Development of a risk score to identify patients at high risk for a severe course of COVID-19.

Aim: We aimed to develop a risk score to calculate a person's individual risk for a severe COVID-19 course (POINTED score) to support prioritization of especially vulnerable patients for a (booster) vaccination.

Subject And Methods: This cohort study was based on German claims data and included 623,363 individuals with a COVID-19 diagnosis in 2020. The outcome was COVID-19 related treatment in an intensive care unit, mechanical ventilation, or death after a COVID-19 infection.

Routine practice data of three cancer entities: Comparison among cancer registry and health insurance data.

Introduction: Claims data and cancer registry data are valuable secondary data sources for addressing health service research questions. This study provides a thorough insight into the comparability of data from health insurance companies and cancer registries in Germany regarding breast, prostate, and lung cancer patients and their treatment.

Methods: For this study claims data of the InGef database and data of the Cancer Registry of Rhineland-Palatinate were used to identify patients living in Rhineland-Palatinate with an incident breast, prostate, or lung cancer diagnosis between Jan.

[Recommendations for the Utilization of Claims Data During a Pandemic: Lessons Learned from the Project EgePan-Unimed of the Netzwerk Universitätsmedizin (NUM)].

For appropriate response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and for obtaining answers to various relevant research questions, empirical data are required. Claims data of health insurances are a valid data source in such a situation. Within the project egePan-Unimed of the Netzwerk Universitätsmedizin (NUM) we investigated five COVID-19-related research questions using German claims data of statutory health insurances.

Effectiveness and Safety of Direct Oral Anticoagulants Among Octogenarians with Venous Thromboembolism: An International Multidatabase Cohort Study.

Background: The effects of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) among octogenarian patients with venous thromboembolism remains poorly understood. To address this knowledge gap, our study aimed to assess the effectiveness and safety of DOACs compared to vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) among octogenarians with venous thromboembolism.

Methods: We conducted an international cohort study using administrative health care databases from Québec, Canada, and Germany.

Machine learning-based identification of risk-factor signatures for undiagnosed atrial fibrillation in primary prevention and post-stroke in clinical practice.

Aims: Atrial fibrillation (AF) carries a substantial risk of ischemic stroke and other complications, and estimates suggest that over a third of cases remain undiagnosed. AF detection is particularly pressing in stroke survivors. To tailor AF screening efforts, we explored German health claims data for routinely available predictors of incident AF in primary care and post-stroke using machine learning methods.

Real-world anticoagulatory treatment after percutaneous mitral valve repair using MitraClip: a retrospective, observational study on 1300 patients.

Aims: This study sought to investigate current anticoagulatory treatment patterns and clinical outcome in patients undergoing transcatheter mitral valve repair (MitraClip).

Methods And Results: In a retrospective study of a German claims database (InGef research database), anticoagulatory treatment regimens were assessed using any drug prescription post discharge within the first 90 days after MitraClip procedure. Clinical events between 30 days and 6 months were examined by treatment regime.

Deep learning for prediction of population health costs.

Background: Accurate prediction of healthcare costs is important for optimally managing health costs. However, methods leveraging the medical richness from data such as health insurance claims or electronic health records are missing.

Methods: Here, we developed a deep neural network to predict future cost from health insurance claims records.

Effectiveness and safety of direct oral anticoagulants with antiplatelet agents in patients with venous thromboembolism: A multi-database cohort study.

Background: Patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE) often have comorbidities that require use of antiplatelets. However, evidence on the effects of concomitant use of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) and antiplatelets in this high-risk population is scarce. Our international, multi-database cohort study assessed the real-world effectiveness and safety of concomitant use of DOACs and antiplatelets among patients with VTE.

Real-World Anticoagulatory Treatment After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: A Retrospective, Observational Study on 4,800 Patients.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has developed to the therapy of choice for patients with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis who are unsuitable for surgical aortic valve replacement and elderly patients with intermediate or high operative risk. However, the optimal anticoagulant therapy post-TAVR still remains a matter of debate. This study sought to investigate current anticoagulant treatment patterns and clinical outcome in patients undergoing TAVR.

Gender-related differences in health-care and economic costs for eating disorders: A comparative cost-development analysis for anorexia and bulimia nervosa based on anonymized claims data.

Objective: Anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN) impose a significant financial burden and immense sufferings on affected individuals. Yet little is known about the differences between how each disorder affects males and females, respectively.

Method: We performed a retrospective cost-development analysis of anonymized claims data from the German statutory health-insurance system.

Estimates of Toxoplasmosis Incidence Based on Healthcare Claims Data, Germany, 2011-2016.

Toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic infection contracted through Toxoplasma gondii-contaminated food, soil, or water. Seroprevalence in Germany is high, but estimates of disease incidence are scarce. We investigated incidences for various toxoplasmosis manifestations using anonymized healthcare claims data from Germany for 2011-2016.

Population-based incidence and mortality of community-acquired pneumonia in Germany.

Background: Little information on the current burden of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in adults in Germany is available.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using a representative healthcare claims database of approx. 4 million adults to estimate the incidence rates (IR) and associated mortality of CAP in 2015.

[Patient safety in the treatment of rheumatic diseases : Laboratory monitoring in methotrexate treatment].

Background: Methotrexate (MTX) is the most commonly prescribed disease-modifying drug in the treatment of rheumatic diseases. Regular laboratory testing is recommended to recognize side effects, such as hepatotoxicity and myelotoxicity as well as decreases in renal function that may cause toxic MTX accumulation. Additionally, folic acid is recommended as prophylaxis against specific side effects.

Lung cancer patients' comorbidities and attendance of German ambulatory physicians in a 5-year cross-sectional study.

The majority of lung cancer patients are diagnosed with an advanced stage IV, which has short survival time. Many lung cancer patients have comorbidities, which influence treatment and patients' quality of life. The aim of the study is to describe comorbidities in incident lung cancer patients and explore their attendance of ambulatory care physicians in Germany.

Health Care Analysis on Myocardial Revascularization in Patients with Chronic Coronary Artery Disease: The Multicenter REVASK Study: Design and Protocol.

Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are available for revascularization of coronary artery disease (CAD) with the aims to reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality and to improve disease-related quality of life in particular. The German National Care Guideline (NVL-cKHK) on chronic CAD recommends the establishment of so-called heart teams for decision making in myocardial revascularization to improve the quality of care. Preferred recommendations for PCI or CABG are given for different patient subgroups depending on patient characteristics, concomitant diseases, and coronary morphology.

Sodium-Glucose Co-Transporter 2 Inhibitors and the Risk of Venous Thromboembolism in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Cohort Study.

Purpose: We assessed whether sodium-glucose co-transporter type 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are associated with a higher incidence rate of venous thromboembolism in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Methods: We conducted a population-based cohort study using the InGef database including patients with type 2 diabetes newly treated with noninsulin antidiabetic drugs between 2012 and 2018. Cases of venous thromboembolism identified during follow-up were matched to 40 controls on age, sex, cohort entry date, and duration of follow-up.

Clinical outcomes and characteristics of patients hospitalized for Influenza or COVID-19 in Germany.

Objectives: Since the beginning of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 pandemic, there is a discussion about the severity of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) in comparison to infections with seasonal Influenza. The objective of this study was to compare clinical and demographic characteristics of German patients hospitalized for infection with either SARS-CoV-2 or Influenza.

Methods: This study used anonymized German healthcare claims data.

Using gradient boosting with stability selection on health insurance claims data to identify disease trajectories in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Objective: We propose a data-driven method to detect temporal patterns of disease progression in high-dimensional claims data based on gradient boosting with stability selection.

Materials And Methods: We identified patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in a German health insurance claims database with 6.5 million individuals and divided them into a group of patients with the highest disease severity and a group of control patients with lower severity.

How expensive are post-traumatic stress disorders? Estimating incremental health care and economic costs on anonymised claims data.

Background: Post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD) pose a high burden for individuals and societies. Although prevalence rates are rather low, high co-occurrence rates and overall impairments cause deleterious suffering and significant costs. Still, no long-term data on costs and trends in cost developments are available.

Dual renin-angiotensin-aldosterone blockade: Implementation of published research and Dear Doctor letters in ambulatory care: A retrospective observational study using prescription data.

Purpose: This study aims to assess the implementation of published research, contraindications, and warnings on the prescription of dual renin-angiotensin-hormone system (RAS) blockade in ambulatory care in Germany.

Methods: Cohort study based on health claims data of 6.7 million subjects from 2008 to 2015.

Comparison of Approaches to Select a Propensity Score Matched Control Group in the Absence of an Obvious Start of Follow Up for this Group: An Example Study on the Economic Impact of the DMP Bronchial Asthma.

Background: Claims data are a valuable data source to investigate the economic impact of new health care services. While the date of enrollment into the new service is an obvious start of follow-up for participants, the strategy to select potential controls is not straightforward due to a missing start of follow-up to ascertain possible confounders. The aim of this study was to compare different approaches to select controls via Propensity Score Matching (PSM) using the disease management program (DMP) bronchial asthma (BA) as an example.

Pneumococcal vaccination rates in immunocompromised patients-A cohort study based on claims data from more than 200,000 patients in Germany.

Background: The German Committee on Vaccination recommends pneumococcal vaccination for infants, seniors 60+ years and patients at risk with defined underlying diseases. Aim of this study was to assess the pneumococcal vaccination rate (pnc-VR) in patients with certain incident inherited or acquired immunodeficiency or immunosuppression and to understand who vaccinates these patients who are particularly at high risk to develop a pneumococcal infection.

Methods: We conducted a cohort study in patients aged 2 years or older, with a first episode of a "high-risk" condition between January 2013 and December 2014 based on a representative sample of German claims data.

Prescribing practice of pregabalin/gabapentin in pain therapy: an evaluation of German claim data.

Objectives: To analyse the prevalence and incidence of pregabalin and gabapentin (P/G) prescriptions, typical therapeutic uses of P/G with special attention to pain-related diagnoses and discontinuation rates.

Design: Secondary data analysis.

Setting: Primary and secondary care in Germany.