Citation
Krobot, Karl J.; Kaufman, Jay S.; Christensen, Dale B.; Preisser, John S.; Miller, William C.; & Ibrahim, Michel A. (2005). Accessing a New Medication in Germany: A Novel Approach to Assess a Health Insurance-Related Barrier. Annals of Epidemiology, 15(10), 756-761.Abstract
Purpose: Knowledge of the existence, position, and magnitude of barriers to equitable healthcare is an important consideration in shaping healthcare policies.Methods: The authors developed a novel three-dimensional person-time-related hurdle model and followed a cohort of 7358 statutorily (SHI) and 457 privately health insured (PHI) patients with migraine headaches at 377 primary-care practices (MediPlus, IMS Health) in the second to fourth year of the HealthCare Structural Reform Act in Germany.
Results: For SHI compared with PHI migraine patients, there was a hurdle to receiving sumatriptan at all (2.4-fold lower hazard, 95% confidence interval, 1.8–3.2). Among patients who received sumatriptan, frequency and intensity of use differed only minimally between SHI and PHI patients.
Conclusions: These findings have implications for healthcare researchers and healthcare policies. The framework extends traditional hurdle models and can serve as a model for quantifying barriers to receipt of services under different funding policies.
URL
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.annepidem.2005.02.009Reference Type
Journal ArticleYear Published
2005Journal Title
Annals of EpidemiologyAuthor(s)
Krobot, Karl J.Kaufman, Jay S.
Christensen, Dale B.
Preisser, John S.
Miller, William C.
Ibrahim, Michel A.