Das Gesundheitswesen
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Das Gesundheitswesen · May 2012
[Structural differences between health insurance funds and their impact on health services research: results from the Bertelsmann Health-Care Monitor].
Claims data of health insurance companies are an important database for health services research. We investigated if there are differences in baseline characteristics and prevalence of chronic diseases between members of several health insurance funds in Germany, and if so, whether adjusting for age and sex could explain these differences. ⋯ We found considerable differences in the prevalence of chronic diseases between German health insurance funds that remained after controlling for age and sex, and even after adjustment for further health-related variables. Further methodological studies are urgently needed to assess strengths and weaknesses of German claim data.