Risk factors for long-term invasive mechanical ventilation: a longitudinal study using German health claims data.

BACKGROUND: Long-term invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) is a major burden for those affected and causes high costs for the health care system. Early risk assessment is a prerequisite for the best possible support of high-risk patients during the weaning process. We aimed to identify risk factors for long-term IMV within 96 h (h) after the onset of IMV. METHODS: The analysis was based on data from one of Germany's largest statutory health insurance funds; patients who received IMV ≥ 96 h and were admitted in January 2015 at the earliest and discharged in December 2017 at the latest were analysed. OPS and ICD codes of IMV patients were considered, including the 365 days before intubation and 30 days after discharge. Long-term IMV was defined as evidence of invasive home mechanical ventilation (HMV), IMV ≥ 500 h, or readmission with (re)prolonged ventilation. RESULTS: In the analysis of 7758 hospitalisations, criteria for long-term IMV were met in 38.3% of cases, of which 13.9% had evidence of HMV, 73.1% received IMV ≥ 500 h and/or 40.3% were re-hospitalised with IMV. Several independent risk factors were identified (p < 0.005 each), including pre-diagnoses such as pneumothorax (OR 2.10), acute pancreatitis (OR 2.64), eating disorders (OR 1.99) or rheumatic mitral valve disease (OR 1.89). Among ICU admissions, previous dependence on an aspirator or respirator (OR 5.13), and previous tracheostomy (OR 2.17) were particularly important, while neurosurgery (OR 2.61), early tracheostomy (OR 3.97) and treatment for severe respiratory failure such as positioning treatment (OR 2.31) and extracorporeal lung support (OR 1.80) were relevant procedures in the first 96 h after intubation. CONCLUSION: This comprehensive analysis of health claims has identified several risk factors for the risk of long-term ventilation. In addition to the known clinical risks, the information obtained may help to identify patients at risk at an early stage. Trial registration The PRiVENT study was retrospectively registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05260853). Registered at March 2, 2022.

Implementation of integrated care for type 2 diabetes Mellitus and Periodontitis in Germany: study protocol for a practice-based and cluster-randomized trial.

BACKGROUND: Type 2 Diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and periodontitis share common risk factors and influence one another. However, primary care and oral health care continue to operate separate from each other and fail to synchronize care for patients with T2DM and periodontitis. The purpose of this practice-based trial is to evaluate the implementation of a new integrated care pathway for patients with T2DM and periodontitis. The new approach integrates a screening for T2DM risk in dental care settings in patients with periodontitis, a screening for periodontitis risk in primary care settings in patients with T2DM, and mutual referrals between dentists and primary care physicians. METHODS: Two practice-based studies will be carried out in parallel: (i) In dental care settings: a practice-based, multi-centric, cluster-randomized, controlled trial with a control and an intervention group; (ii) in primary care settings: a practice-based, multi-centric, non-randomized, controlled trial with a synthetic control group calculated from claims data. Following a two-step recruitment approach, 166 dentists and 248 general practitioners will be recruited, who themselves will recruit a total of 3808 patients in their practices. Patient data will be collected at baseline, 12 months, and 24 months after study enrollment. The evaluation comprises: (i) impact evaluation, using a hierarchical linear mixed model; (ii) process evaluation, based on surveys alongside the trials; (iii) economic evaluation. In addition, a Discrete-Choice-Experiment will identify provider's payment preferences for the new care approach. DISCUSSION: Upon successful implementation, the intervention will enable health care providers to detect a risk for T2DM and periodontitis in patients at an early stage, thus providing patients an opportunity for timely diagnosis and therapy. Ultimately, this can lead to increased quality of life and reduced health care expenditures. On a methodologic level, the project provides novel insights into a complex intervention on the intersection of general practice and dental care. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was prospectively registered at the German Clinical Trials Register ( https://drks.de/search/de/trial/DRKS00030587 ) on 3. July 2023 under ID "DRKS00030587".

Prevention of invasive ventilation (PRiVENT)-a prospective, mixed-methods interventional, multicentre study with a parallel comparison group: study protocol.

BACKGROUND: Invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) is a standard therapy for intensive care patients with respiratory failure. With increasing population age and multimorbidity, the number of patients who cannot be weaned from IMV increases, resulting in impaired quality of life and high costs. In addition, human resources are tied up in the care of these patients. METHODS: The PRiVENT intervention is a prospective, mixed-methods interventional, multicentre study with a parallel comparison group selected from insurance claims data of the health insurer Allgemeine Ortskrankenkasse Baden-Württemberg (AOK-BW) conducted in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, over 24 months. Four weaning centres supervise 40 intensive care units (ICUs), that are responsible for patient recruitment. The primary outcome, successful weaning from IMV, will be evaluated using a mixed logistic regression model. Secondary outcomes will be evaluated using mixed regression models. DISCUSSION: The overall objective of the PRiVENT project is the evaluation of strategies to prevent long-term IMV. Additional objectives aim to improve weaning expertise in and cooperation with the adjacent Intensive Care Units. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05260853).

[Potentially Inappropriate Medication of Nursing Home Residents: An Analysis of Risk Factors Based on National Claims Data (AOK) for 2017]. / Potentiell inadäquate Medikation bei Heimbewohnern: Eine Analyse von Risikofaktoren anhand bundesweiter GKV-Routinedaten der AOK für das Jahr 2017.

AIM OF THE STUDY: The aim of this study was to assess risk factors for prescription of potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) to nursing home residents using the PRISCUS list in 2017. METHODS: Using claims data (AOK) we analysed insured nursing home residents aged 65 or older in 2017. The PRISCUS list was used to identify PIMs. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to analyse risk factors. RESULTS: The study population in 2017 included 259 328 nursing home residents, out of them 25.5% received at least one potentially inappropriate medication (women: 25.6%/men: 24.9%). Female and younger aged nursing home residents had a higher risk for at least one PRISCUS prescription. Polypharmacy, an increasing number of attending physicians, and hospital stays were additional risk factors for a PRISCUS prescription. Furthermore, regional (Bundesland) variations contributed to differences in PRISCUS prescriptions. CONCLUSION: The frequent PIM prescriptions in nursing home residents are a relevant topic regarding drug therapy safety. Regional differences, which cannot be explained by nursing home resident characteristics, show options for modifications and the need for further research.

[Prevalences of Depression Among Adults: Comparative Analysis of a Nationwide Survey and Routine Data]. / Prävalenzen von Depressionen bei Erwachsenen ­ eine vergleichende Analyse bundesweiter Survey- und Routinedaten.

AIM: There are differences in the prevalence estimates of depressive disorders based on primary and secondary data. The reasons for this are, for instance, the use of divergent indicators and varying observation periods. This study examines the prevalence of depressive disorders using survey and routine data for a comparable survey period and age range. Effects of differences between data sources and indicators are estimated. METHODS: For 2010, 3 indicators are compared: in a population survey collected a) self-reported medical diagnosis of depression, b) diagnosis of depressive disorders identified by clinical interviews and c) administrative depression diagnoses collected from routine data of a statutory health insurance. In sensitivity analyses, privately insured participants of the population survey were excluded, and insured persons with care needs were excluded from routine data. The definition of administrative depression diagnosis was varied depending on the frequency of coded diagnoses and the specificity of the diagnoses. RESULTS: The highest prevalence (9.8%) was found for depression diagnoses from administrative data, the lowest prevalence (5.9%) in self-reported medical diagnoses of depression in the population survey. The prevalence of depression identified by clinical interviews was 8.4%. Differing age and gender-related courses of illness were found. The administrative prevalence dropped significantly if unspecific diagnoses (F3x.8, F3x.9) were excluded. DISCUSSION: Depending on the definition of depression diagnoses used in administrative data, there was a reduction in differences of prevalence compared to the self-reported medical diagnoses. Differences in prevalence based on a diagnosis of a depressive disorder identified in a clinical interview remained stable, which indicates different groups of persons.

[Regional differences of ADHD diagnosis rates in health insurance data from 2005 to 2015 : Methodological considerations and results]. / Regionale Unterschiede von ADHS-Diagnoseraten in Krankenkassendaten 2005 bis 2015 : Methodische Überlegungen und Ergebnisse.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorders (ADHD) are among the most common mental disorders in children and adolescents. For a number of years there has been evidence of regional differences in Germany. This article provides current results on the frequency of diagnosis and treatment and also discusses methodological aspects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The analysis is based on routine data of a statutory health insurance company including annual diagnoses and drug prescriptions from 2005 to 2015 of at least 1.34 million children and adolescents between 0 and 19 years of age. Small-area results of ADHD diagnosis rates and methylphenidate prescriptions are presented with a standardized differentiation according to 413 districts pursuant to territorial status from the end of 2008. RESULTS: From 2005 to 2014, ADHD diagnoses were documented for an increasing proportion of 0 to 19-year-olds in Germany. In 2015 the proportion was 4.2%; boys aged 10 were affected most frequently with a proportion of 11.1%. Regional diagnosis rates vary considerably. Two counties showed diagnosis and prescription rates that were more than twice as high as regionally expected for all years in question; other districts showed rates that were continually lower than expected by at least a third. DISCUSSION: Analyses on the level of administratively defined districts have some advantages but alternative regional structuring would be desirable due to very heterogeneous population figures. Regarding ADHD diagnoses and documented methylphenidate prescriptions on an outpatient basis, significant regional differences in Germany were detected, for which plausible medical justifications do not yet exist. Specialist discussions seem urgently needed.

[Part-time Work and Men's Health : Results based on Routine Data of a Statutory Health Insurance Scheme]. / Teilzeitarbeit und Gesundheit von Männern : Ergebnisse auf der Basis von Routinedaten einer Krankenkasse.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: With the introduction of a new occupational classification at the end of 2011, employment characteristics are reported by employees to social insurance agencies in Germany in more detail than in previous years. In addition to other changes, the new classification allows a distinction between full- and part-time work to be made. This provided a reason to consider the health-related aspects of part-time work on the basis of data from a statutory health insurance scheme. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Our analysis is based on the data of 3.8 million employees insured with the Techniker Krankenkasse (TK), a statutory health insurance scheme, in 2012. In addition to daily information on employment situations, details of periods and diagnoses of sick leave and the drugs prescribed were available. RESULTS: Although approximately 50 % of women of middle to higher working age worked part-time in 2012, the corresponding percentage of men employed in part-time work was less than 10 %. Overall, part-time employees were on sick leave for fewer days than full-time employees, but among men, sick leave due to mental disorders was longer for part-time employees than for full-time employees, whereas women working part time were affected to a lesser extent by corresponding periods of absence than those working full time. DISCUSSION: The results provide indications for the assertion that men in gender-specifically atypical employment situations are more frequently affected by mental disorders. Further evidence supports this assertion. With the long-term availability of these new employment characteristics, longitudinal analyses could help to clarify this cause-effect relationship.

The Agreement Between Diagnoses as Stated by Patients and Those Contained in Routine Health Insurance Data.

BACKGROUND: The frequency of medical diagnoses is a figure of central importance in epidemiology and health services research. Prevalence estimates vary depending on the underlying data. For a better understanding of such discrepancies, we compared patients' diagnoses as reported by themselves in response to our questioning with their diagnoses as stated in the routine data of their health insurance carrier. METHODS: For 6558 adults insured by BARMER, one of the statutory health insurance carriers in Germany, we compared the diagnoses of various illnesses over a twelve-month period, as reported by the patients themselves in response to our questioning (October to December 2021), with their ICD-10-based diagnosis codes (Q4/2020-Q3/2021). The degree of agreement was assessed with two kappa values, sensitivity, and specificity. RESULTS: The patients' stated diagnoses of diabetes and hypertension agreed well or very well with their diagnosis codes, with kappa and PABAK values near 0.8, as well as very high sensitivity and specificity. Moderately good agreement with respect to kappa was seen for the diagnoses of heart failure (0.4), obesity, anxiety disorder, depression, and coronary heart disease (0.5 each). The poorest agreement (kappa ≤ 0.3) was seen for posttraumatic stress disorder, alcohol-related disorder, and mental and somatoform disorder. Agreement was worse with increasing age. CONCLUSION: Diagnoses as stated by patients often differ from those found in routine health insurance data. Discrepancies that can be considered negligible were found for only two of the 11 diseases that we studied. Our investigation confirms that these two sources of data yield different estimates of prevalence. Age is a key factor; further reasons for the discrepancies should be investigated, and avoidable causes should be addressed.

Evaluating the Population-Based Usage and Benefit of Digitally Collected Patient-Reported Outcomes and Experiences in Patients With Chronic Diseases: The PROMchronic Study Protocol.

BACKGROUND: Chronic diseases are associated with a high disease burden. Under- and overprovision of care as well as quality variation between health care providers persists, while current quality indicators rarely capture the patients' perspective. Capturing patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) as well as patient-reported experience measures (PREMs) is becoming more and more important to identify gaps in care provision, prioritize services most valuable to patients, and aid patients' self-management. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to measure the potential benefits and effectiveness of using electronic patient-reported outcome measures (ePROMs) and electronic patient-reported experience measures in a structured and population-based manner to enhance health care for chronic disease patients in Germany. METHODS: This prospective cohort study aims to evaluate the potential benefits of PROM usage in patients with chronic diseases. We evaluate whether (1) digitally collected PROMs and PREMs can be used for health system performance assessment by generating a representative response of chronically diseased individuals with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, and coronary artery disease across Germany, and (2) based on the PROMs and PREMs, low-value care can be identified. As patient-reported outcomes (PROs) are rarely presented back to patients, (3) this study also examines patients' reactions to their PROM scores in the form of digital PRO feedback. For these purposes, randomly selected patients from a nationwide German insurer are digitally surveyed with generic and disease-specific PROMs and PREMs, as well as additional questions on their health-related behavior, 4 times over 1 year. Individual PRO feedback is presented back to patients longitudinally and compared to a peer group after each survey period. Patient-reported data is linked with health insurance data. Response rates, changes in health and experience outcomes over time, self-reported changes in health behavior, and health care system usage will be analyzed. RESULTS: The PROMchronic study explores the usage of PROMs in patients with chronic diseases. Data collection began in October 2023, after the initial invitation letter. All the 200,000 potential patients have been invited to participate in the study. Data have not yet been analyzed. Publication of the interim results is planned for the autumn of 2024, and the results are planned to be published in 2025. CONCLUSIONS: We aim to fill the research gap on the population-based usage of PROMs and PREMs in patients with chronic diseases and add to the current understanding of PROM data-sharing with patients. The study's results can thereby inform whether a health care system-wide approach to collecting PROMs and PREMs can be used to identify low-value care, assess quality variation within and across chronic conditions, and determine whether PRO feedback is helpful and associated with any changes in patients' health behaviors. TRIAL REGISTRATION: German Clinical Trials Register DRKS00031656; https://drks.de/search/en/trial/DRKS00031656. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/56487.

Outpatient Psychotherapy in Germany.

BACKGROUND: A structural reform of the German psychotherapy guideline in 2017 was intended to facilitate access to outpatient guideline psychotherapy. In the present study, we evaluate the effects of this reform in particular for patients with a comorbidity of mental disorders and chronic physical conditions (cMP). METHODS: Pre-post analyses of the two primary endpoints "percentage of mentally ill persons who have made an initial contact with a psychotherapist" and "waiting time for guideline psychotherapy" were carried out employing population-based and weighted routine statutory health insurance data from the German BARMER. The secondary endpoints included evaluations from the patients' perspective, based on a representative survey of patients in psychotherapy, and an overview of the health care situation based on data from the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (Kassenärztliche Bundesvereinigung, KBV) (study registration number: DRKS00020344). RESULTS: From 2015 to 2018, the percentage of mentally ill persons who had made an initial contact with a psychotherapist rose moderately, from 3.7% (95% confidence interval, [3.6; 3.7]) to 3.9% [3.8; 3.9] among persons with cMP and from 7.3% [7.2; 7.4] to 7.6% [7.5; 7.7] among those with mental disorders but without any chronic physical condition (MnoP). The new structural elements were integrated into patient care. The interval of time between the initial contact and the beginning of guideline psychotherapy became longer in both groups, from a mean of 80.6 [79.4; 81.8] to 114.8 [113.4; 116.2] days among persons with complex disease and from 80.2 [79.2; 81.3] to 109.6 [108.4; 111.0] days among persons with non-complex disease; most patients considered the waiting time. Approximately 8% of the patients who sought psychotherapy reported that they had not obtained access to a psychotherapist. CONCLUSION: Neither in general nor for patients with cMP did the introduction of the structural reform appreciably lower the access barriers to psychotherapy. Further steps are needed so that outpatient care can meet the needs of all patients and particularly those with cMP.

Digital redesign of hypertension management with practice and patient apps for blood pressure control (PIA study): A cluster-randomised controlled trial in general practices.

Background: Long-term hypertension control prevents heart attacks and other cardiovascular diseases, yet implementation is insufficient worldwide. The redesign of hypertension management by information and communication technology (ICT) improved hypertension control, e.g., by transmission of blood pressure (BP) measurements to a central webspace. However, an easy-to-use secure patient app connected with a practice management centre is lacking. This study evaluates the effectiveness of the newly developed PIA (PC-supported case management of hypertensive patients to implement guideline-based hypertension therapy using a physician-defined and -supervised, patient-specific therapeutic algorithm) intervention with PIA-ICT and eLearning for general practices. Methods: The effectiveness of the PIA intervention was evaluated in a cluster-randomised study. Practices were randomly allocated (1:1) to the intervention or the control group (usual care). Group allocation was unmasked for participants and researchers. The primary outcome was the BP control rate (BP < 140/90 mmHg) after 6-12 months. Secondary outcomes included BP changes and satisfaction with PIA-ICT. The trial is registered in the German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS00012680). Findings: Starting from December 1, 2019, 64 general practices were recruited over 1 year during the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, 848 patients were enrolled between April 15, 2020 and March 31, 2021. The study was completed Sept 30, 2021. At baseline, 636 patients (intervention: 331; control: 305) of 50 general practices met the inclusion criteria. The final dataset for analyses comprised 47 practices and 525 patients (intervention 265; control 260). In the adjusted hierarchical model, the PIA intervention increased the BP control rate significantly by 23.1% points (95% CI: 5.4-40.8%): intervention 59.8% (95% CI: 47.4-71.0%) compared to 36.7% (95% CI: 24.9-50.3%) in the control group. Systolic BP decreased by 21.1 mmHg in the intervention and 15.5 mmHg in the control group. Interpretation: The PIA redesign of care processes improved BP in an outcome-relevant way. Prospectively, it may constitute an important model for hypertension care in Germany. Funding: This study is funded by the German Innovation Fund (Grant number: 01NVF17002).

Evaluating effects of the structural reform of outpatient psychotherapy for patients with mental disorders in Germany: comparing patients with and without comorbid chronic physical condition - rationale and study protocol of the ES-RiP project.

INTRODUCTION: In 2017, in Germany, a structural reform of the outpatient psychotherapy guideline took place, aiming to reduce waiting times, to facilitate flexible low-threshold access (eg, general reachability by phone) and to lower access barriers for specific patient groups. The reform included new service elements, such as the implementation of additional psychotherapeutic consultations, acute short-term psychotherapeutic interventions and relapse prophylaxis as well as the promotion of group therapies, the facilitation of psychotherapists' availability, and the installation of appointment service centres. The ES-RiP project aims to thoroughly evaluate the effects of the reform with a special focus on patients with a comorbidity of mental disorders and chronic physical conditions (cMPs) compared with patients with a mental disorder but no long-term physical condition (MnoP). The project aims to evaluate (a) the extent to which the reform goals were achieved in the large group of patients with cMPs compared with MnoP, (b) the barriers that might hinder the implementation of the new guideline and (c) the procedures required for further developing and improving outpatient psychotherapy. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A mixed-methods design (quantitative, qualitative) along with a multilevel approach (patients, service providers, payers) triangulating several data sources (primary and secondary data) will be applied to evaluate the reform from different perspectives. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval was obtained from the coordinating committee as well as one local ethics committee, Justus Liebig University Giessen and Marburg - Faculty of Medicine (approval number: AZ 107/20) and Heidelberg (approval number: S-466/2020). The results of this study will be disseminated through expert panels, conference presentations and publications in peer-reviewed journals. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: DRKS00020344.

Prevalence of depression diagnosis and prescription of antidepressants in East and West Germany: an analysis of health insurance data.

AIM: This study aimed to analyse depression-related factors. The prevalence of depression has been shown in prior surveys to vary between East and West Germany. Do these differences also appear in health insurance data? METHOD: The outpatient data of a large German statutory health insurance company were analysed for regional differences in (a) the prevalence of depression diagnosis, (b) prescription rates of antidepressants and (c) risk factors of being diagnosed with depression or prescribed antidepressants. Diagnosis rates of depression in outpatient care (ICD-10 diagnosis F32/33) were analysed for the first quarter of 2004, and prescription rates of antidepressants were analysed for the first half of 2004. Odds ratios were calculated for the likelihood of being diagnosed with depression and of being prescribed antidepressants whilst considering socio-demographic and regional variables. RESULTS: The prevalence of depression diagnosis is up to 41% lower in East Germany than the expected mean rate and 30% above the expected mean rate in Berlin. Regional distribution rates of antidepressant prescriptions largely follow the same pattern as rates for depression diagnosis, with the exception of Berlin where prescription rates are 10% below the expected mean rate. Unemployed persons in West Germany have a higher chance of being diagnosed with depression and of being prescribed antidepressants than those unemployed in East Germany. DISCUSSION: Results correspond greatly to findings of epidemiologic surveys. However, the lower rate of depression diagnosis and prescription rates in East Germany might also be due to fewer mental health professionals practising there and possible differences in reporting style of emotional symptoms. This might contribute to the differences in diagnosis and prescription prevalence but cannot be solely responsible for this phenomenon. Probable causes of the different depression prevalence rates in East and West Germany will be discussed in this analysis. More research into factors impacting on regional differences in the prevalence of depression is needed.

[How often is the Depersonalization-Derealization Disorder (ICD-10: F48.1) diagnosed in the outpatient health-care service?]. / Wie oft wird die Depersonalisations-Derealisationsstörung (ICD-10: F48.1) in der ambulanten Versorgung diagnostiziert?

OBJECTIVES: The study determines how often Depersonalization-Derealization Disorder (ICD-10: F48.1) is diagnosed in the general population and analyzes the associations of other diseases with F48.1. METHODS: The sample consists of 1.567 million insured persons of a statutory health insurance fund in Germany. We analyzed the prevalence of F48.1 and the associations of F48.1 with other diseases according to ICD-10. RESULTS: We found a 1-year prevalence of 0.007 % for the diagnosis of F48.1. After adjustment for age, sex, depression and anxiety, several somatic disease groups were found to be associated with an increased likelihood of F48.1, e.g., abnormalities of breathing (R06), cardiac arrhythmias (I47-I49), epilepsy (G40), dizziness (H81, H82, R42) and headache (G43, G44, R51). CONCLUSIONS: According to epidemiological studies, the prevalence of depersonalization-derealization disorder is 1-2 %. We therefore conclude that F48.1 is severely underdiagnosed. Increased awareness for the detection of F48.1 and further health care research are urgently warranted.

The Prevalence, Comorbidity, Management and Costs of Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Insufficient data are available on the administrative incidence and prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in Germany, as well as on its comorbidities, diagnostic evaluation, treatment, and costs. METHODS: We analyzed routine data from a statutory health insurance carrier with approximately eight million insurees. IBS was identified from the ICD-10 codes K58.0, K58.9, and F45.32 (outpatient care by a physician, outpatient and inpatient care in a hospital). The cumulative incidence for the year 2017 was determined by the exclusion of insurees who had carried the diagnosis of IBS in any of the preceding 12 years. The frequencies of comorbid diseases and of diagnostic and therapeutic measures were compared with those of persons in age- and sex- matched control groups without IBS. RESULTS: In 2017, the administrative incidence of IBS was 0.36%, and its prevalence was 1.34%. Persons with IBS were often documented as having other gastrointes- tinal diseases, headache, back pain, and mental disorders. There was evidence for the insufficient use of ultrasound and colonoscopy and for the excessive use of computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging for diagnostic evaluation. The costs of medical care for insurees with IBS in the year of their initial diagnosis were higher than those of other insurees without the diagnosis of IBD (€ 3770 vs. € 2788) and rose in each of the eight years preceding the initial diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Patients with IBS in Germany are likely not receiving sufficient diag- nostic evaluation in conformity with the relevant guidelines. The high prevalence of comorbid mental disorders and other pain syndromes implies that the complaints of patients with IBS need to be more comprehensively evaluated and treated.

Who is treated, and how, for depression? An analysis of statutory health insurance data in Germany.

BACKGROUND: Studies on the treatment of depression using epidemiological survey methods suggest a high level of under-treatment. Little is known about the characteristics of those people receiving treatment and indeed what kind of treatment they are likely to receive. METHOD: Analysis of the data of a statutory health insurance company in Germany. RESULTS: In middle-aged groups, about 50% of those diagnosed as being depressed in outpatient care are prescribed antidepressants and/or psychotherapy in the course of a year. There is more pharmacologic treatment provided in rural areas and more psychotherapy in cities, suggesting that treatment is dependent upon service availability rather than evidence-based treatment decisions. Treatment rates are considerably lower in the very young and the very old and show gender bias. Young females receive less pharmacologic treatment than young males, and elderly men are, in general, treated less than women, suggesting under-treatment at least for these groups. CONCLUSIONS: The low treatment rates following the diagnosis of depression in the young and the old require attention, in particular with respect to gender aspect.

Who is diagnosed as suffering from depression in the German statutory health care system? An analysis of health insurance data.

BACKGROUND: Depressive disease is becoming increasingly relevant in industrialised countries. For public health policy and planning it is important to know about the epidemiology of this disease as well as the extent to which this epidemiology impacts on health service provision. METHOD: Analysis of data from a major German statutory health insurance company: Longitudinal micro-level claims data containing information about diagnoses obtained from inpatient and outpatient sources as well as information collected from prescriptions issued for antidepressants. Data was analysed with regard to the differences in drug utilisation and the risk of being diagnosed with depression according to age, sex, marital status and area of residence. RESULTS: Results correspond significantly with the findings of population surveys on depression epidemiology. They also confirm the finding of a lower prevalence of depression in East Germany compared to West Germany. However, the claims data revealed an unexpectedly high prevalence of depression diagnosis in older age groups. CONCLUSION: Statutory health insurance data seems to be a reliable source of epidemiological information that is both easily accessible and longitudinally available, and thus provides important information that is needed for health policy and service planning. With regard to service provision it should be considered that depression in old age is a greater problem than is suggested by most epidemiological surveys.