[Inclusive Medicine in Germany: Recommendations for Action and Future Prospects from the "Inclusive Medicine 2026" Symposium in Fulda].

BACKGROUND

People with intellectual disabilities (ID) experience a high burden of disease, substantially reduced life expectancy, and limited access to healthcare services. Despite international human rights commitments, significant inequalities in prevention, health promotion, and healthcare persist compared with the general population. The aim of the Inclusive Medicine Conference 2026 was to identify key challenges and to develop participatory recommendations for a sustainable and inclusive healthcare system.

METHODS

A multidisciplinary and participatory future workshop was conducted during the Inclusive Medicine Conference in Fulda, involving approximately 100 participants from healthcare, academia, disability support services, self-advocacy organizations, health insurers, as well as people with ID and their relatives. Discussions took place in four moderated working groups focusing on financing, responsibility, coordination, and education. Recommendations were documented, discussed in plenary, and consolidated.

RESULTS

The main challenges did not lie in the lack of medical possibilities but in structural deficiencies of the healthcare system. Key deficits were identified in financing, allocation of responsibilities, cross-sectoral coordination, and education and training. Ten recommendations for action were developed from the discussions. In addition, a nationwide Research and Translation Network for Inclusive Health was established to systematically integrate healthcare delivery, research, evidence generation, and knowledge translation.

CONCLUSIONS

The challenges of inclusive healthcare are well described. However, the primary need today lies less in further problem identification than in the development, evaluation, and sustainable implementation of evidence-based models of care. Interdisciplinary networks, living labs, and shared data infrastructures represent key prerequisites for achieving this goal.