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