Volume-outcome relationship and minimum volume regulations in the German hospital sector – evidence from nationwide administrative hospital data for the years 2005–2007

Table 1 Overview of number of patients and hospitals for all conditions from 2005 to 2007

Condition	Year	Number of patients	Number of hospitals	Average case volume	Minimum volume threshold	Hospitals achieving minimum volume threshold (%)	Patients treated in these hospitals (%)
Liver transplantation	2005	941	22	42.8	10	81.8	96.2
	2006	1005	22	45.7	20	68.2	89.8
	2007	1118	22	50.8	20	77.3	94.5
Kidney transplantation	2005	2627	42	62.5	20	92.9	97.9
	2006	2728	42	65.0	25	90.5	97.8
	2007	2902	42	69.1	25	95.2	98.6
Complex interventions at the oesophagus	2005	3063	436	7.0	5	36.2	79.5
	2006	3249	411	7.9	10	25.1	63.1
	2007	3361	437	7.7	10	24.0	64.5
Complex interventions at the pancreas	2005	7795	708	11.0	5	47.0	88.5
	2006	8330	712	11.7	10	32.2	77.9
	2007	9152	691	13.2	10	40.1	82.3
Stem cell transplantation	2005	5522	102	54.1	12	70.6	97.5
	2006	5940	94	63.2	25	61.7	91.5
	2007	5744	101	56.9	25	60.4	92.5
Knee replacement	2005	118,269	1055	112.1	–	–	–
	2006	124,693	1017	122.6	50	78.2	96.0
	2007	134,782	1004	134.2	50	83.8	97.2
CABG	2005	43,501	95	457.9	(200)^a	77.9	99.1
	2006	39,254	102	384.8	(200)^a	69.6	97.8
	2007	38,569	101	381.9	(200)^a	69.3	96.5

Note: ^a No official minimum volume threshold exists; a hypothetical minimum volume threshold of 200 is assumed

ISSN: 2191-1991