From Admission to Discharge: Understanding the Transplant Patient Journey With German Statutory Health Insurance Claims Data
Author(s)
Kim Sarah Krinke, PhD1, Kathrin Gerchow, MPH1, Svitlana Schnaidt, MSc1, Annika Vivirito, MSc2, Christian Jacob, PhD1, Dominik Obermüller, PhD2.
1Cencora, Hannover, Germany, 2Institute for Applied Health Research Berlin GmbH, Berlin, Germany.
1Cencora, Hannover, Germany, 2Institute for Applied Health Research Berlin GmbH, Berlin, Germany.
OBJECTIVES: In 2024, the German Organ Procurement Organization recorded a total of 3,701 organ transplants in Germany. The most common type of transplant was kidney, followed by lung and heart transplant. This study aimed to gain insights into the patient journey for transplant recipients within the hospital setting.
METHODS: A retrospective claims data analysis was conducted using 2017-2023 inpatient data from the InGef research database. Hospital data enable a comprehensive overview of the patient journey, including information on patient characteristics (e.g., age, sex), admission/discharge (e.g., date, reason, department), diagnoses (e.g., primary/secondary; admission/discharge), performed procedures, and costs for consecutive nine years from the perspective of statutory health insurance.
RESULTS: Between 2019-2023, a total of 759 kidney (median age: 55 years), 130 lung (median age: 57 years), and 120 heart transplant cases (median age: 53 years) ≥18 years were identified. Over half of the kidney (57%) and lung (63%) transplant cases were hospitalized via emergency department. Most of patients undergoing kidney, lung, and heart transplantation were admitted to the general surgery (49%), thoracic surgery (38%), and cardiac surgery (53%) departments, respectively. On average, kidney, lung, and heart transplant cases stayed 25, 43, 97 days in hospital, with median costs per treatment case of €29,925, €74,845 and €131,732, respectively. Treatment was completed as planned in 67%, 14%, and 29% of kidney, lung, and heart transplant cases respectively, with follow-up treatment scheduled for 29% of kidney transplant cases and discharge to a rehabilitation center for 58% of lung and 33% of heart transplant cases.
CONCLUSIONS: Depending on the transplanted organ, patients experience varying treatment pathways from hospital admission to discharge. Data on hospitalizations included in the InGef database provides in-depth insights into the patient journey, which can be enriched by incorporating further data domains available such as outpatient services, prescriptions, sick leave, as well as aids and remedies.
METHODS: A retrospective claims data analysis was conducted using 2017-2023 inpatient data from the InGef research database. Hospital data enable a comprehensive overview of the patient journey, including information on patient characteristics (e.g., age, sex), admission/discharge (e.g., date, reason, department), diagnoses (e.g., primary/secondary; admission/discharge), performed procedures, and costs for consecutive nine years from the perspective of statutory health insurance.
RESULTS: Between 2019-2023, a total of 759 kidney (median age: 55 years), 130 lung (median age: 57 years), and 120 heart transplant cases (median age: 53 years) ≥18 years were identified. Over half of the kidney (57%) and lung (63%) transplant cases were hospitalized via emergency department. Most of patients undergoing kidney, lung, and heart transplantation were admitted to the general surgery (49%), thoracic surgery (38%), and cardiac surgery (53%) departments, respectively. On average, kidney, lung, and heart transplant cases stayed 25, 43, 97 days in hospital, with median costs per treatment case of €29,925, €74,845 and €131,732, respectively. Treatment was completed as planned in 67%, 14%, and 29% of kidney, lung, and heart transplant cases respectively, with follow-up treatment scheduled for 29% of kidney transplant cases and discharge to a rehabilitation center for 58% of lung and 33% of heart transplant cases.
CONCLUSIONS: Depending on the transplanted organ, patients experience varying treatment pathways from hospital admission to discharge. Data on hospitalizations included in the InGef database provides in-depth insights into the patient journey, which can be enriched by incorporating further data domains available such as outpatient services, prescriptions, sick leave, as well as aids and remedies.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2025-11, ISPOR Europe 2025, Glasgow, Scotland
Value in Health, Volume 28, Issue S2
Code
HSD51
Topic
Health Service Delivery & Process of Care, Study Approaches
Disease
Cardiovascular Disorders (including MI, Stroke, Circulatory), Respiratory-Related Disorders (Allergy, Asthma, Smoking, Other Respiratory), Surgery, Urinary/Kidney Disorders