Implementation of socio-economic variables in risk adjustment systems: A quantitative analysis using the example of Germany.

At least in Western Europe, competitive social health insurance systems have implemented systems of morbidity-based risk adjustment to establish a level playing field for insurers. However, insured persons with specific socio-economic characteristics are still underfunded, leaving incentives for risk selection. In Germany, there is an ongoing debate about (re)implementing socio-economic variables to reduce this undercompensation.

Costs for global guideline-based diagnosis of mucormycosis in patients with neutropenia, hematopoietic stem cell or solid organ transplantation - a perspective of the German healthcare system.

Introduction: Mucormycosis is a rare invasive fungal infection (IFI) which is characterized by prolonged antifungal therapy, high morbidity and mortality rates, as well as increased treatment costs.

Areas Covered: Appropriate diagnosis of mucormycosis is a fundamental component of successful treatment, however, evidence about health economic expenses does not exist. Based on an international guideline approach for diagnosis of mucormycosis, we calculated costs for imaging-based and laboratory procedures and susceptibility testing from the German statutory health insurance perspective.

Economic effects of next-generation sequencing diagnostics in unspecific sepsis patients - a budget impact analysis from the healthcare providers' perspective in Germany.

Purpose: Next-generation sequencing (NGS) tools have clinical advantages over blood culture but are more expensive. This study assesses the budget impact and break-even point of NGS testing costs from a healthcare provider's perspective in Germany.

Methods: The budget impact was calculated based on aggregated data of German post-operative surgery cases.

Mortality rate and factors associated with in-hospital mortality in patients hospitalized with pulmonary embolism in Germany.

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a life-threatening condition, the prognosis of which is determined in particular by acute decompensation and hospitalization. The goal of this study was to investigate the prevalence of and the factors associated with the in-hospital mortality of patients hospitalized with acute PE. This multicenter cross-sectional study was based on the data of PE patient cases from 36 hospitals across Germany.

What Is the Link between Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Dyslipidemia in Adults? A German Retrospective Cohort Study.

Alterations in the serum lipid profile have been suspected in many psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia and depression. However, studies on lipid status in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are sparse and inconsistent. Using the nationwide, population-based IQVIA Disease Analyzer database, this retrospective cohort study included 5367 outpatients from general practices in Germany aged ≥18 years with a documented first diagnosis of ADHD between January 2005 and December 2021 and 26,835 propensity score-matched individuals without ADHD.

Hospital Length of Stay and Associated Factors in Adult Patients with Depression in Germany: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the hospital length of stay (LoS) and its associated factors among adult patients hospitalized with depression in Germany. This cross-sectional study included all adults (≥18 years) hospitalized with depression from January 2019 to December 2023 treated in 36 hospitals across Germany. The primary outcome was patients' hospital LoS in days.

Investigation of the Association between Sleep Disorders with Subsequent Depression in Children and Adolescents-A Retrospective Cohort Study with 62,796 Patients.

Background: Poor quality of sleep is a widespread issue in modern society, and even children are being diagnosed with sleep disorders nowadays. Sleep disruption in children can lead to poor mental health in the long term. The present study aimed to evaluate the association between sleep disorders and subsequent depression in children and adolescents.

Real-world experience with letermovir for cytomegalovirus-prophylaxis after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation: A multi-centre observational study.

Objectives: Efficacy and safety of letermovir as prophylaxis for clinically significant cytomegalovirus infections (csCVMi) was evaluated in randomised controlled trials while most of the real-world studies are single-centre experiences.

Methods: We performed a retrospective, multi-centre case-control study at six German university hospitals to evaluate clinical experiences in patients receiving CMV prophylaxis with letermovir (n = 200) compared to controls without CMV prophylaxis (n = 200) during a 48-week follow-up period after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (aHCT).

Results: The incidence of csCMVi after aHCT was significantly reduced in the letermovir (34%, n = 68) compared to the control group (56%, n = 112; p < 0.

Time-dependent cost comparison and health economic impact analysis of second-line interventions for transplant-ineligible patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B cell lymphoma.

Objectives: Novel interventions (axicabtagene ciloleucel [axi-cel], lisocabtagene maraleucel [liso-cel], tafasitamab-lenalidomide [Tafa-L], polatuzumab-rituximab-bendamustine [pola-BR]) improve clinical outcomes in second-line (2 L) treatment of transplant-ineligible patients with early relapse or refractory (R/R) diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL). The costs vary depending on the respective treatment regimen and the treatment duration, difficult comparability in reimbursement decisions. The objective was to analyze the health economic impacts of novel 2 L interventions and conventional immunochemotherapies (bendamustine-rituximab [BR], rituximab-gemcitabine-oxaliplatin [R-GemOx]) from a German healthcare payer's perspective as a function of treatment duration.

Association between COVID-19 and subsequent depression diagnoses-A retrospective cohort study.

Background: The present study aimed to investigate the association between COVID-19 and the cumulative incidence of depression and the potential role of sick leave in a large representative sample of German adults.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study was based on the Disease Analyzer database (IQVIA) data. This study included individuals aged ≥16 years with a COVID-19 diagnosis in 1284 general practices in Germany between March 2020 and December 2021, and the propensity score matched cohort without COVID-19.

Hemorrhoids are associated with an increased risk of depression in Germany: A retrospective cohort study in primary care outpatients.

Background: The aim of the present study was to analyze the cumulative incidence of depression diagnosis in patients with hemorrhoids and to evaluate the association between hemorrhoids and subsequent depression diagnosis.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study was based on electronic medical records from the Disease Analyzer database (IQVIA) and included 87,264 individuals with hemorrhoids (mean age: 54.2 years; 42% women) and 87,264 propensity score-matched individuals without hemorrhoids in 1284 general practices in Germany between January 2005 and December 2021.

Evaluating the Feasibility, Acceptance, and Beneficial Effects of Online Occupational Therapy for Post-COVID-19 Condition: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial (ErgoLoCo Study).

Background: Post-COVID-19 syndrome (PCS; also known as "long COVID") is a relatively novel disease comprising physical, psychological, and cognitive complaints persisting several weeks to months after acute infection with SARS-CoV-2. Approximately 10% of patients with COVID-19 are affected by long-term symptoms. However, effective treatment strategies are lacking.

Hospital Length of Stay and Associated Factors in Patients with Osteoarthritis from Germany: A Cross-Sectional Study.

: There is a scarcity of data on hospital length of stay (LOS) in the osteoarthritis population. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate hospital LOS and associated factors in patients with osteoarthritis from Germany. : The present cross-sectional study included patients hospitalized for osteoarthritis in one of fourteen hospitals in Germany between 2018 and 2023 (hospital database; IQVIA).

Altered coordination between sleep timing and cortisol profiles in night working female hospital employees.

Background: Cortisol typically peaks in the morning after waking up and declines throughout the day, reaching its lowest levels during nighttime sleep. Shift work can cause misalignment between cortisol levels and sleep-wake timing. We analyzed this misalignment in female shift workers focusing on the timing and extent of these changes.

Prevalence of and Variables Associated with Syncope-Related Injuries and Fractures in Germany: A Cross-Sectional Study in General Practices.

There is a lack of studies investigating the prevalence of syncope-related injuries in a large representative cohort. The aim of this cross-sectional study is to investigate the prevalence of, and variables associated with syncope-related injuries and fractures in a large outpatient population in Germany. The present study used data from the Disease Analyzer database (IQVIA) and included adults with first-time diagnoses of syncope in 1 of 1284 general practices in Germany between 2005 and 2022 (index date).

Evaluation of cross-cultural competence among German health care professionals: A quasi-experimental study of training in two hospitals.

Sociocultural diversity in the German health care system is increasingly reflected in multicultural teams and the diversity of patients. To ensure successful collaboration in a multicultural environment and effective care to diverse patients the importance of cross-cultural competence training is growing. There is a lack of evidence-based training approaches for the German health care system, and it is unclear how the theoretical-conceptual promotion of cross-cultural competence can be achieved sustainably.

Costs and resource utilization patterns in surgical site infections: a pre-COVID-19 perspective from France, Germany, Spain, and the UK.

Background: Surgical site infections (SSIs), mainly caused by Staphylococcus aureus, pose a significant economic burden in Europe, leading to increased hospitalization duration, mortality, and treatment costs, particularly with drug-resistant strains such as meticillin-resistant S. aureus.

Aim: To conduct a case-control study on the economic impact of S.

Economic effects of treating postpartum hemorrhage with vacuum-induced hemorrhage control devices - A budget impact analysis of the Jada® System in the German obstetrics setting.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the budget impact of vacuum-induced hemorrhage control (VHC) devices for treating postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) from the perspective of the German statutory health insurance (SHI).

Study Design: Evidence shows that treating PPH with VHC instead of uterine balloon tamponade (UBT) can reduce resource consumption (e.g.

Associations between Rheumatoid Arthritis and Various Comorbid Conditions in Germany-A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Aims: The aim of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of physical and mental health comorbidities in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Germany, in order to better understand the complex clinical picture and its consequences.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study was based on data from the IQVIA Disease Analyzer database and included individuals aged ≥ 16 years with an initial documented diagnosis of RA between 2015 and 2021 (index date). RA patients were matched 1:1 with non-RA individuals using nearest neighbor propensity score matching.

Association between inflammatory bowel disease and subsequent depression or anxiety disorders - A retrospective cohort study of 31,728 outpatients.

Background: Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) are characterized by chronic intestinal and systemic inflammation. The extraintestinal sequelae of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are major contributors to disease morbidity and significantly affect patients' quality of life. Here, we evaluated the association between IBD and subsequent depression or anxiety disorder in a large outpatient collective from Germany.