[Health economic aspects of medical care and therapeutic options for schizophrenic and depressive patients in Germany].
Optimal and effective medical care of patients suffering from psychiatric disorders and their integration into society leads undoubtedly not only to a higher quality of life of the person affected, but also to a reduction of direct and indirect disease-related costs such as loss of earnings and disability pension. Both schizophrenia and depressive disorder display an early age of onset and inclination to a chronic course under inadequate medical care and thus are interesting examples for diseases with enormous direct and indirect disease-related health costs. We want to illustrate with these diseases the necessity for further effort, more extensive financial support, and the will for change to maintain the standard of medical care for psychiatric patients which has been achieved during the last 20 years in Germany. To achieve this goal, all sectors of the healthcare system have to recognize the health economic effects of inadequate medical care of psychiatric patients either as a result of understaffing, insufficient application of therapeutic options, inadequate exploitation of the care system, or as an effect of inaccurate legislation and to draw the right conclusions together. Furthermore, more research on the care system of psychiatric patients dealing with economic aspects is required.
Heuser
I
I
Charité-Universitätsmedizin, Berlin.
Dettling
M
M
D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D016527:Drug Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005858:Germany; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000191:economics*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000534:rehabilitation
D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents