A Study Based on Health Insurance Data About the Treatment of Patients Who Have Been Newly Diagnosed With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

Real-world Treatment of Newly Diagnosed COPD Patients: A Retrospective German Claims Data Analysis

A retrospective analysis study in COPD patients for an exact follow-up period of 12 months (in subgroup analyses: 24 and 36 months); censoring of patients will only be done in case a patient died during the respective follow-up period.

Inclusion Criteria:

• All patients who were continuously insured by the sickness fund for the entire period (01/01/2013-30/06/2018) or, in case a patient deceased after index date, for the time until death
• A patient will be included as an incident COPD patient if either a hospital documented at least one COPD diagnosis (International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10 J 44.-) or a specialist (pneumologist) documented at least 2 confirmed COPD diagnoses (above ICD-10) code) in two different quarters; the first of the above diagnoses is defined as index diagnosis; inclusion period is defined as lasting from 01/01/2014 until 30/06/2017
• Patients should not have received any COPD diagnosis (ICD-10 J44.-) or any COPD-associated medication in the 12 months pre-index period
• Patient should have, at date of incident COPD diagnosis (index date), an age of at least 40 years

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients received , at least one confirmed inpatient asthma diagnosis or two confirmed outpatient diagnoses of asthma (ICD-10: J45) by pneumologists