OBJECTIVES: To describe health care provision and resource consumption in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in Germany. METHODS: A multi-centre, cross-sectional, retrospective and prospective study was conducted which addressed PAH care in hospitals and in the ambulant setting taking into account the patients' perspective. Study period covered 15 months. In hospitals, chart abstraction was accomplished 12 months retrospectively and 3 months prospectively. A GPs' questionnaire covered health care utilisation in the office-based sector and two patient questionnaires were applied to collect data on health status, resource consumption (over 3 months), and quality of life. RESULTS: Ten hospitals enrolled 150 patients with PAH; data of 118 patients (treated October 2004-December 2006) were considered within this interim analysis. Response rate of GP questionnaire was 52%, of patient questionnaires 85% (1st questionnaire) and 76% (2nd questionnaire). Mean age of patients was 55 years (SD 14), 72% were female. 60% suffered from idiopathic PAH and 40% from PAH mainly associated with collagen vascular diseases (37%), congenital systemic-to-pulmonary shunts (26%), or portal hypertension (22%). Mean duration from occurrence of first symptoms until diagnosis was 2.3 years (SD 4.4). Within 15 months mean number of GP visits was 23.1 (SD 16.2); mean number of hospital visits was 4.5. 44% of patients were hospitalised (mean length of stay: 7.1 days SD 6.1). Hospitalisation with surgical interventions (5% of hospital stays) occurred for port-transplantation or catheter replacement. 59% of patients received anticoagulants, 60% diuretics, 27% calcium-antagonists, 66% endothelin-receptor antagonists, 20% inhalative prostacyclin analogues, and 25% PDE5 inhibitors. 10% of patients participated in rehabilitation with a mean length of stay of 30.1 days (SD 11.3). CONCLUSION: This analysis is the first step in a comprehensive study on health care provision and economic burden of PAH in Germany. In a second step outcomes, e.g. disease severity and quality of life, will be assessed.