[Persons requiring long-term care: Recommendation and utilization of rehabilitative therapies]

Data linkage of German statutory health insurance claims data and care needs assessments preceding a population-based cohort study on nursing home admission

OBJECTIVES

We perform and evaluate record linkage of German Care Needs Assessment (CNA) data to Statutory Health Insurance (SHI) claims data. The resulting dataset should enable the identification of factors in healthcare predicting the time between the onset of long-term care dependency and the admission to a nursing home in Germany in subsequent analyses.

DESIGN

A deterministic record linkage was conducted using the key variables region, sex, date of birth and care level. In further steps, the underlying cause of care dependency (International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th revision (ICD-10)) was added for a higher level of distinction. Before linkage, the suitability of the two datasets for these procedures was assessed. After linkage, the results of each stage were analysed and the resulting dataset was evaluated cross-sectionally with respect to bias generated through this process.

SETTING

The study comprises data from the German SHI and Statutory Long-Term Care Insurance.

PARTICIPANTS

The study cohort comprised 158 069 individuals who became care dependent in 2006. We obtained CNA data for the year 2006 including 188 935 individuals.

RESULTS

We could link CNAs to 66 310 individuals of the original study cohort, corresponding to 42.0%. Records from two federal states could not be matched due to missing data. Linkage rates were lower where more people shared the same attributes. The resulting dataset showed minor differences regarding age, sex and care level compared to the original cohort.

CONCLUSIONS

Data linkage between German SHI claims data and CNA data is feasible. Failure to link was mostly attributable to a lack of distinction between individuals using available identifiers. The resulting dataset contains relevant information from both health services provision and functional status of care dependent people and is suitable for further analyses with critical reflection of representativity.

Profile of practitioners, and factors influencing home care physiotherapy model of practice in Nigeria

The present study investigated factors that influenced home care physiotherapy (HCP) services and profile of the practitioners in Nigeria. It also investigated if the service was registered with the Regulatory Agency. Three hundred and thirty conveniently sampled physiotherapists in Nigeria participated in the cross-sectional survey. A newly developed, nine-part, content-validated questionnaire was used to obtain information about the demographics, sources of referral, case types, frequency of treatment, costing, benefits, and challenges of the HCP, job satisfaction, and registration status. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. All the respondents (100%) were involved in HCP irrespective of their professional profile. The mean duration of practice experience was 9.09 ± 7.34 years. Stroke (41.8%) was the most prevalent case treated. Poor working environment (M = 4.16, R = 1-5), transportation cost (M = 4.16, R = 1-5) and intrusion by impostors (M = 3.66, R = 1-5), were some of the factors that had impact on the HCP services. A preponderance of HCP services was not registered with the Regulatory Agency in Nigeria.

Official statistics and claims data records indicate non-response and recall bias within survey-based estimates of health care utilization in the older population

BACKGROUND

The validity of survey-based health care utilization estimates in the older population has been poorly researched. Owing to data protection legislation and a great number of different health care insurance providers, the assessment of recall and non-response bias is challenging to impossible in many countries. The objective of our study was to compare estimates from a population-based study in older German adults with external secondary data.

METHODS

We used data from the German KORA-Age study, which included 4,127 people aged 65-94 years. Self-report questions covered the utilization of long-term care services, inpatient services, outpatient services, and pharmaceuticals. We calculated age- and sex-standardized mean utilization rates in each domain and compared them with the corresponding estimates derived from official statistics and independent statutory health insurance data.

RESULTS

The KORA-Age study underestimated the use of long-term care services (-52%), in-hospital days (-21%) and physician visits (-70%). In contrast, the assessment of drug consumption by postal self-report questionnaires yielded similar estimates to the analysis of insurance claims data (-9%).

CONCLUSION

Survey estimates based on self-report tend to underestimate true health care utilization in the older population. Direct validation studies are needed to disentangle the impact of recall and non-response bias.

[Rehabilitation instead of nursing care. Current state and future demand of geriatric rehabilitation]

In Germany, the term "rehabilitation instead of nursing care" represents an established legal claim and is also an imperative part within the general concept of comprehensive healthcare provision, reflecting the ongoing demographic and epidemiological developments. This report gives an overview on the rationale, the principles, and organizational conception of geriatric rehabilitation. This is completed by an assessment of existing structures for service provision and future demands of specific geriatric rehabilitation and geriatric care. There are well-established possibilities and facilities to realize the legal claim "rehabilitation instead of nursing care." However, these possibilities have to be further optimized in order to detect need earlier and to make adequate use of the potential resources in the growing number of old-aged persons.

[Analysis of the activity of mobile rehabilitation-physiotherapy units in primary care]

OBJECTIVE

To describe the home care provided by mobile rehabilitation-physiotherapy teams as a response to the needs of the dependent population, the characteristics of their application, and the results they have on patients and their functional independence.

DESIGN

A descriptive, cross-sectional study from 2004 to June 2007.

SETTING

Community setting. Mobile rehabilitation-physiotherapy teams from Primary Care in Almeria.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 1093 patients were included in the programme.

MAIN MEASUREMENTS

Data were collected on, the state of the patients' health (primary disabling process, reasons for inclusion in the treatment, initial and final functional assessment and Barthel Index); details of physiotherapy treatment, and number of sessions.

RESULTS

Of the total sample, the mean age was 78 years and 64.2% were female. The mean waiting time for their assessment was 4 days and there was a wide variety of primary disabling processes described. There was a high percentage of symptoms of severe motor deterioration, pain and muscle weakness. Physiotherapy treatment was given in 88.6%, physiotherapy and occupational therapy in 11.1%, and orthopaedic treatment in 0.3%, of the patients. The mean number of sessions was 12.85. The variation in the Barthel Index after the final therapy was given was, 61.9% for kinesiotherapy, 10.2% combined with electrotherapy, and 14.5% for kinesiotherapy and carer education.

CONCLUSIONS

Valuable information is provided as regards the characteristics of the geriatric and dependent population, as well as the physiotherapy help they are receiving, and also how the procedure is carried out.