Brochure supports the hospital stay

What do I need to prepare for a hospital stay? What questions should I clarify during treatment? What needs to be organised before discharge – and where can I find the right support afterwards? The new brochure “Good accompanies – before, during and after the hospital” provides patients and their relatives with orientation for the time around the hospital stay.

The joint project of the clinics of the district of Lörrach and the municipal health conference of the district office of Lörrach will initially be tested for six months at the gastroenterology station "Maienbühl" in the Lörracher Klinikum. The pilot phase will show how “good accompaniment” proves itself in everyday hospital life and how the offer is accepted by patients, relatives and employees. The experience will then be incorporated into the further development. Thereafter, it is planned to gradually extend the offer to further stations of the clinics.

The project participants on the station Maienbühl (from left): Katharina Hemminger (Head of Social Counseling Dreiland-Klinikum), Sanja Stubicar (Head of Social Counseling Station “Maienbühl”), Lennart Fedder (Social Counselling Station Maienbühl), Dubravka Kavur (Head of Care Services Dreiland-Klinikum), Alexander Mion (Head of Health Conference Staff Offices, Landkreis Lörrach), Dr. Norbert Krauss (Head of Gastroenterology, Oncology and Palliative Medicine), Oli Lou Kramer (Head of Project Digital Health and Social Compass, Landkreis Lörrach), Isabell Dörflinger (Coordinator of Cross-Sectoral Health Care, Landkreis Lörrach).

Printed brochure, digital indentation

The 16-page brochure contains compact checklists and uses QR codes to connect to the appropriate information in the health and social compass of the Lörrach district “HealthySocial.digital”. The content is also available in seven languages and in Easy Language.

In addition to the contents of the brochure, Gesund Sozial.digital offers further information on clinical pictures, treatment options, the health system as well as information on regional counselling centres, service providers and facilities for further care. Thus, general orientation is linked to concrete contact points in the district.

“Our goal is not to leave patients alone with a wealth of information, but to give them orientation exactly when they need it,” says Katharina Hemminger, head of social counselling at the Dreiland-Klinikum Lörrach. A hospital stay often brings many questions – and good care does not end with discharge for us. With the new brochure, we want to support patients and relatives and help to make the transition to further care early and well prepared

The brochure complements the personal advice and the existing discharge management of the clinics.

Five phases around hospitalization

The brochure is divided into five phases: before the stay, during the stay, at discharge, after the stay and for follow-up treatment. For each of these phases, the brochure contains specific instructions. Before a planned hospital stay, for example, it is reminded to bring medical documents, a current medication plan or preventive documents. During the stay, it is about asking questions about treatment, understanding examinations and medication and dealing with the time after discharge at an early stage. For discharge, the brochure provides information on documents, medicines, prescriptions, follow-up appointments, tools and the organization of support at home. The time after the hospital stay and further medical care as well as a possible follow-up treatment are also taken into account.

The offer is expressly also addressed to relatives and other reference persons. At all stages, they find their own clues as to how they can help, without the responsibility for further care being solely theirs.

Developed in close cooperation

The project has been created since the beginning of 2026 in close cooperation between the municipal health conference of the Lörrach district council office and the social consultancy of the clinics of the Lörrach district. Also involved were outpatient and inpatient doctors, the nursing centre, health insurance funds, patient advocacy and the members of the working group medical care.

“With Gesund Sozial.digital, we want to help people find their way around a complex health and social landscape,” says Isabell Dörflinger, coordinator for cross-sector healthcare. Especially during the transition from the hospital back home, it shows how important a good integration of inpatient and outpatient care is. The link between brochure and digital offerings is intended to help people understand and use different structures, responsibilities and processes

The digital content of “Gut begleitet – vor, during and after the hospital” can be reached here.