Research focus on health economics and health policy

Consortium management:

Institute of Epidemiology, Social Medicine and Public Health Research, MHH

Consortium partners:

• Clinical Department of Psychiatry, Social- and Psychological Therapy, MHH
• Institute for Health Economics, LUH
• Institute of Insurance Economics, LUH
• Institute for Information Systems, LUH

Project sponsor:

Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture

Duration:

01.10.2025-30.09.2030

Project description:

The HUMAN-LS (Health Equality, Migration and Diversity) research project investigates how various factors - in particular migration, but also age, gender, sexual orientation and socio-economic status - influence access to and utilization of medical care.

The project consists of an overarching part and several specific sub-projects that analyze different aspects in depth. The aim is to identify gaps in care and develop strategies for more equitable healthcare.

By combining quantitative data analyses, qualitative interviews, AI-supported evaluations and the involvement of those affected, HUMAN-LS pursues a participatory approach. In this way, the project contributes to promoting equal opportunities in the healthcare system and developing evidence-based recommendations for action.

Contact persons:

Prof. Dr. Christian Krauth

Dr. Kathrin Krüger

Malin Plüschke

Consortium management:

Clinical Department of Psychiatry, Social- and Psychological Therapy, MHH

Consortium partners:

• Institute of Epidemiology, Social Medicine and Public Health Research, MHH
• Institute of Biometry, MHH
• AOK - The Health Insurance Fund for Lower Saxony

Project sponsor:

Innovation Fund of the Federal Joint Committee

Duration:

01.10.2025-31.01.2029

Project description:

The PRO*ACTIVE project supports the reintegration of patients with depression into working life through a targeted care approach. Health insurance companies identify patients with depression who have an increased risk of prolonged incapacity for work and place them in the new program. Once the diagnosis has been verified as part of a second opinion procedure, those affected receive individually tailored outpatient psychotherapeutic treatment in a timely manner.

The "return-to-work" oriented psychotherapy, which combines cognitive behavioral therapy with a focus on the workplace, is carried out in specially certified practices. The effectiveness of the approach is being tested in a randomized controlled trial (RCT): 125 treated test subjects are being compared with 125 patients receiving conventional psychotherapy.

The study is being comprehensively scientifically monitored. The Institute of Epidemiology, Social Medicine and Public Health Research is responsible for the health economic evaluation, the process evaluation and parts of the outcome evaluation.

Contact persons:

Prof. Dr. Christian Krauth

Dr. Kathrin Krüger

 

Research associate

Zhi Qu

Focus on

Cost-effectiveness analysis, modeling

The topic of the project is the modeling of cost-effectiveness in transplantation (kidney/liver) and the analysis of allocation processes.

Study management

Prof. Dr. Dr. Christian Krauth, Center for Health Economics and Research Hannover (CHERH), Hannover Medical School, Institute of Epidemiology, Social Medicine and Public Health Research

 

Consortium partner

Kautz5 gUG
Krankenhaus Nordwest

 

Duration

01/2023 - 12/2025

 

Project description

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) is an inflammation of the liver that occurs as part of fatty liver disease and is not caused by alcohol consumption. The importance of the disease is increasing: while around 3.3 million people in Germany suffered from MASH in 2016, up to 4.7 million patients are expected to be affected by 2030. Most cases of MASH remain undetected due to unspecific symptoms until serious secondary diseases such as fibrosis, cirrhosis or even carcinomas of the liver occur. MASH is also associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease and obesity. To date, there is no drug therapy to treat or cure MASH. The cause is often to be found in unfavorable lifestyle habits such as lack of exercise or poor diet. However, programs to change these habits - known as lifestyle interventions - are rarely taken up by those affected and are not implemented in the long term. The reasons for this have been little researched to date.

The partners in the OPTI-MASH project want to close this knowledge gap. To this end, they will compile the existing knowledge on lifestyle interventions in research and practice and ask MASH sufferers what type of lifestyle intervention they participate in and what criteria they would take into account when deciding on a program. From this, the researchers want to deduce which lifestyle change measures are successful for the different target groups and develop corresponding therapeutic recommendations. These are to be used by physicians as guidelines to support their patients in a more targeted manner and adapted to their individual everyday habits. The project is being funded for three years with a total of around 520,000 euros.

The recommendations developed are intended to help optimize lifestyle interventions according to the preferences of MASH patients and enable their successful and long-term implementation.

 

Contact person

Prof. Dr. Christian Krauth
Prof. Dr. Dr. Kathrin Krüger

Study management

Prof. Dr. Christian Krauth, Institute of Epidemiology, Social Medicine and Public Health Research, MHH

 

Cooperation partner

• Prof. Dr. Christian Krauth, Institute of Epidemiology, Social Medicine and Public Health Research, MHH
• Prof. Dr. Dr. Martina de Zwaan, Clinical Department of Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, MHH
• Dr. Jona Theodor Stahmeyer, Health Services Research Department, AOK Lower Saxony - The Health Insurance Fund for Lower Saxony
• Prof. Dr. Dr. Eva Hummers, PD Dr. Frank Müller, Institute of General Medicine, University Medical Center Göttingen
• Prof. Dr. Christoph Herrmann-Lingen, Clinical Department of Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Göttingen
• Prof. Dr. Dr. Annika Herr, Institute of Health Economics, Leibniz University Hannover

 

Duration

07/2023-12/2025

 

Project description

After a COVID-19 disease, some patients suffer from persistent fatigue, weakness and exhaustion, which can significantly restrict their everyday and social life. For most of those affected, GPs are the first point of contact in the healthcare system. Pre-existing conditions, the patient's social situation and how they deal with their symptoms play a key role in diagnosis and treatment. In the federal state of Lower Saxony, with its heterogeneous, mixed urban-rural population and healthcare structures, there are also questions of regional differences in the use of healthcare services and the handling of post-COVID.

The overarching aim of the project is to investigate how patients with post-COVID in Lower Saxony deal with their symptoms in everyday life, which care services they use within and outside the healthcare system and what needs they have in different phases of the disease.

A mixed method design with quantitative and qualitative approaches to healthcare research is used. This includes evaluations of routine data from insured persons of the AOK Lower Saxony, surveys of patients and their relatives, surveys of general practitioners and health economic analyses. The results will be discussed in an interdisciplinary final workshop so that recommendations for science, practice and politics can be derived.

 

Contact persons

Prof. Dr. Christian Krauth
Maike Stolz

Project management

Prof. Dr. Volker Amelung

 

Research assistants

Anna-Lena Brecher

Lena Kraft

Sophia Sgraja

 

Project sponsor

Innovation Fund of the Joint Federal Committee

 

Duration

01/2023 - 12/2025

 

Consortium partners

Neubrandenburg University of Applied Sciences, Berlin University of Technology

 

Background and objectives

The digitalization of the healthcare system can improve the quality and efficiency of medical care - as demonstrated by the numerous examples of applications that have emerged in Germany in recent years. Nevertheless, acceptance by both service providers and patients remains low. The reasons for this are manifold and have not yet been sufficiently investigated. In addition, the German healthcare system is lagging far behind in international comparison due to the interdependent influencing factors.

The aim of the NADI project is to understand the success and failure factors of implementing digital technologies against the background of international experience, to analyze regulatory and political framework conditions, to quantify the key factors for acceptance from the perspective of users (patients and service providers), to develop an evaluation framework for different interest groups/stakeholders and to develop recommendations for action for the strategy process.

The insights gained should contribute to the successful implementation of the digital transformation in Germany and enable a better understanding of the success and failure factors in the introduction of digital technologies. In addition, suitable strategies for action are to be developed to further improve care in the German healthcare system.

Consortium management

Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences (Prof. Dr. Martina Hasseler)

Consortium partners

Hannover Medical School
Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg
Deutsche Multiple Sklerose Gesellschaft Bundesverband e. V.
Deutsche Multiple Sklerose Gesellschaft Landesverband Niedersachsen e. V.
MS Forschungs- und Projektentwicklungs-gGmbH

Project sponsor

Innovation Fund of the Joint Federal Committee

Duration

01/2024 - 12/2026

Project description

With more than 240,000 sufferers in Germany, multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common chronic, immune-mediated inflammatory disease of the central nervous system. It can lead to severe physical, cognitive or emotional impairments. The prevalence of bladder and bowel dysfunction increases with the progression of the disease (bladder dysfunction about 74%, bowel dysfunction about 31% with a disease duration of more than 15 years). Bladder and bowel dysfunction can have a negative impact on mobility and social participation. Symptoms are often delayed or not diagnosed and/or not treated appropriately, as they are often very shameful.

The project "Patient-oriented provision of aids for bladder and bowel dysfunction in people with multiple sclerosis" (MS-Vita, formerly: PatoHV-BuDf-MS) is investigating the care situation of people with bladder and bowel dysfunction in MS. Evaluations based on a mixed methods approach are used to draw conclusions about the current care situation with aids for bladder and bowel dysfunction in people with MS. If successful, this will make it possible to derive recommendations on how the provision of appropriate aids can be made more patient-oriented and needs-based.

On the basis of routine SHI data and a nationwide online survey, the health economic effects of presumably inadequate incontinence management and inadequate provision of aids are being evaluated at the MHH.

Contact persons

Prof. Dr. Christian Krauth
Lara Marleen Fricke

Consortium management

Figus GmbH

 

Consortium partners

Hannover Medical School
Institute for Gender Health
Charité Berlin - Institute for Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics

 

Project sponsor

Innovation Fund of the Joint Federal Committee

 

Duration

01/2023 - 12/2024

 

Contact persons

Prof. Dr. Dr. Volker Amelung
Sophia Sgraja

 

The healthcare research project HeartGap - Gender Health Gaps in guideline-oriented inpatient cardiology care and implementation strategies to reduce them, funded by the Innovation Fund, is being implemented by figus GmbH, Hannover Medical School (MHH) and the Institute for Gender Health e.V. in the period from 01/01/2023 to 31/12/2024.

The specialist discipline of cardiology is proving to be a pioneer of gender-specific medicine worldwide, as this discipline has the greatest acceptance and knowledge. As numerous studies have already shown, there are differences in prevalence, symptoms, disease progression and prognosis between the sexes, particularly in the context of heart disease, which have already been integrated into medical care guidelines. Nevertheless, women are still more likely to die in hospital after a heart attack than men.

The study examines the research questions:

1. What care deficits exist in cardiology departments in terms of gender-specific care for female physicians, physicians and nurses and from the patients' perspective (gender health gaps)?
2. What factors promote and inhibit the implementation of gender-specific care? and
3. What measures can be implemented to ensure that gender-specific care is put into practice?

A mixed-methods design will be used to answer these questions and derive recommendations for action. The project team will first compile a literature overview in the form of a review. Focus groups with physicians and healthcare and nursing staff will be conducted at selected pilot hospitals. At the same time, expert interviews are conducted with stakeholders and interest groups from politics, universities, health insurance companies, statutory health insurance physicians, hospitals, patient groups and scientists. In the second step of the empirical research, questionnaire surveys with care providers and patients are planned for a roll-out.

You can find an article about the project on the website of the Innovation Fund/G-BA:

https://innovationsfonds.g-ba.de/service/projekteinblicke/heartgap/

Study director

Prof. Dr. Anke Lesinski-Schiedat, Medical Director of the German Hearing Centre Hannover, MHH

 

Project sponsor

Innovation Fund of the Joint Federal Committee

 

Duration

01/2025 - 12/2027

 

Consortium partner

AOK - The Health Insurance Fund of Lower Saxony

 

Project description

Hearing loss can have different causes and therefore requires individualized care. For example, congenital hearing loss differs fundamentally from age-related hearing loss, both in its causes and in the care structures.

Studies show that there is often overuse, underuse or misuse in this area, which significantly impairs the quality of life of those affected and is often associated with exhaustion, stress, social isolation and an increased risk of dementia.

Against this background, the research project "SOUNDS - Hearing Care in Germany" was launched on 01.01.25 to comprehensively investigate the care of people with hearing loss over a period of three years. The project partners involved are the ENT Clinical Department (project leader: Prof. Anke Lesinski-Schiedat), the Institute of Epidemiology, Social Medicine and Public Health Research (project leader: Prof. Volker Amelung) at Hannover Medical School and the AOK Lower Saxony (project leader: Prof. Dr. Jona Stahmeyer).

The aim of the research project is to systematically analyze the care situation of people with hearing loss and to develop practical recommendations for optimizing treatment services. In particular, the aim is to investigate the type of hearing loss and the forms of therapy and stages of care at which patients are already receiving appropriate care and where there is a need for improvement.

The study will be carried out using a mixed-method approach that combines different research methods:

• Evaluation of existing scientific studies on innovative forms of care
• Expert interviews with ENT physicians and hearing aid acousticians
• Representative population survey to collect information on access to and use of care services
• Analysis of care data from the AOK Lower Saxony

If successful, the recommendations developed can help to tailor the treatment of people with hearing loss more specifically to the specific needs of patients and thus improve the quality of care in the long term.

 

Project participants at Hannover Medical School

Prof. Dr. Anke Lesinski-Schiedat
Prof. Dr. Volker Amelung
Sophia Sgraja
Annika Buchholz

 

Project management

Prof. Dr. Christian Krauth

Research associates

Julia Schmetsdorf, M. Sc.
Kathrin Krüger, MPH

Project sponsor

Innovation Fund of the Joint Federal Committee

Duration

2018 - 2022

Project management and consortium management

AOK-The Health Insurance Fund for Lower Saxony
Hildesheimer Str. 273
30519 Hannover

Consortium partners

Hannover Medical School: Institute of Epidemiology, Social Medicine and Public Health Research
Reha-Zentrum am Meer Bad Zwischenahn

Background and objectives

Low back pain is one of the most common complaints in the population. Depending on the period considered (point, 7-day, 3-month, 1-year prevalence), this high prevalence is between 30 and 70%. In addition to the frequent occurrence of low back pain, the main criteria when considering low back pain are its severity (how severe the pain is) and its degree of impairment (how severe the functional impairment is) as well as its prognosis with regard to the return to function and thus the ability to work.
Multimodal pain therapy is carried out by the Reha-Zentrum am Meer. It lasts four weeks during which the treatment takes place on four or five working days, depending on the severity of the illness. Even during the therapy, the patient is encouraged to lead an independent, back-healthy lifestyle, e.g. by taking part in regular sporting activities.
The central question of the evaluation is the benefit of early and intensive relapse prophylaxis (RFP) as part of multimodal pain therapy (MMS). To answer this question, three different levels are considered: the outcome evaluation, the process evaluation and the health economic evaluation. The aim of the innovative intervention concept is to improve patients' ability to work, functional capacity and health-related quality of life and to reduce care costs.

Contact person

Prof. Dr. Christian Krauth
Julia Schmetsdorf

Project management

Prof. Dr. Christian Krauth

Research associates

Kathrin Krüger
Anne-Marie Lapstich

Project sponsor

Innovation Committee at the G-BA (Innovation Fund)
Project link: https://innovationsfonds.g-ba.de/projekte/versorgungsforschung/epiva-evaluation-paediatriezentrierte-integrierte-versorgung-aok-junior.121

Duration

05.2018 - 31.10.2020

Consortium partner

AOK North East

Institution

Hannover Medical School, Institute of Epidemiology, Social Medicine and Public Health Research, Center for Health Economics Research Hannover (CHERH), Research Focus Health Economics and Health Policy

Focus on

Process, structure and outcome evaluation, cost-effectiveness analysis
The utilization of early detection examinations in children and adolescents decreases with age and depends on the indication. At the same time, standard care only selectively covers the areas of early detection and prevention. This results in an age- and indication-specific care gap in childhood and adolescence. Early detection examinations can prevent or at least delay the manifestation of diseases by detecting and treating early stages.
AOK-Junior is intended to complement standard care. AOK-Junior focuses on early detection and prevention with the aim of maintaining the physical and mental health of children and adolescents, recognizing illnesses in good time and preventing them. The aim is to close the existing gap in standard care and improve the quality of care. The pediatrician acts as a guide and coordinates care. The target group is all children and young people up to the age of 17 who are insured with AOK Nordost. Elements of the AOK-Junior program (selective contract) are the additional early detection examinations (U10, U11, J2), the modules "overweight", ophthalmological early detection examination, lung check, skin check and dental health as well as the allergic rhinitis care program.
The EPIVA project is investigating whether physicians can use the "AOK-Junior" program to identify illnesses in children and adolescents at an earlier stage compared to standard care and guide them towards appropriate measures. In addition, the satisfaction of the participants in the program and the service providers is being surveyed. Factors that both promote and hinder the implementation of the care contract are analyzed. EPIVA also looks at the cost-effectiveness of the contract.
The findings are used to derive recommendations for the further development of the AOK-Junior program and thus to further improve the care of insured children and adolescents. If successful, it is conceivable that elements of the AOK-Junior program could be incorporated into standard care.

Contact

Prof. Dr. Christian Krauth
Kathrin Krüger
Anne-Marie Lapstich

Project management

Prof. Dr. Dr. Krauth

Research assistant

Kristina Schaubert

Focus on

Integrated Care / Intersectoral Communications in the Hanover Healthcare Region

The project focuses on improving networking and intersectoral communications between healthcare stakeholders in the Hannover Region. The aim is to network all actors in the healthcare sector, to coordinate care processes and to improve overall communications between them. Working group 1 concentrates on improving networking and intersectoral communications between the players in the healthcare sector. The focus is on the development of a communication platform that describes the supply chains, names the relevant care facilities and contact persons and develops regulations to standardize and accelerate processes.

Project management

Univ.-Prof. Dr. med. Iris Freya Chaberny (Leipzig University Hospital)

Research assistants

Maike Stolz, M. Sc.

Project sponsor

BMG

Duration

2017 - 2020

Participating institutions

University Hospital Leipzig - AöR, Institute for Hygiene/Hospital Hygiene
Hannover Medical School (MHH), Research and Teaching Unit Medical Psychology
Hannover Medical School (MHH), Institute of Epidemiology, Social Medicine and Public Health Research

Focus on

Process analysis, cost-effectiveness analysis

Contact person

Prof. Dr. Christian Krauth

Hospital-acquired infections are a major challenge, especially for the surgical field, as post-operative wound infections are the most common type of nosocomial infection and thus often determine the success or failure of an operation.

Against this background, the WACH study(Wound infectionand antibiotic consumptionin surgery), which has been applied for a duration of 36 months, primarily aims to analyze and promote the implementation of the AWMF guideline 029/031 "Strategies for the prevention of postoperative wound infections", the KRINKO recommendations on the "Prevention of postoperative wound infections" and the WHO model on the "5 indications for hand disinfection" and to demonstrate their effectiveness / cost-effectiveness. The study aims to increase adherence to the measures specified in the guidelines and recommendations in the form of a program in surgery and thus cost-effectively reduce postoperative wound infections, multi-resistant pathogens (MRE) and antibiotic resistance and use.

This study is a multicenter evaluation study testing tailored interventions in a cluster-randomized controlled design.

Project management

Prof. Dr. Christian Krauth

Research associates

Julia Schmetsdorf, M. Sc.
Kathrin Krüger, MPH

Project sponsor

Innovation Fund of the Joint Federal Committee

Duration

01/2019 - 12/2022

Project management and consortium management

AOK-The Health Insurance Fund for Lower Saxony
Hildesheimer Str. 273
30519 Hannover

Consortium partner

Hannover Medical School: Institute of Epidemiology, Social Medicine and Public Health Research
Reha-Zentrum am Meer Bad Zwischenahn

Background and objectives

Low back pain is one of the most common complaints in the population. Depending on the period considered (point, 7-day, 3-month, 1-year prevalence), this high prevalence is between 30 and 70%. In addition to the frequent occurrence of low back pain, the main criteria when considering low back pain are its severity (how severe the pain is) and its degree of impairment (how severe the functional impairment is) as well as its prognosis with regard to the return to function and thus the ability to work.
Multimodal pain therapy is carried out by the Reha-Zentrum am Meer. It lasts four weeks during which the treatment takes place on four or five working days, depending on the severity of the illness. Even during the therapy, the patient is encouraged to lead an independent, back-healthy lifestyle, e.g. by taking part in regular sporting activities.
The central question of the evaluation is the benefit of early and intensive relapse prophylaxis (RFP) as part of multimodal pain therapy (MMS). To answer this question, three different levels are considered: the outcome evaluation, the process evaluation and the health economic evaluation. The aim of the innovative intervention concept is to improve patients' ability to work, functional capacity and health-related quality of life and to reduce care costs.

Contact person

Prof. Dr. Christian Krauth
Julia Schmetsdorf

Study director

Prof. Dr. Dr. Helge Hebestreit, Centre for Rare Diseases - Reference Center North Bavaria University Hospital Würzburg

Coordination of the evaluation

Dr. Kirsten Haas, Institute of Clinical Epidemiology and Biometry, University of Würzburg
Prof. Dr. Peter U Heuschmann, Institute of Clinical Epidemiology and Biometry, University of Würzburg
Kathrin Ungethüm, Institute of Clinical Epidemiology and Biometry, University of Würzburg
Prof. Dr. Christian Krauth, Center for Health Economics and Research Hannover (CHERH), Hannover Medical School, Institute of Epidemiology, Social Medicine and Public Health Research

Other project participants Evaluation

Kristina Schaubert, Center for Health Economics and Research Hannover (CHERH), Hannover Medical School, Institute of Epidemiology, Social Medicine and Public Health Research
Anne-Marie Lapstich, Center for Health Economics and Research Hannover (CHERH), Hannover Medical School, Institute of Epidemiology, Social Medicine and Public Health Research
Prof. Dr. Dr. Monika Bullinger, Institute of Medical Psychology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf

Consortium partners and cooperating health insurance companies

• Consortium partners: (University) hospitals with their Centres for Rare Diseases in Aachen, Bochum, Frankfurt, Hanover, Magdeburg/Halle, Mainz, Münster, Regensburg, Tübingen, Ulm, Würzburg.
• Institute of Biometry and Clinical Epidemiology, University of Würzburg
• Center for Health Economics and Research Hannover (CHERH), Hannover Medical School, Institute of Epidemiology, Social Medicine and Public Health Research
• Institute for Medical Psychology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf
• ACHSE e.V.,
• Techniker Krankenkasse,
• IKK gesund plus
• AOK Hesse

Duration

10/2018 - 09/2022

Main focus

Evaluation of process and outcome quality, cost-effectiveness analysis

Project description

The project "ZSE-DUO - Dual pilot structure for the clarification of unclear diagnoses in Centres for Rare Diseases" deals with a new form of care in order to contribute to the further development of health care in statutory health insurance. The aim of this new form of care is to create suitable cross-disease structures and processes for diagnosing people with an unclear diagnosis and suspected rare disease by using both a somatic specialist and a specialist in psychiatry and psychotherapy or psychosomatic medicine and psychotherapy as part of the diagnostic process. In addition to interdisciplinary cooperation, inter-institutional collaboration through telemedical procedures to bring together the different areas of expertise is also an integral part of the project.
The new elements are intended to achieve and evaluate the following goals:
1.Increase the proportion of confirmed diagnoses in people with complex symptoms and suspected rare diseases,
2.Shorten the time to diagnosis,
3.Increase the health economic efficiency of diagnosis,
4.Successful transfer of patients to standard care for the initiation of treatment.

If "ZSE-DUO" is successful, the project is to be transferred to standard care.

Contact person

Prof. Dr. Dr. Christian Krauth
Anne-Marie Lapstich

Project management

Prof. Dr. Christian Krauth

Research associates

Tim Bartling

Dr. Carina Oedingen

Project sponsor

Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)

Duration

2017 - 2020

Institution

Center for Health Economics Research Hannover (CHERH)

Participating institutions

Hannover Medical School (MHH)

Leibniz University Hannover (LUH)

Against the background of the low post-mortem donor rate in Germany, which is often the last life-sustaining option for seriously ill patients, an empirical survey of organ allocation preferences is being conducted. The analysis is based on the example of liver transplantation. The preferences of the following three groups of people are included: Population, patients and transplant physicians.
The project examines criteria that are relevant for an allocation decision in addition to "urgency" and "benefit" (criteria for the allocation of organs according to the Transplantation Act (TPG)) and the relative importance of these to each other. Tried and tested methods of preference measurement will be applied with the aim of carrying them out for the first time in the research field of liver transplantation. Finally, the results will be presented and discussed in workshops in order to derive recommendations for action.

Website: www.cherh.de/6865.html

Study management

Prof. Dr. Dr. Christian Krauth, Center for Health Economics and Research Hannover (CHERH), Hannover Medical School, Institute of Epidemiology, Social Medicine and Public Health Research

Consortium partner

AOK - The Health Insurance Fund for Lower Saxony;

Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg;

German Multiple Sclerosis Society Lower Saxony Regional Association;

MS Research and Project Development gGmbH

Duration

04/2020 - 03/2024 (incl. extension of term)

Project description

With more than 240,000 sufferers, multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common chronic, immune-mediated (i.e. caused by an immune reaction of the body) inflammatory disease in Germany. Patients suffer from severe physical, cognitive and emotional impairments, which often lead to a premature need for care. The guideline published by the German Society of Neurology sets standards in the field of diagnostics, immunotherapy and reproductive medical treatment of MS patients. The provision of assistive devices, such as walking aids or wheelchairs, has not yet been addressed in the guideline, although these have been proven to improve the quality of life of MS patients.

The MS-PoV project asked whether the actual care situation of people with MS in Lower Saxony meets the requirements of the guideline and aimed to develop supplementary proposals on relevant topics, such as the provision of assistive devices. In addition, regional differences were to be identified, as well as differences according to gender, severity and progression.

The main aim was to collect representative data from the perspective of those affected. The first-time combination of a qualitative and quantitative survey of patients and physicians as well as routine SHI data and MS register data allowed conclusions to be drawn about the current care situation of people with MS. This made it possible to identify potential care deficits and derive recommendations for action. In addition to focus groups with participating patients and physicians, an online survey of insured persons was conducted. Another focus was on the current provision of assistive devices for MS patients. In addition, a "future workshop" was held in which alternative recommendations for the provision of assistive devices were developed.

The project provided reliable information on the healthcare of MS patients and presented recommendations that can serve as a basis for the development of a new form of care.

The text of the decision and the results report can be found here on the homepage of the Federal Joint Committee.

Contact person

Lara Marleen Fricke
Prof. Dr. Christian Krauth
Prof. Dr. Dr. PH Kathrin Krüger

Project management

Dr. Carina Oedingen

 

Consortium partners

Karol Martens, Department of Nursing III, Hannover Medical School

 

Project sponsor

Transplant Centre, Hannover Medical School

 

Project duration

01/2023 - 12/2024

 

Project description

The project aims to develop a patient education program for transplant patients before, during and after transplantation, both organ-spanning and organ-specific. The project starts on 01.01.2023 and is funded by the Transplant Centre of Hannover Medical School (MHH). In particular, a status quo analysis and guideline-based individual interviews with patients and practitioners at the MHH will be carried out. The project aims to draw conclusions about the current educational situation of patients in order to develop a comprehensive, holistic patient education program for the Transplant Centre at the MHH.

The primary objectives of the project are 1) to determine the current situation of patient education at the MHH Transplant Centre (status quo analysis), 2) to identify patient needs for patient education programs and potential gaps between needs and the results of the status quo analysis (2a: Guideline-based individual interviews) and also to identify the current offer, acceptance and future strategies and orientations of practitioners in patient education programs as well as potential discrepancies between patients:inside and practitioners (2b: guideline-based individual interviews) in order to 3) develop a patient education program for the Transplant Centre at the MHH.

 

Contact person

Prof. Dr. Christian Krauth

Dr. Carina Oedingen