Corrigendum: Integration of digital health applications into the German healthcare system: development of "The DiGA-Care Path".

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/frhs.2024.1372522.].

Integration of digital health applications into the German healthcare system: development of "The DiGA-Care Path".

Introduction: Since 2019 people who have insured in the German statutory health insurance are entitled to use certified apps called the Digitale Gesundheitsanwendungen [Digital Health Applications (DiGAs)]. The prerequisite for this is that an app certified as DiGA and suitable for their diagnosis exists. The DiGA can then either be prescribed by a physician or psychotherapist or requested by the patient from the statutory health insurance fund. Given the novelty of this type of healthcare, the implementation of a DiGA should be closely monitored to identify potential weaknesses and achieve quality improvements. To enable an analysis of the supply of DiGAs step-by-step, we aimed to create the DiGA-Care Path. Methods: We conducted three steps to create the DiGA-Care Path. First, a knowledge base was created based on a structured literature research matched with knowledge gathered from the superordinate research project "QuaSiApps" funded by the German Federal Joint Committee. Second, we aimed to create an "ideal-typical" DiGA-Care Path using a flowchart. Third, based on the first path, a final path was developed using the graphical modeling language "Event-Driven Process Chain." Results: The DiGA-Care Path was developed to depict the supply of DiGAs in Germany. The final path is constituted by a "main path" as well as a corresponding "sub-path". While the "main path" focuses more on the supply environment in which a DiGA is used, the "sub-path" depicts the supply delivered by the DiGA itself. Besides the process itself, the paths include relevant actors to indicate responsibilities for individual process steps. Discussion: The DiGA-Care Path helps to analyze the current supply of DiGAs step-by-step. Thereby, each step can be investigated in detail to identify problems and to detect further steps where quality improvements can be enabled. Depending on the perspective, focused either on the supply environment, or the supply delivered by the DiGA itself, the "main path" or the "sub-path" can be used, respectively. Besides the potential of the DiGA-Care Path to improve the current supply of DiGAs, it can help as an orientation for international policymakers or further stakeholders either to develop their own integration of apps into healthcare systems or for international manufacturers to consider entering the German market.

[The arteries of the humerus and their relevance in fracture treatment]. / Die Arterien des Humerus und deren Bedeutung für die Frakturbehandlung.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the current work was to study the arterial blood supply of the humerus to evaluate impairments of the blood supply after humeral fractures and different methods of fracture treatment. METHODS: Arterial blood supply of the humerus was studied by corrosion injection technique in 6 cadaver preparations and is compared with the existing literature. RESULTS: Humeral head arteries originate from the circumflex humeral arteries. The major vessel enters the greater tubercle. Another group of vessels accesses the head from medially. The nutrient artery for the shaft enters into the medial third of the shaft. At the distal humerus there are multiple anastomoses with penetrating branches into both condyles and proximal to the radial, coronoid, and olecranon fossae. CONCLUSIONS: Fragments of a proximal humeral fracture usually have an independent blood supply. The medial vessels to the head gain high importance in fractures of the anatomical neck. The nutrient artery lies regularly medial to the humeral mid-shaft and is at risk at open reduction of this region. The abundant vessels at the entire distal humerus ensure sufficient vascularization of the fragments after fracture.

The arteries of the humeral head and their relevance in fracture treatment.

Bone vascularisation has gained increased interest in relation to the blood supply of bone fragments during treatment of fractures. In the current study the pattern of vascular supply of the proximal humerus was studied in six cadavers by the corrosion technique. Furthermore, the effect of fractures on the vascular supply was also investigated. In all preparations the intraosseous arteries of the humeral head arose from the circumflex arteries, which surrounded the humerus and dispatched branches towards the proximal end. The main vessel was the branch of the anterior circumflex artery, penetrating the major tubercle in six of six cases. Due to the intraosseous arch shape of this vessel it is referred to as the arcuate artery. Besides other smaller vessels, there was also a vascular network arising from the posterior circumflex artery. Their branches penetrated medially at the cartilage bone interface in five of six preparations. The medial bone arteries appear to gain distinctive importance in humeral head fractures by their impact on the vascularisation of the fracture fragments. After disruption of the arterial supply from the arcuate artery, the vascularisation of the head fragments is most likely ensured by this group of vessels. Therefore, necessary repositioning manoeuvres during open reduction of the fracture should be conducted with care in order to preserve these arteries.

[Arthroscopically assisted refixation for avulsion fracture of the intercondylar eminence with Fiber-Wire cerclage]. / Arthroskopisch gestützte Refixation von Ausrissen der Eminentia intercondylica über Fiber-Wire-Cerclagen.

Avulsion fracture of the intercondylar eminence is a rare knee injury. It is found either isolated or connected to other bone or intra-articular injuries. Arthroscopically assisted treatment is nowadays the most common procedure. The refixation of the fragment is technically sophisticated and usually requires a longer period of immobilization. In two patients we used a suture cerclage with extreme tensile strength (Fiber-Wire, Arthrex Inc.) placed through a tibial guide. Using this procedure we combined the advantages of easy implantation, sufficient retention, and thereby the possibility of forced follow-up treatment. The present results are promising.

[Compartment syndrome of the triceps brachii muscle after intramedullary nailing]. / Kompartmentsyndrom des M. triceps brachii nach Marknagelung.

We report a case of a humerus fracture with rare acute compartment syndrome of the triceps muscle after intramedullary nailing. Clinical (neurological) symptoms and measuring of the subfascial pressure of both triceps lead to early diagnosis. After immediate dermatofasciotomy we obtained full recovery of the radial nerve function.

Prevalence of fecal incontinence: what can be expected?

Fecal incontinence is a serious problem especially for the elderly. The epidemiology of incontinence is not well described in the literature although it is often used as an endpoint for treatment evaluation in clinical trials. Complete continence is often assumed to be the "normal" standard. The goals of this study were to establish detailed prevalence rates for fecal incontinence in a standard population and to identify differences due to age and sex. A questionnaire about fecal incontinence and its consequences with predefined answers was filled out anonymously by 500 volunteers. The study population was selected to meet the respective age and sex distribution of the German adult population. The data indicated that 4.8% of the persons were unable to control solid stools, while 19.6% had problems at least with one type of incontinence (solid, pasty, or lipid stools, winds). Problems with pasty or liquid stools are more frequent in women. The ability to control wind is decreased in elderly persons. The time needed to reach a toilet is shorter for women, and generally decreases in the elderly. Men more often describe soiling the underwear. Persons with signs of incontinence show decreased levels of social activities. A global incontinence rate of 5% fits well with some previously published results. Soiling of the underwear is not well suited for defining incontinence. The increased rate in women may in part be explained by morphological differences. The reduced time to hold stools especially in the elderly in combination with a reduced mobility may result in a higher rate of incontinence, which is correlated with reduced social activities.

[High energy shock wave treatment of the painful heel spur]. / Hochenergetische Stosswellenbehandlung des schmerzhaften Fersensporns.

Extracorporal shock wave application (ESWA) has been used in the treatment of stones located in kidneys, bile, pancreas and the glandula parotis. In the last 2 years several studies have shown the benefit of the ESWA on the treatment of soft tissue disorders. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of high energy extracorporal shock waves in patients with painful calcaneus spurs. 83 patients who underwent medicophysical treatment without benefit were treated with 3000 impulses of 0.30 mj/mm2. Follow-ups after 12 weeks and 12 months showed that 51 of 83 patients became pain-free and 20 patients improved from the treatment. The results are showing the benefit of the high energy extracorporal shock wave application in the treatment of chronic plantar fasciitis.

[Patient education: what does the patient know, what does he want to know? Thrombosis and wound infection]. / Aufklärungsgespräch: Was weiss der Patient, was will er wissen? Thrombose und Wundinfektion.

UNLABELLED: The manners of which preoperative informations are given to a patient depend on several different points. So not only the patient's education, his knowledge of medical items and his intelligence are important, but also the juridical situation and the doctor's ability to explain the situation in a way the patient is able to understand. The aim of this study was to evaluate the patient's previous knowledge about two major complications in surgery--thrombosis and wound infection. Beside this it was looked for the importance of confidence in the doctor and previous information about the operation. PATIENTS AND METHOD: 117 patients aged 16 to 87 years were tested anonymous by a standardised questionnaire. RESULTS: There is only little knowledge about the time a thrombosis develops, embolism, a wound infection and their consequences. On the other side, more than 50% of the patients were able to explain correctly the symptoms of thrombosis and the time a wound infection occurs. There was a correlation between the statement of knowledge about thrombosis (p < 0.01) and wound infection (p < 0.01) and the ability of correct explanation. Almost 90% of the patients thought that information about the operation is as important as the confidence in their surgeon. More than two third of the patients wanted to be informed about "everything" that possibly could happen. The main sources of information were neighbours, friends, the press, books and at last the doctor. CONCLUSION: There wasn't any influence of former surgeries, the awareness of complications or education on the active knowledge of the patients. Therefore we think that the way of giving explanation to a patient should help reducing fear of an uncomfortable situation and take account to the patients need for information. Thus, the patient will be able to make a real decision.

[Violation of patient education responsibility. Implications and outlook]. / Aufklärungspflichtverletzung. Implikationen und Aussichten.

In both jurisdiction and medical science, given conditions require appropriate intervention, which may in turn result in norms being created. Norms, however, counteract individuality. An essential prerequisite for free decision--making is an absolute awareness of all possibilities available. Therefore the physician/surgeon too, is obliged to impart all relevant information to the patient prior to an operation to enable the patient to reach a decision, either to agree to or refuse the operation. This process of information transfer may sometimes fail on one or both sides. Treatment errors are usually classified according to scientific medical practice. In the case of "breach to duty in information patient" the final decision is the judges. As judicial decisions are not foreseeable, the communication between patient and surgeon thus becomes standardized and doctors tend to become defensive, resulting in the information becoming even more extensive covering all possible situations. There is no guarantee of success in surgery. Selective perception on the part of the patient is unavoidable and confidence in the relationship between patient and surgeon is beneficial to the patient's rehabilitation. Therefore, we should strive to decriminalize the preoperative talk held between surgeon and patient.

[Sprain of the cervical spine: early functional vs. immobilization treatment]. / Die Distorsion der Halswirbelsäule: frühfunktionelle vs. ruhigstellende Behandlung.

Neck sprains are very common injuries often treated with immobilisation of different duration. The treatment with collars was tested against physiotherapy in a prospective randomised trial. Endpoints were defined as state of health, pain and costs. Ninety-seven patients with whiplash injuries were splitted by randomisation into two groups. One group was treated with a certain scheme of physiotherapy. Another group was treated with collar immobilisation for 3 weeks. Concerning symptoms at the time of admittance, age and sex distribution the groups were comparable. Fifty healthy persons with the same age and sex distribution served as a control group. Regarding to physical state of health and pain, which were examined by valid questionnaires, significant advantages of physiotherapy after two weeks were found. After 12 weeks the physical state of health corresponds to that of the control group. No influence on psychical state of health was seen. Physiotherapy for treatment of neck sprain is highly recommended. It has clear advantages over the treatment with collars with regard to state of health and pain, and it seems to be economically favourable.

Arterial supply of forearm bones and its importance for the operative treatment of fractures.

The operative exposure of a fracture in an osteosynthesis causes disturbances in the blood supply, which often leads to a prolonged process of healing or even to healing problems, a fracture non-union, which is frequently located at the forearm. In order to damage the supplying vessels as little as possible, the position, direction and penetration of the arteries of radius and ulna are demonstrated and systematised in this study. Near the elbow arteries, coming from large adjoining vessels, penetrate the area of the capsular insertion. The nutrient arteries enter both bones in the second proximal quarter of diaphysis, at the radius from anterior to medial, at the ulna from anterior to anteroradial. Small vessels, which penetrate closely proximal to the articular surface in order to supply the distal forearm bones, come from an anastomosis between the radial, the interosseous and the ulnar arteries. In this study access vessels, choice and position of implants will be discussed.

The arterial supply of the ankle joint and its importance for the operative fracture treatment.

The operative exposure of a fracture causes disturbances in the blood supply, which may lead to a prolonged healing process or even to bone necrosis, especially when using the complex and complicated methods of osteosynthesis at the ankle. In order to damage the supplying vessels as little as possible, position, direction and penetration of the bone arteries of the talocrural joint were examined by corrosion preparation. The tibial nutrient artery arises from the posterior tibial artery or from the popliteal artery and penetrates constantly from posterior at the level of the proximal third. The fibular nutrient artery, coming from the peroneal artery, penetrates more distally from medial into the middle third of the diaphysis. In one specimen it did not exist at all. Distal tibia and fibula are supplied by the perimalleolar arterial ring, which is connected with the three arteries of the leg. The talus is supplied by numerous very small vessels, which are provided with extraosseous anastomoses and penetrate the whole non-articular surface. Implications for the operation will be explained.

[Waiting for the crisis]. / Warten auf die Krisis.

AIM OF THE STUDY: Experience in daily routine reveals that most of ICU patients usually go through "crisis" within 14 days of admission. Only few patients need remarkable more time to get to this point and it seems there is hardly anything to be done therapeutically to change the course of it. We therefore examined a large group of ICU patients in order to find reasons for this course or to spot them as an "entity of their own". METHODS: 1,861 ICU patients all being on IPPV for more than three days were included in the study. Every day 18 variables were taken down in a standardised way until the day IPPV was finished. We extracted 170 patients who were artificially ventilated for more than 40 days. For these patients we established mean values for each of the 18 variables during the first and the last 40 days of ventilation. In both groups we compared survivors to non-survivors. RESULTS: Mortality was almost the same in both groups (IPPV < 40 days vs. IPPV > 40 days). Survivors and non-survivors showed remarkable differences regarding extrapulmonary factors-in terms of total fluid amount and transfusion, state of abdomen, brain, liver and kidney function and circulation problems. Pulmonary factors revealed major differences only towards the end of the observation period. CONCLUSIONS: There seems to be an "entity of ist own", a small population of patients who arrive at the crucial turning point later. Pulmonary complications (pneumonia, ARDS) is not the reason but the expression of cause for prolonged ventilation. The key to the extrapulmonary origin of the crisis remains unknown, the only thing we can do is alleviate its manifestations.

[Callus distraction in tibial defect fractures]. / Callusdistraktion bei Unterschenkeldefektfrakturen.

Lower leg fractures with an osseous defect can be treated effectively with the callus distraction technique by Bier-Ilizarov. Because osteocytes are cultivated at the site of the defect, a real biological system is working-in contrast to other methods. Especially in lower leg fractures with a denuded tibia, the technique of primary shortening to cover the soft-tissue defect with subsequent compensatory lengthening by callus distraction is valuable. This technique does not need special hospitals but skillful surgeons. A closed surgeon-patient relation ship is required because most treatments are done on an outpatient basis. The cosmetic and functional results are good.