What the 24th DKVF reveals about the state and future of health services research
The Advanced Foresight Group was there together with Foresight Solutions, Schaltzeit GmbH and Zukunft X UG – with a clear mission: giving people the courage to shape the future.
🔬 State of the Art: Zukunftsforschung in der Versorgungsforschung
In the session “State of the Art: Futures Studies” Dr. Bernhard Albert, Prof. Dr. Kerstin Cuhls, Karlheinz Steinmüller and Michaela Evers-Wölk, among others, discussed how future-ready health services research is today – and where it stands between reacting and actively shaping.
My own contribution started right there: with a comprehensive analysis of the abstracts from past DKVF years, which shows that health services research recognizes things early – but too rarely shapes the future consistently.
The big topics are clear: digitalization, AI, resilience, skills shortages, climate change, social inequality.
But a structural gap still yawns between insight and implementation.
🧠 Nicht nur reden – erleben: Zukunftshaltungen im Hörsaal
Instead of presenting this insight only in theory, Schaltzeit CEO André Winzer took a different route in his talk. The entire lecture hall had to stand up. In a large-group exercise on five attitudes toward the future, the future suddenly became something you could physically experience: passive – reactive – active – proactive – pre-active.
The exercise is documented in detail and was developed by André Winzer. It is based on a simple but profound insight: sustainable shaping of the future doesn’t come from external pressure – but from inner energy, foresight and courage.
Participants went through the following one after another:
- Passive attitude: waiting, no movement, no drive.
- Reactive attitude: moving only when someone gives a push.
- Active attitude: your own energy, your own action.
- Proactive attitude: looking ahead, recognizing signals, being prepared.
- Pre-active attitude: boldly stepping forward, making ideas visible, setting the future.
The pre-active phase in particular changed the atmosphere: people step forward and formulate concrete demands and plans, which are then written down and put up publicly – as a visible symbol of collective courage for the future. Here in Hamburg, not a single person stepped forward.
Surely a reflection of the fact that courage for the future isn’t always there. This method exemplifies how Schaltzeit works: Experiences for Forward Thinking! Complex questions about the future are not only analyzed, but made tangible emotionally, physically and socially in order to release real energy for change.
🤖 Wenn KI spricht – und Menschen nur die Lippen bewegen
Another moment caused irritation – and had a lasting effect. I had generated a podcast with the help of AI. Two volunteers were asked to come to the front and merely lip-sync the text. The message was unmistakable: AI can take away our agency, too. If we don’t consciously shape how technologies are integrated into decision-making processes, we lose control over our actions – even when everything seems more efficient.
The reward for this gamble: thunderous applause and an intense discussion about responsibility, control and the future of decision-making in the health care system.
🔮 Ein besonderes Goodie: Das Zukunftsorakel
As an extra highlight, we brought our Futures Oracle to Hamburg. All participants could playfully experience individually tailored oracle messages about the future of health services research – from technological turning points and new forms of cooperation to questions of responsibility and governance. The oracle worked as a conversation starter, a provocation to think and a motivator all at once. Many of its impulses came up again later in the discussions.
🏥 Resilienz reicht nicht – wir brauchen präaktive Gestaltung
Resilience is important. But it isn’t enough. Resilience means withstanding crises. Pre-active shaping of the future means avoiding crises. Not only DNVF Chair Prof. Hoffmann but also we as the foresight community are convinced: innovations need to reach practice faster, more socially and more systemically.
🌍 Ein Kongress als Signal
The 24th DKVF was more than a specialist congress. It was a mirror of our system – between high competence and structural inertia, between reaction and shaping, between risk and courage. If we really want to influence the future of our health care system, then not just through new studies, but through new attitudes.
And that’s exactly where the future begins.
🚀 Want more?
👉 Download the “Attitudes Toward the Future” method
All materials and the facilitation guide are available here:
Download the method
🎧 Listen to the AI podcast from the session
Here you can listen to the episode that sparked irritation, reflection and applause at the DKVF.
