Ökonomische Bewertung ambulanter Arztkontakte von COPD-Patienten in Deutschland

Abstract

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with considerable morbidity and mortality and features a substantial economic burden. This article analyses the frequency of physician contacts and commonly provided services in the outpatient care of patients with COPD in Germany. Information on characteristic health care delivery in case of patients with COPD has been further used to construct basic scenarios of outpatient resource use. Altogether, 34 out of 150 respiratory specialists and 55 out of 350 general practitioners participated in the survey (response rates of 22.7 and 15.7%, respectively). Results point out, that the number of commonly provided services (a) is limited to a very basic set, (b) does not differ substantially according to severity of COPD, and (c) does not substantially vary between the stable phase of the disease and the presence of exacerbations. Despite its low level of evidence, the use of expert opinion can serve as a valuable and legitimate tool; especially when the literature does not provide any or only outdated information.