Overview

• An internal order dissolved the Bundes-Klinik-Atlas project group retroactive to June 30, with content and technical stewardship moved to a specialist department on July 1.
• A spokesperson said no final decision has been made on the portal’s fate and that the review of options is ongoing.
• The German Hospital Federation (DKG) offered its Deutsches Krankenhausverzeichnis for use on federal websites, citing about 600,000 monthly users versus roughly 200,000 for the Atlas and annual costs of about €120,000 versus an estimated €1.5 million.
• Launched in May 2024 under Karl Lauterbach, the Atlas has drawn sustained criticism for incomplete data and hard-to-understand presentation and currently lists around 25 procedures rather than the most common treatments.
• Consumer and patient groups, including the vzbv, VdK and Patientenschutz, warn against ending the Atlas without an independent, user-friendly source and caution that parallel directories could confuse patients.