Grundlagen und Methoden von GKV-Routinedatenstudien

Claims data studies are becoming an increasingly important source of information for healthcare stakeholders. The importance and scientific use of claims data of the statutory health funds has further increased. We saw a general lack of elaborated recommendations for best practices in this field and a need for a thorough overview of published methods used in each step of conducting a claims data study. This discussion paper examines and compares conceptual and methodological approaches used in claims data studies aiming to stimulate discussion on quality of the studies and to promote creation of standards and guidelines for consistent and transparent claims data studies and reports. Our results emphasize the importance guidelines in the field of claims data analyses and discussed the advantages and disadvantages of different methodological approaches.