Abstracts by keywords: early detection
The most comprehensive study on the prevalence of COPD to date is the international Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease (BOLD) study (Buist & McBurnie, 2007). In Germany, the Hanover region took part in this work. The lung function was examined in 683 volunteers over the age of 40 and a survey was carried out as to their state of health. Overall, more than 13 percent of the study participants in the Hanover area were diagnosed with COPD, a good 7 percent had a mild, 5 percent a moderate and almost 1 percent a severe disease stage. Since the test subjects came from the Hanover metropolitan region, it cannot be said with certainty whether the numbers are representative for the whole of Germany. However, the overall evaluation of the BOLD study suggests this. According to this, every tenth of the more than 9,000 study participants in the twelve countries involved suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in stage II or higher. The current figures on the development of COPD in Germany were based on 6.8 million COPD cases in 2010. By 2030, the number of people affected is expected to rise to 7.9 million. (Geldmacher & Biller, 2008). COPD is also important from an economic perspective. One study determined the total costs of COPD by weighting the costs per level of severity. The main part of the costs is caused by hospital stays (26%), medications (23%) and early retirement (17%). (Herse & Kiljander, 2015); (Grønseth & S.-A., 2014); (Nowak & Dietrich, 2004). Early detection of COPD is of great importance, as timely cessation of exposure to the triggering noxa can at least partially prevent disease progression. (Vogelmeier & Buhl, 2018). There is also evidence that the natural course of the disease can be significantly influenced by the early onset of drug treatment. (Troosters & Celli, 2010).
04.06.2018
Early detection, the so-called skin cancer screening, has been a service since 2008 that legally insured people aged 35 and over can use every two years free of charge. Dermatologists and doctors from certain specialist groups with appropriate training examine the skin for suspicious changes that should be removed. The analyzes carried out here describe the status quo and development trends in utilization. The basis of the analyzes is the anonymized research database of AOK Nordost with its approximately 1.75 million insured persons. The results presented capture the development between 2008 - the year skin cancer screening was introduced as an insurance benefit - and the year 2015. All AOK Nordost insured persons aged 35 and over who were fully insured within the year under consideration and in the three federal states of Berlin , Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania are part of the study population. In 2008, the study population comprised approximately 1.23 million insured people. By 2015, it had fallen to around 1.19 million insured people (see Table 1). For some analyses, nationalities were examined. Nationality can be viewed as an indicator of differences in individual risk factors – such as skin type.