Behandlungsfalls

Behandlungsfall describes a single episode of medical treatment of a patient in a hospital or other inpatient setting. It begins with admission and ends with discharge, transfer, or death, independent of the number of consultations, procedures, or ward movements occurring during the episode.

In hospital statistics, a Behandlungsfall aggregates core information such as patient demographics, principal diagnosis, secondary diagnoses, performed procedures, length of stay, discharge outcome, and coding details. The coding uses standardized classifications, typically ICD-10-GM for diagnoses and OPS for procedures in Germany, ensuring comparability between facilities.

Behandlungsfälle serve administrative and analytic purposes. They form the basis for DRG-based reimbursement, where the combination of diagnoses, procedures, and patient risk factors determines the assigned DRG and the payment. They also enable benchmarking, capacity planning, quality measurement, and epidemiological research.

Data collection occurs in hospital information systems and is reported to national or regional statistics and payers. High coding quality and data completeness are required, and data protection and audit controls apply to prevent misclassification and protect patient privacy.

See also: DRG, ICD-10-GM, OPS, Krankenhausstatistik.