Evaluation of an Integrated Care Project
Evaluation of an Integrated Care Project
The purpose of the study is to investigate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the
 integrated care program of a statutory health insurance offering additional homeopathic
 treatment to their members
The German statutory health insurance 'Techniker Krankenkasse' offers an integrated
 additional homeopathic treatment. To date, this offer has not been evaluated. Therefore we
 aim to investigate the effectiveness as well as the cost-effectiveness of this program in
 adolescents (12-17 years) and adults with various chronic diseases.

 In an observational study we plan to compare patients participating in the integrated care
 project with matched insured persons from the Techniker Krankenkasse that do not participate
 in this program.

 Matching will be based on gender, age and diagnosis. Regarding the diagnosis, we plan to
 include adolescents with: asthma, allergic rhinitis and atopic eczema; and adults with
 asthma, allergic rhinitis and atopic migraine, headache and depression.

 To measure effectiveness, patients have to complete diagnosis-specific questionnaires at
 baseline and 3, 6 and 12 months. The primary outcome for each diagnosis is measured with
 diagnosis-specific questionnaire at 6 months. Secondary outcomes include quality of life
 (SF-12) at 3, 6 and 12 months as well as the diagnosis-specific questionnaires at 3 and 12
 months.
Inclusion criteria:

 -  Newly registered for the integrated care program

 -  Insured for at least 1 year at the Techniker Krankenkasse

 -  Having access to the internet and e-mails at least once a week

 -  Adults with any of the following diagnoses: asthma, allergic rhinitis, atopic eczema,
 migraine, tension headache, depression

 -  Adolescents with any of the following diagnoses: asthma, allergic rhinitis, atopic
 eczema

 -  informed written consent

 Exclusion criteria:

 -  Participation in a disease-management program

 -  Participation in an intervention study

 -  Cancer diagnosis

 -  current usage of a complementary therapy (control group only)