Vogtland-Klinik

Counselling regarding a planned provision of medical aids is currently neither reimbursed nor regulated in Germany. It is offered by a range of providers with employees with varying levels of qualification and may be provided in a personal conversation, by phone, or remotely. In many cases, counselling is omitted entirely between the prescription and trial use or delivery of the product. The quality of medical aids counselling, which plays a key role in temporary, supportive or palliative care for urinary incontinence, is therefore considered problematic.In 2019, the working group "Geriatric Urology" of the German Society for Urology published the first guideline on the counselling process related to the provision of medical aids. An updated version is currently available and has been listed by the Association of the Scientific Medical Societies. The underlying idea was to define quality standard in Germany for the individual components of the counselling process - from identifying the type of incontinence and its severity to product trial use, the counselling setting, the counselling itself, the qualification of the counselling personnel, and the communication between prescribing physicians, service providers, and patients.This article presents the published guideline sections regarding the content of the medical aids prescription, the characteristics of the counselling setting, and the quality of counselling and product trial use.As medical aids counselling is expected to be financed from the low reimbursement rates provided by statutory health insurers for what is defined as an "appropriate and sufficient" supply - typically amounting to less than EUR 15 a month - more and more providers are withdrawing entirely from the sector of medical aids provision. Others continue to supply medical aids but offer no counselling at all or only to a very limited extent. The guideline "Medical Aids Counselling for Urinary Incontinence" developed by the working group "Geriatric Urology" of the German Society for Urology is meant to define quality standards, also with a view to a political discussion on reimbursement rates.

BackgroundFunctional mitral regurgitation (FMR) has limited effective treatment options. As a transcatheter indirect annuloplasty, the Carillon Mitral Contour System reduces FMR and improves symptoms, but long-term safety and effectiveness are incompletely characterized.MethodsThis prospective, multicenter CINCH registry enrolled heart failure patients with FMR treated with the Carillon Mitral Contour System across 22 centers in Germany. Main outcomes included change in New York Heart Association (NYHA) class and MR severity, heart failure hospitalization (HFH), all-cause mortality rates, and device- or procedure-related serious adverse events at 1 year. Median follow-up was 2.0 years (range, 0-5 years).ResultsAmong 228 patients (age 78 ± 8 years; 51% female; 51% with left ventricular ejection fraction ≥50%), Carillon implantation improved clinical and echocardiographic variables. The rate of NYHA class III or IV symptoms decreased from 81 to 29% at 1 year, and the rate of moderate-to-severe MR (grade 3+/4+) decreased from 84 to 9% at 1 year, with ≥92% showing stable or improved NYHA class and ≥97% showing stable or improved MR grade over 5 years. Decreases in MR grade were associated with improvements in NYHA class (p = 0.048). Kaplan–Meier estimates over 5 years were 54.0% for HFH, 46.9% for all-cause mortality, and 68.3% for the composite of HFH or death. The proportion of patients experiencing any serious device- or procedure-related serious adverse event at 1 year was 1.8%.ConclusionsThe CINCH registry provides real-world evidence supporting the long-term safety, effectiveness, and durability of the Carillon Mitral Contour System in treating FMR.

Not all individuals or population groups can participate equally in digital transformation due to varying levels of (e)HL and their socioeconomic conditions. This disparity is known as the "digital divide." A lower socioeconomic status and older age appear to be associated with lower eHL. In the interest of reducing health inequalities, targeted efforts to promote dGK among disadvantaged groups should be pursued. This paper by the members of the working group Digital Health of the German Network for Health Services Research (Deutsches Netzwerk Versorgungsforschung e.V. (DNVF)) therefore addresses the importance of eHealth Literacy (eHL) for health services research and practice in Germany, with an emphasis on measures to enhance eHL. Building on a theory-based definition of eHL established in the first publication (Relevance of eHealth Literacy (eHL) for health services research and practice - Part I), the current state of eHL in Germany and the effects of low eHL are examined. Guided by the Delphi study conducted by the DNVF working group Digital Health and the guidelines of the German Advisory Council on Health and Care (Sachverständigenrat zur Begutachtung der Entwicklung im Gesundheitswesen und in der Pflege (SVR)), the digital divide is addressed and analyzed. Specific proposals for enhancing eHL are presented, with a focus on theory-driven interventions co-developed with users. Evaluation and implementation aspects of such interventions are also considered.

Abstract Background and Aims SARS-CoV-2mRNA vaccination related seroconversion rates are reduced in dialysis (DP) and kidney transplant patients (KTR). Recently, we demonstrated that established vaccination related immunity (via positive seroconversion) fades faster in DP and at a lesser extent in KTR compared to medical personnel (MP).[1] We hypothesized that a longer follow up period might be able to profoundly show immunity fading differences specific to different patient groups and identify strong fading risk factors that are relevant for patient management especially in vulnerable groups. Method We evaluated nine months follow up data in our observational Dia-Vacc study exploring specific cellular (interferon-γ release assay) or/and humoral immune responses after 2x SARS-CoV-2mRNA vaccination in 880 participants including healthy MP (125), DP (595), KTR (111), and apheresis patients (49-AP) with positive seroconversion (de novo IgA or IgG antibody positivity by ELISA) after eight weeks. Results Nine months after first vaccination, receptor binding domain (RBD) antibodies were still positive in 90 % of MP, 86 % of AP, but only 55 %/48 % of DP/KTR, respectively. Seroconversion remained positive in 100 % of AP and 99·2 % of MP, but 86 %/81 % of DP/KTR, respectively. Compared to MP, DP but not KTR or AP were at risk for a strong RBD decline, while KTR kept lowest RBD values over time (see Fig. 1 and Table 1). By multivariate analysis, BNT162b2mRNA versus 1273-mRNA vaccine type was an independent risk factor for a strong decline of RBD antibodies. Within the DP group, only time on dialysis was another (inverse) risk factor for the DP group. Compared to humoral immunity, T-cell immunity decline was less prominent. Conclusion While seroconverted KTR reach lowest RBD values over time, DP are at specific risk for a strong decline of RBD antibodies after successful SARS-CoV-2mRNA vaccination, which also depends on the vaccine type being used. Therefore, booster vaccinations for DP should be considered earlier compared to normal population.

Background and purposeBreast cancer can be a significant challenge for those affected. Knowledge of physical function, social-emotional challenges, and perceived cognitive function based on the cancer treatment regimens may help to inform adequate support.MethodsFor this prospective observational pilot study, we collected data of seventy-nine women (mean age 54.6 ± 9.5 years) before (T0) and after (T1) initial breast cancer treatment. Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast (FACT-B) and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–Cognitive-Function (FACT-Cog) were used to collect data of four treatment subgroups: SCR = Surgery + Chemotherapy + Radiation Therapy; SC = Surgery + Chemotherapy; SR = Surgery + Radiation Therapy; S = Surgery. A mixed ANOVA and posthoc analysis (Tukey, Games-Howell) were used to detect interactions (group by time) and the main effect. A repeated-measures ANOVA displayed individual group differences (time).ResultsSignificant interaction showed more deterioration was experienced with SC and SCR than SR and S for FACT-B (p < 0.01) and FACT-Cog (p < 0.001). The longitudinal comparison between T0 and T1 indicated a significant group main effect on all subscales (p < 0.001) except for Emotional Well-Being. Significant reductions (p < 0.05) in FACT-B, (− 19%); FACT-Cog, (− 21%) with most pronounced effect in Physical Well-Being (− 30%), Functional Well-Being (− 20%), Breast Cancer Subscale (− 20%), Perceived Cognitive Impairments (− 18%) and Impact of Cognitive Impairments on Quality of Life (− 39%) were detected for SCR.ConclusionOur study showed that the extent of change in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and perceived cognitive function (PCF) depends on the treatment regimen. Multidisciplinary support initiated early in breast cancer therapy is needed, especially for women undergoing combined cancer treatment. Routine assessment of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in oncology practice may increase the transparency of patients’ perceived circumstances, leading to personalized and optimized acute and survivorship care.