Time between suspected and confirmed diagnoses of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis in patients followed in gastroenterological practices in Germany

Abstract

Aims: The goal of the present study was to analyze the time between suspected and confirmed diagnoses of Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) in patients followed in gastroenterological practices in Germany. Methods: The study included individuals who received a suspected diagnosis of CD or UC (index date) and were followed in 47 gastroenterological practices in Germany between January 2007 and December 2016. The main outcome measure of the study was the time between suspected and confirmed diagnoses of CD and UC. Covariables included age, sex, and type of health insurance (private or statutory). A multivariate linear regression model was used to analyze the impact of the different variables on the time between suspected and confirmed diagnoses of CD and UC. Results: The study included 2657 patients with a suspected diagnosis of CD and UC between 2007 and 2016. The mean age was 39.7 (SD 15.9) and 41.3 (16.8) in the CD and UC groups, respectively. Median time between suspected and confirmed diagnoses was 46 days in the CD group and 43 days in the UC group. Median time ranged from 8 to 112 days in the different gastroenterology practices and was significantly shorter in individuals with private health insurance coverage than in those with statutory health insurance. Conclusions: Median time between suspected and confirmed diagnoses of CD or UC was around 45 days in patients followed in gastroenterological practices in Germany. Health insurance was the only factor to have a significant impact on this time.