title: [Atrial fibrillation in Germany: A prospective cost of illness study].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia in clinical practice and associated with a high risk of stroke, heart failure and hospitalization. This study examines the indication-specific costs of illness of AF patients in Germany.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted nationwide with 54 general practitioners and internists, as well as 12 practicing cardiologists. The observational period per patient was one year. Costs were calculated from the perspective of the German statutory health insurance. The study collected the annual direct indication-specific costs and additional patient relevant outcomes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Indication-specific services of 361 patients (age: 75, male: 55%) documented by general practitioners and internists cause average costs of 582 € per patient. The highest cost are caused by hospitalization (289 €), followed by outpatient treatment costs (151 €) and costs of anticoagulation with 52 € per patient. Additional consulting of a cardiologist (115 patients) causes average costs of 81 €. Assuming that a patient with AF is treated once a year by a resident cardiologist, the average annual cost amounted to 664 €.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this prospectively cost of illness analysis for AF patients under real life conditions in Germany indicate a high socio-economic burden of AF.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Empirische Gesundheitsökonomie, Burscheid.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Spyra
authors.affiliation: Institut für Empirische Gesundheitsökonomie, Burscheid.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Daniel
authors.affiliation: Bayer Vital GmbH, Leverkusen.
authors.forename: I-M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Thate-Waschke
authors.affiliation: Bayer Vital GmbH, Leverkusen.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Berghaus
authors.affiliation: Institut für Sozialmedizin, Epidemiologie und Gesundheitsökonomie, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Willich
authors.affiliation: Klinikum der Stadt Ludwigshafen am Rhein gGmbH.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Zeymer
authors.affiliation: Institut für Empirische Gesundheitsökonomie, Burscheid.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rychlik
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000191:economics*; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants