Are patients really at the center of their health concerns when they are admitted to a hospital, treated there, and then discharged? Are the increases in case numbers and the complexity of diseases solely due to medical reasons? Does the orientation of hospitals exclusively follow the health needs of the population? Or are these developments a reflection of a process of economization, where medical indications are mixed with economic interests? What influence do the funding and management concepts of the healthcare system have on the content and character of medicine in hospitals? The results of a qualitative study summarized in this book highlight the dilemmas faced by managers and doctors when they must act to secure the economic viability of their facilities.