Teaching and research must be prioritised in this area so that sustainable solutions can be found and implemented.

It is a fact that the Austrian care system needs sustainable reforms in order to meet the challenges of the future. It is right and, above all, urgently necessary for politicians to consider concepts and solutions for this.

"Sustainable solutions are achieved with sustainable measures. What must be part of a modern care system are reform approaches in the care profession. If measures are identified that will benefit people in need of care in the future, there must also be qualified people who not only implement and apply these measures, but also adapt and develop them further," says Raimund Ribitsch, President of the Austrian University of Applied Sciences Conference (FHK).

The conversion of diploma training in the healthcare and nursing professions into bachelor's programmes at universities of applied sciences is a success story. This has enabled Austria to catch up with international standards and the training programme has been upgraded as a result. The next step must now be taken by establishing and expanding research competences in this area through Master's degree programmes. After all, if new technologies are to be used in this area and modern, innovative working techniques are to be implemented in the Austrian healthcare system, academics with scientific qualifications are needed.
"In order to train them, we need more scientifically oriented Master's programmes that teach application-oriented research skills and qualify management levels to instruct and train others in this field. It is precisely these programmes that would be a useful addition to the Austrian healthcare system," Ribitsch concludes.