Analyzing healthcare provider centric networks through secondary use of health claims data

Abstract

Using health claims data of the Austrian social security system we derived networks of healthcare providers who share patients. Hereby we focused on networks of primary care physicians. Based on the characteristics of these networks potential implications for the upcoming Austrian national EHR system ELGA were drawn. Amongst others we conclude from our analysis that Austrian urban primary care physicians will use ELGA more intensively and benefit more from it than their rural colleagues.