Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35690746›Full record

Observational studyBMC health services research2022

One-year follow-up healthcare costs of patients diagnosed with skin cancer in Germany: a claims data analysis.

Christian Speckemeier, Kathrin Pahmeier, Pietro Trocchi, Katrin Schuldt, Hildegard Lax, Michael Nonnemacher, Patrik Dröge, Andreas Stang, Jürgen Wasem, Silke Neusser

Open access · goldAbstract readObservational Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Observational study in BMC health services research, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
0.5field-weighted citation impact, top 34% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 5 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Christian SpeckemeierInstitute for Healthcare Management and Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, Thea-Leymann-Str. 9, 45127, Essen, Germany. christian.speckemeier@medman.uni-due.de.
Kathrin PahmeierInstitute for Healthcare Management and Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, Thea-Leymann-Str. 9, 45127, Essen, Germany.
Pietro TrocchiInstitute of Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology, University Hospital of Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45147, Essen, Germany.
Katrin SchuldtInstitute of Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology, University Hospital of Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45147, Essen, Germany.
Hildegard LaxInstitute of Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology, University Hospital of Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45147, Essen, Germany.
Michael NonnemacherInstitute of Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology, University Hospital of Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45147, Essen, Germany.
Patrik DrögeAOK Research Institute (WIdO), Rosenthaler Str. 31, 10178, Berlin, Germany.
Andreas StangInstitute of Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology, University Hospital of Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45147, Essen, Germany.
Jürgen WasemInstitute for Healthcare Management and Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, Thea-Leymann-Str. 9, 45127, Essen, Germany.
Silke NeusserInstitute for Healthcare Management and Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, Thea-Leymann-Str. 9, 45127, Essen, Germany.
Institut für Medizinische Informatik, Biometrie und Epidemiologie · DEUniversity of Duisburg-Essen · DEBoston University · USWissenschaftliches Institut der AOK · DE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundRoutine skin cancer screening (SCS) is covered by the German statutory health insurance (SHI) since 2008. The objective of this study was to compare direct healthcare costs between patients in whom skin cancer was detected by routine SCS and patients in whom skin cancer was not detected by routine SCS.

methodsA retrospective observational study of administrative claims data from a large German SHI was performed. Patients with a diagnosis of malignant melanoma (MM) or non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) diagnosed in 2014 or 2015 were included. Costs were obtained for one year before and one year after diagnosis and analyzed in a difference-in-differences approach using regression models. Frequency matching was applied and risk adjustment was performed. Additional analyses were conducted, separately for specific age groups, excluding persons who died during the observation period and without taking costs for screening into consideration.

resultsA total of 131,801 patients were included, of whom 13,633 (10.3%) had a diagnosis of MM and 118,168 (89.7%) had a diagnosis of NMSC. The description of total costs (without risk adjustment) shows lower mean total costs among patients whose skin cancer was detected via routine SCS compared to patients in whom skin cancer was not detected by routine SCS (MM: €5,326 (95% confidence interval (CI) €5,073; €5,579) vs. €9,038 (95% CI €8,629; €9,448); NMSC: €4,660 (95% CI €4,573; €4,745) vs. €5,890 (95% CI €5,813; €5,967)). Results of the regression analysis show cost savings of 18.8% (95% CI -23.1; -8.4) through routine SCS for patients with a diagnosis of MM. These cost savings in MM patients were more pronounced in patients younger than 65 years of age. For patients with a diagnosis of NMSC, the analysis yields a non-substantial increase in costs (2.5% (95% CI -0.1; 5.2)).

conclusionCost savings were detected for persons with an MM diagnosed by routine SCS. However, the study could not detect lower costs due to routine SCS in the large fraction of persons with a diagnosis of NMSC. These results offer important insights into the cost structure of the routine SCS and provide opportunities for refinements.

Indexed as

Data AnalysisSkin NeoplasmsCutaneous Malignant MelanomaFollow-Up StudiesGermanyHealth Care CostsHumansMelanomaRetrospective StudiesCostsCutaneous melanomaNon-melanoma skin cancerScreeningSkin cancer

Identifiers

PMID35690746
PMCPMC9188701
OpenAlexW4282922662

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.