Bramesfeld Anke, Grobe Thomas G, Schwartz Friedrich Wilhelm
Department for Epidemiology, Social Medicine and Health System Research, OE 5410, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg Strasse 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany.
Eur J Epidemiol. 2007;22(6):397-403. doi: 10.1007/s10654-007-9128-z. Epub 2007 May 5.
Depressive disease is becoming increasingly relevant in industrialised countries. For public health policy and planning it is important to know about the epidemiology of this disease as well as the extent to which this epidemiology impacts on health service provision.
Analysis of data from a major German statutory health insurance company: Longitudinal micro-level claims data containing information about diagnoses obtained from inpatient and outpatient sources as well as information collected from prescriptions issued for antidepressants. Data was analysed with regard to the differences in drug utilisation and the risk of being diagnosed with depression according to age, sex, marital status and area of residence.
Results correspond significantly with the findings of population surveys on depression epidemiology. They also confirm the finding of a lower prevalence of depression in East Germany compared to West Germany. However, the claims data revealed an unexpectedly high prevalence of depression diagnosis in older age groups.
Statutory health insurance data seems to be a reliable source of epidemiological information that is both easily accessible and longitudinally available, and thus provides important information that is needed for health policy and service planning. With regard to service provision it should be considered that depression in old age is a greater problem than is suggested by most epidemiological surveys.
在工业化国家，抑郁症正变得越来越重要。对于公共卫生政策和规划而言，了解这种疾病的流行病学情况以及该流行病学对卫生服务提供的影响程度非常重要。
对德国一家大型法定健康保险公司的数据进行分析：纵向微观层面的理赔数据，其中包含从住院和门诊来源获得的诊断信息以及从抗抑郁药处方收集的信息。根据年龄、性别、婚姻状况和居住地区，对药物使用差异和被诊断为抑郁症的风险进行数据分析。
结果与抑郁症流行病学的人群调查结果显著相符。它们还证实了东德抑郁症患病率低于西德的这一发现。然而，理赔数据显示老年人群体中抑郁症诊断的患病率出乎意料地高。
法定健康保险数据似乎是流行病学信息的可靠来源，既易于获取又具有纵向可得性，因此为卫生政策和服务规划提供了所需的重要信息。在服务提供方面，应该考虑到老年抑郁症是一个比大多数流行病学调查所显示的更为严重的问题。
