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Treatment costs of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in Germany

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An Erratum to this article was published on 17 February 2016

Abstract

Background

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common behavioural disorders among children and adolescents. The number of patients as well as prescriptions to treat this disease has continuously increased over the past few years. The aim of the present study was to analyse the costs for treating ADHD patients from the perspective of a major German health insurance fund.

Methodology

Anonymised administrative claims data were available for the study. All services reimbursed by the health fund for the selected ADHD patients were recorded. Apart from the resource use attributed directly to ADHD, co-morbidities as well as incremental costs were described based on a control group design.

Results

A total of 30,264 ADHD patients were diagnosed in 2008. The total costs for these patients were €3,888, and the incremental costs were €2,902. The largest proportions of incremental costs were due to therapeutic devices and remedies like occupational therapy amounting to €1,270. Proportionate costs of €263 have been settled for pharmacotherapy with Methylphenidate and Atomoxetine. However, 41 % of the patients were not treated with ADHD-related pharmaceuticals.

Conclusions

ADHD costs are relevant from health insurance perspective. The expenses for occupational therapy constitute the cost driver. Compared to the findings of studies from the United States and contrarily to the backdrop of public discussions about considerably increased prescriptions of ADHD-specific drugs, the significantly higher additional expenses for occupational therapy services are impressing. This kind of therapy is internationally rather unknown and is therefore not acknowledged as a therapeutic standard.

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Conflict of interest

The mission of the Scientific Institute of the TK for Benefit and Efficiency in Health Care (Wissenschaftliches Institut der TK für Nutzen und Effizienz im Gesundheitswesen, WINEG) is to investigate the value of innovations and new programmatic approaches within the statutory health insurance framework. The authors Prof. Dr. Roland Linder, Dr. Susanne Engel and Dr. Frank Verheyen declare that because they belong to the Techniker Krankenkasse, a potential conflict of interest exists according to the guidelines of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Herescon GmbH–Health Economic Research and Consulting, Königsworther Straße 2, 30167, Hannover, Germany

    Sebastian Braun

  2. Center for Health Economics, Leibniz University Hannover, Hannover, Germany

    Jan Zeidler

  3. Scientific Institute of TK for Benefit and Efficiency in Health Care, Hamburg, Germany

    Roland Linder, Susanne Engel & Frank Verheyen

  4. Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany

    Wolfgang Greiner

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  1. Sebastian Braun
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  2. Jan Zeidler
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  3. Roland Linder
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  4. Susanne Engel
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  5. Frank Verheyen
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  6. Wolfgang Greiner
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Correspondence to Sebastian Braun.

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Braun, S., Zeidler, J., Linder, R. et al. Treatment costs of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in Germany. Eur J Health Econ 14, 939–945 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10198-012-0440-5

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