Pick a face or a body
Cologne 2054: “Pick a face or a body”—when life extension becomes a consumer good. An exaggeration, not a prediction.

Cologne 2054: “Pick a face or a body”—when life extension becomes a consumer good. An exaggeration, not a prediction.

Shaping the Future of Healthcare in 2050 Together:
The Advanced Foresight Group at the 25th DKVF in Cologne

From September 23 to 25, 2026, the German Congress on Health Services Research will celebrate its 25th anniversary on the campus of the University Hospital of Cologne. The theme is “People. Relationships. Organizations. 25 Years of Collaborative Health Services Research.” The Advanced Foresight Group (AFG) will be there with its own booth and invites all participants to share their thoughts on healthcare in 2050. To this end, there will be a “Future Oracle,” our new short brochure, and the DKVF Radar, which will be shaped by the ideas of all participants.

Back again

In 2025 in Hamburg, we came together at the DKVF to ask where healthcare is headed. You can find a recap here: Where Is Healthcare Headed? Advanced Foresight at the DKVF 2025.. This year, we’re taking it a step further: What should healthcare look like in 2050, and who will shape it?

Our conviction: The future is a team effort. Good healthcare shouldn’t be the concern of experts alone, but of everyone who supports it and depends on it. This aligns with this year’s motto:
After 25 years of collaborative healthcare research, we want to look ahead together.

Join us at the booth

The Future Oracle: On a large touchscreen, three reels spin like those on a slot machine. The result is a prediction about healthcare in 2050. Whether it’s desirable, uncomfortable, or surprising is up to you. And that’s exactly what we’d like to discuss with you.

Your ideas for healthcare in 2050: What should change by 2050? What absolutely must be preserved? Where do you see risks? We’ll collect the ideas, wishes, and concerns of all participants at the booth.

The AFG’s short brochure: Pick up our new short brochure. It explains who we are and how we incorporate foresight into health services research.

Your ideas will shape the DKVF Radar

After the conference, we’ll evaluate all contributions and summarize them in the DKVF Radar . The Radar highlights the topics and visions of the future that are driving the health services research community. It can serve as a catalyst for further discussions.

Who You’ll Meet at the Booth

Schaltzeit GmbH will be representing the AFG on-site. At the booth, you’ll meet, among others, Magdalena Soetebeer and André Winzer.

For those who’d like to read up in advance: Schaltzeit has published four theses and five questions on healthcare in 2050 in connection with the conference. The topics include demographics, long-term care, AI, climate, and participation: Healthcare 2050: Who Will Shape the Future of Health?

📍 25th DKVF | September 23–25, 2026 | Cologne University Hospital Campus

All information at: DKVF 2026 – DNVF e. V.

We look forward to seeing you there!

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