Healthcare Utilization of Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome in Germany

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to determine the health care utilization of patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) of one German statutory health insurance. The utilization of ambulatory services as well as of inpatient rehabilitation should be regarded. Moreover, the study should reveal the prescription of drugs for secondary prevention. Here, patients showing guideline corresponding prescriptions should be compared with patients without such prescriptions. METHODS A retrospective claims data analysis of one German statutory health insurance was conducted. Health care utilization was considered in the first year after an index hospitalization due to ACS. Beneficiaries for whom an ICD-10 discharge diagnosis of ACS was reported between January 1st 2007 and December 31st 2009 were included. In order to reveal differences in health care utilization depending on the type of ACS (STEMI versus NSTEMI/UA) stratified analyses were performed. Another stratification was done for patients with and without defined drug prescriptions. RESULTS From 45,188 patients with ACS almost three quarters were assigned to the group of NSTEMI/UA. For 8.9% of all ACS patients (18.74% STEMI, 8.89% NSTEMI/UA), inpatient post-hospital rehabilitation related to ACS was recorded. Ambulatory care related to CHD diagnosis was utilized by 77.6% of patients, more often by STEMI than by NSTEMI/UA patients. For 36.7% and 45.7% of ACS patients, a prescription of aspirin or clopidogrel was recorded, respectively, 79.4% of STEMI patients received at least one prescription for antiplatelet drugs, the corresponding proportion of NSTEMI/UA was 59.8%. A considerable part of patients without prescription dropped out within the first 90 days after the index event. CONCLUSIONS A claims data analysis of one German statutory health insurance fund showed that health care utilization of ACS patients varied depending on the ACS type. It is necessary to distinguish between STEMI and NSTEMI/UA patients when discussing the ambulatory drug utilization.