Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42363306›Full record

ArticleNeurological research and practice2026

Inpatient care for people with multiple sclerosis - a secondary data analysis in Germany between 2019 and 2024.

Sarah Mai Viebahn, Emily Nothnik, Susan Raths, Markus Krohn, Finn Brüggemann, Thorsten Herr, Marie Süße, Agnes Flöel, Tjalf Ziemssen, Steffen Fleßa and 1 more

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PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Neurological research and practice, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
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

11 authors.

Sarah Mai ViebahnDepartment of Neurology, University Medicine Greifswald, Ferdinand-Sauerbruch-Straße, Greifswald, 17475, Germany. sarahmai.viebahn@med.uni-greifswald.de.
Emily NothnikInstitute for Business Administration and Health Care Management, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
Susan RathsInstitute for Business Administration and Health Care Management, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
Markus KrohnInstitute for Business Administration and Health Care Management, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
Finn BrüggemannDepartment of Neurology, University Medicine Rostock, Rostock, Germany.
Thorsten HerrDepartment of Neurology, University Medicine Greifswald, Ferdinand-Sauerbruch-Straße, Greifswald, 17475, Germany.
Marie SüßeDepartment of Neurology, University Medicine Greifswald, Ferdinand-Sauerbruch-Straße, Greifswald, 17475, Germany.
Agnes FlöelDepartment of Neurology, University Medicine Greifswald, Ferdinand-Sauerbruch-Straße, Greifswald, 17475, Germany.
Tjalf ZiemssenDepartment of Neurology, Center of Clinical Neuroscience, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
Steffen FleßaInstitute for Business Administration and Health Care Management, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
Matthias GrotheDepartment of Neurology, University Medicine Greifswald, Ferdinand-Sauerbruch-Straße, Greifswald, 17475, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMultiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disease imposing a substantial burden on healthcare systems. In Germany, MS care has been transitioning from inpatient to outpatient settings, driven by advances in disease-modifying therapies and evolving care infrastructure. Comprehensive data on inpatient utilisation trends and their determinants remain limited.

objectivesTo analyse inpatient and day care admission patterns for people with MS (pwMS) in Germany between 2019 and 2024, examining trends by disease subtype, patient demographics, performed procedures, and regional distribution.

methodsAdministrative data from the Institute for Hospital Remuneration (InEK) were analysed for inpatient cases coded under ICD-10-GM G35 (MS) from 2019 to 2024. Cases were stratified by MS subdiagnosis (G35.X). Regional analysis incorporated population density data from Destatis and hospital listings from the Bundes-Klinik-Atlas.

resultsNationwide inpatient MS admissions declined by 28%, from 45,067 cases in 2019 to 32,670 in 2024, while day care cases rose from 4,127 to 5,627. Regional variation in inpatient case reduction was substantial, ranging from - 11 to -59%. Declines were greatest for secondary progressive MS (37%) and primary progressive MS (31%). The average inpatient stay duration did not increase for admissions coded for first manifestation but did increase for all other disease courses. Diagnostic procedures dominated cases coded for first manifestation. Between 2019 and 2024, inpatient procedure rates per admission increased across most categories, and day care utilisation shifted markedly towards anti-CD20 immunotherapy administration.

conclusionsInpatient MS care in Germany is declining substantially, with increasing day care utilisation partially compensating for this shift. Marked regional disparities and rising case complexity highlight the need for standardised outpatient care expansion and unified reimbursement frameworks.

Indexed as

EpidemiologyInpatient careMultiple sclerosisRegional distribution

Identifiers

PMID42363306
PMCPMC13309942

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Registered trials

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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.