Utilization patterns of ambulatory medical care before and after the diagnosis of dementia in Germany – Results of a case-control-study.
| Authors/Editors: |
Eisele, M Bussche, H Van Den Koller, D. Wiese, B Kaduszkiewicz, D Maier, W Glaeske, G Steinmann, S Wegschneider, K Schön, G |
|---|---|
| Publication Date: | 2010 |
| Type of Publication: | Articles in Refereed Journals (International) |
| ISBN/ISSN: | 1420-8008 |
| erschienen in: | Dement. Geriatr. Cogn. Disord. |
| Weitere Quellenangabe: | Volume 29, Pages 475–83 |
Abstract
Aims
To analyze how the diagnosis of dementia changes the utilization of the ambulatory medical care services in the German statutory health insurance.
Methods
In this case-control study, claims data of 1,848 insurants aged >or=65 years with incident dementia and 7,392 matched controls were compared regarding their utilization of ambulatory medical care services.
Results
We found an increase in the utilization of ambulatory medical care services by demented patients of 50% in the year before and of 40% in the year after the incidence, predominantly in primary care and neurology/psychiatry settings. A negative interaction effect of age and gender (p <or= 0.000) was found regarding the number of visited physicians.
Conclusion
Service utilization by demented patients increases already within the year before the first diagnosis and stays on a relatively high level within the year after. Especially (female) patients aged 80 years and older at dementia onset ought to be observed to prevent a possible undersupply.
