Journal article
One-year follow-up healthcare costs of patients diagnosed with skin cancer in Germany: a claims data analysis
BMC health services research, v 22(1), pp 771-771
11 Jun 2022
PMID: 35690746
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Routine skin cancer screening (SCS) is covered by the German statutory health insurance (SHI) since 2008. The objective of this study was to compare direct healthcare costs between patients in whom skin cancer was detected by routine SCS and patients in whom skin cancer was not detected by routine SCS.
A retrospective observational study of administrative claims data from a large German SHI was performed. Patients with a diagnosis of malignant melanoma (MM) or non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) diagnosed in 2014 or 2015 were included. Costs were obtained for one year before and one year after diagnosis and analyzed in a difference-in-differences approach using regression models. Frequency matching was applied and risk adjustment was performed. Additional analyses were conducted, separately for specific age groups, excluding persons who died during the observation period and without taking costs for screening into consideration.
A total of 131,801 patients were included, of whom 13,633 (10.3%) had a diagnosis of MM and 118,168 (89.7%) had a diagnosis of NMSC. The description of total costs (without risk adjustment) shows lower mean total costs among patients whose skin cancer was detected via routine SCS compared to patients in whom skin cancer was not detected by routine SCS (MM: €5,326 (95% confidence interval (CI) €5,073; €5,579) vs. €9,038 (95% CI €8,629; €9,448); NMSC: €4,660 (95% CI €4,573; €4,745) vs. €5,890 (95% CI €5,813; €5,967)). Results of the regression analysis show cost savings of 18.8% (95% CI -23.1; -8.4) through routine SCS for patients with a diagnosis of MM. These cost savings in MM patients were more pronounced in patients younger than 65 years of age. For patients with a diagnosis of NMSC, the analysis yields a non-substantial increase in costs (2.5% (95% CI -0.1; 5.2)).
Cost savings were detected for persons with an MM diagnosed by routine SCS. However, the study could not detect lower costs due to routine SCS in the large fraction of persons with a diagnosis of NMSC. These results offer important insights into the cost structure of the routine SCS and provide opportunities for refinements.
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Details
- Title
- One-year follow-up healthcare costs of patients diagnosed with skin cancer in Germany: a claims data analysis
- Creators
- Christian Speckemeier - University of Duisburg-EssenKathrin Pahmeier - University of Duisburg-EssenPietro Trocchi - Institut für Medizinische Informatik, Biometrie und EpidemiologieKatrin Schuldt - Institut für Medizinische Informatik, Biometrie und EpidemiologieHildegard Lax - Institut für Medizinische Informatik, Biometrie und EpidemiologieMichael Nonnemacher - Institut für Medizinische Informatik, Biometrie und EpidemiologiePatrik Dröge - Wissenschaftliches Institut der AOKAndreas Stang - Institut für Medizinische Informatik, Biometrie und EpidemiologieJürgen Wasem - University of Duisburg-EssenSilke Neusser - University of Duisburg-Essen
- Publication Details
- BMC health services research, v 22(1), pp 771-771
- Publisher
- Springer BMC
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Microbiology and Immunology
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000810753300002
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85131792503
- Other Identifier
- 991020099033604721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Health Care Sciences & Services