• Harald Kaemmerer, Sebastian Freilinger, Rhoia Neidenbach, Stephan Achenbach, Caroline Andonian, Peter Ewert, Fokko de Haan, Nicole Nagdyman, Jörg Schelling, Michael Hofbeck, Ulrike Bauer, Michael Huntgeburth, and Thomas Meinertz.
• Klinik für angeborene Herzfehler und Kinderkardiologie, Deutsches Herzzentrum München, Klinik an der Technischen Universität München, Lazarettstr. 36, 80636, München, Deutschland. kaemmerer@dhm.mhn.de.
• Internist (Berl). 2022 Jan 1; 63 (1): 95-102.

BackgroundThe number of adults with congenital heart disease (ACHD) is steadily increasing. The present cross-sectional study was conceived to investigate ACHD care from the perspective of patients and family practitioners (specialists for general medicine and internal medicine, general practitioners).MethodsQuestionnaire-based cross-sectional study to analyze the real care situation of ACHD in Germany from the perspective of patients and primary care physicians (PCP).ResultsThe questionnaire was completed by 4493 ACHD (53.7% female; 41.3 ± 16.9 years) and 1055 PCP. The majority of ACHD (79.8%) visited their PCP for noncardiac health problems but also for cardiac problems. Almost all ACHD had substantial needs for medical consultation (performance, employment etc.). Of the patients 2014 (44.8%) did not know of any certified ACHD specialists or specialized centers and 2816 (62.7%) respondents were not aware of any ACHD patient organization. Of the PCPs 87.5% had cared for ACHD of all severities due to defect-typical residual and resulting symptoms. Many were not aware of any certified ACHD specialists. Only 28.5% consulted an ACHD specialist. Only 23.5% were aware of ACHD patient organizations.ConclusionGeneral practitioners are a mainstay of ACHD care in Germany. The present study shows that ACHD and their general practitioners are largely uninformed about the specialized care structures available nationwide, despite the high level of need for specialist care. In order to keep the morbidity and mortality of affected patients low, solutions must be elaborated in future to involve and integrate primary care physicians more intensively into the already existing dedicated ACHD care structures, in cooperation with specialized pediatric cardiologists, cardiologists and centers.© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Medizin Verlag GmbH, ein Teil von Springer Nature.

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