Background: The database of the German Institute of Medical Documentation and Information makes it possible for the first time to compute statistics on diabetes for all insurees of the statutory health insurance scheme in Germany. Data from this comprehensive source are less likely to be biased by differences in the membership structures of individual insurance carriers or by the underrepresentation of persons over age 80 that is seen in most population-based studies.
Methods: International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-coded diagnosis data from the inpatient and outpatient sectors were used to define persons as having diabetes.