This week I had a complete E2E experience at Klinikum rechts der Isar, the teaching hospital of the…read moreTechnical University of Munich. Emergency room, three-days hospitalisation, out-patient follow-ups.
The emergency room was about a 45 minute wait on a busy Monday evening, the insurance, hospitalisation and discharge processes were all hassle-free. The amenities in my double-bed room were also exactly right, neither luxurious nor too spartan, reminding me of the amenities during last hospitalisation experience of about 5 years ago in Stanford Medical Center.
The foyer is also a unique selling point at rechts der Isar. It's a welcoming space with lots of glass, comfortable leather couches and leafy views. There's also a newsstand, barber and small cafe serving fruit, snacks and also ice-cream this time of year. As a in-care patient, it's especially nice to have a destination when you're up and stretching your legs.
There was only one nit, and perhaps it's a professional sensitivity: the hospital is entirely offline. Meaning, no WiFi in the patient areas, patients or doctors, no electronic documents, lots of redundant paperwork and information gathering. Documents are not shared between the in- and out-care areas of the same team, they're re-done. E-Medicine at rechts der Isar is probably a decade behind, when I compare it to the US. And let's not mention the entirely paperless Finnish system.
Most importantly, the care I received at rechts der Isar was top-notch. Competent and fresh-faced team of doctors, friendly and efficient nurses, a holistic approach, mixing both innovative and time-tested methods to getting my injury fixed and me back on my feet.