title: Unlimited access to health care--impact of psychosomatic co-morbidity on utilisation in German general practices.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The effect of psychosomatic co-morbidity on resource use for systems with unlimited access remains unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact on practice visits, referrals and periods of disability in German general practices and to identify predictors of health care utilisation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross sectional observational study in 13 practices in Upper Bavaria. Patients were included consecutively and filled in the Patients Health Questionnaire (PHQ). Numbers of practice visits, referrals and periods of disability within the last twelve months and permanent mental and somatic diagnoses were extracted manually by review of the computerised charts. Physicians in Germany are obliged to document repetitive reasons of encounter as permanent diagnoses in terms of ICD-10-codes. These ICD-10-codes are used for legitimisation of reimbursement in German general practices.
  
  
  RESULTS
  1005 patients were included (58.6% female). On average, patients had 15.3 (sd 16.3) practice contacts, 3.8 (sd 4.2) referrals and 7.5 (sd 23.1) days of disability per year. The mean number of coded permanent diagnoses was 0.4 (sd 0.7) for mental and 4.0 (sd 4.0) for somatic diagnoses. Patients with mental diagnoses scored higher in depression, anxiety, panic and somatoform disorder scales of PHQ. Frequent practice visits were associated stronger with coded permanent mental diagnoses (OR 20.0; 95%CI 7.5-53.9) than with coded permanent somatic diagnoses (OR 14.4; 95%CI 5.9-35.4). Frequent referrals were associated stronger with somatic diagnoses (OR 4.9; 95%CI 2.0-11.9) than with mental diagnoses (OR 3.6; 95%CI 1.4-9.8). Periods of disability were predicted by mental diagnoses (OR 5.0; 95%CI 1.6-15.8) but not by somatic diagnoses (OR 2.5; 95%CI 0.7-8.1).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Psychosomatic co-morbidity has a stronger impact on health care utilisation in German general practices with respect to practice visits and periods of disability whereas somatic disorders play a stronger role for referrals. Time constraints in the practices might lead to frequent contacts as too little time is left for patients with mental problems. Therefore, structural changes in the health care reimbursement systems might be necessary. Mental diagnoses might be helpful to identify patients at risk for high health care utilisation. However, the use of routinely coded diagnoses for reimbursement might lead to distorted estimation of resource use.
authors.affiliation: Institute of General Practice, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Orleansstrasse 47, 81667 München, Germany. antonius.schneider@lrz.tum.de
authors.forename: Antonius
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hörlein
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wartner
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Schumann
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Henningsen
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Linde
mesh_terms: D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D058006:General Practice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005858:Germany; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009819:Office Visits / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data