with their medical specialists. However, there have also been people who are on paternity leave or are retired. We have made a separate list. We can check the ratings directly, enter service requests into the system, and also regulate contractual matters.
WORLD: How many staff are required for the 27 vaccination centers for which you are responsible? And what is the maximum number of people that can be vaccinated each day?
Spelmeyer: We assume that we need around 1000 to 1500 people at the peak of the vaccination centers. At the moment, it cannot be said with certainty how many people can be vaccinated each day, there are different calculation models.
WORLD: When do you expect maximum utilization?
Spelmeyer: It all depends on the amount of vaccine administered. It seems that the vaccine will probably not be available in large quantities at first, but it will arrive gradually. Therefore, we will need relatively few personnel at first, especially since most of the vaccine is distributed first to hospitals and care centers.
When more vaccine is available and the prioritization of appropriate groups is clear, the staffing and number of vaccination lines in vaccination centers will increase. This is a very dynamic process that we will readjust daily. At each of the vaccination centers, we have a person who remains on site as a senior physician and who instructs our colleagues in the flow of the process at the start of the shift.
WORLD: Doesn’t a supply gap arise when doctors and medical assistants work in vaccination centers instead of practices?
Spelmeyer: I don’t think that happens because doctors focus on the well-being of their patients and adjust their work hours accordingly. Most of the colleagues come from group internships, where you can then divide the work between you.
WORLD: How should dating work?
Spelmeyer: Appointments must be made through a central hotline. There, employees can see on which day an appointment at the respective vaccination center is free. Then the second date is set because a review is due three weeks later. Also, appointments are planned through an app and a website. Details are currently being coordinated and citizens will be informed as soon as the exact procedure has been finalized. Only then will it be possible to register for the groups of people specified in advance. Therefore, a little patience is required before the appointment can begin.
WORLD: Dates may be lost. Is that a weak point in the process?
Spelmeyer: I don’t care about that. Having appointments postponed when someone is sick is part of everyday life in the doctor’s office. We are confident in the positive experiences in the diagnostic and treatment centers in spring. The deadlines held up very well. When it is clear that appointments will be available and that a vaccine will remain at a vaccination center, we can move patients.
WORLD: His association also deals with computer equipment in vaccination centers. How far are you there? Has additional IT staff been hired?
Spelmeyer: We have a sufficiently large IT staff in our company and we are well prepared thanks to our experience with the diagnostic centers where we perform the cuts. Data acquisition was very similar. It’s also about providing the Robert Koch Institute with information every weekday, such as how many people were vaccinated.
WORLD: How long will patients be in vaccination centers?
Spelmeyer: We plan a time of 35 to 60 minutes for each patient from entry to exit from the vaccination center. There is still time to sit down after vaccination.
WORLD: How do you assess the willingness of the population to vaccinate?
Spelmeyer: That is difficult for me to assess. I just know that many colleagues are asked what they think about vaccination. Unfortunately, we can only respond very cautiously because we don’t have a product description yet. We have already collected information through specialized channels, partly because the vaccine is already being vaccinated in Britain, but we will finally know exactly when it is approved in Germany and the leaflet is available.
At the same time, there will be many scientific publications. Discovering a new drug is part of the daily routine of our medical profession. According to current knowledge, the side effects are in any case minimal, but the possible long-term effects and duration of immunity are not yet known. That will take another year or two.
WORLD: What role do general practitioners play in planning?
Spelmeyer: Our family doctors will be decisive, because we can only vaccinate such a large population in a decentralized way. Vaccination centers are a first premium. Our approach is already more aligned. We hope that there will soon be other vaccines that require less complex storage conditions.
WORLD: Do practices need to take extra safety precautions because the vaccine is so popular?
Spelmeyer: I suppose Germany will get so much vaccine that it doesn’t have to accumulate in practices like gold or platinum.
WORLD: When do you get vaccinated?
Spelmeyer: When it’s my turn I am not over 80 years old, so my vaccination will take some time. I guess my shift will be in March, maybe April at the earliest. Everyone else must also take this into account and not raid the vaccination centers from the beginning. This is exactly what happened in the diagnostic centers at the beginning, when people reacted in panic and many places were invaded. Exactly what we want to avoid now has happened. It is important that people stay disciplined.
