Background
DISEASE, DISEASES
Early detection tests can prevent the manifestation of diseases, mitigate consequences and prevent long-term health risks by detecting and treating early stages of diseases. Since diseases and their early stages develop at different ages, continuous care and regular examinations are particularly important in childhood and adolescence [
Preventive medical examinations for children and adolescents in GermanyIn 2007, the AOK Nordost, a regional health insurance provider in the federal states of Berlin, Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, developed the Although the utilization of the examinations offered can close the gap in continuous treatment for children and adolescents, the question arises as to whether the examinations are effective. Thus, the aim of the present analysis is to investigate whether the three modules that had by far the highest participation rates of AOK Junior - the U10, U11 and J2 - are effective in terms of diagnosing and initiating treatment for disease. The examinations involve counselling of patients and parents, but the main component is screening for general health problems and age-specific diseases [The The The In the context of these examinations, it is important to analyse whether they lead to earlier diagnosis of diseases and consequently to earlier initiation of therapies. Previous analyses of these early diagnosis examinations have mainly focused on participation rates and behaviour. Here, a social gradient is partly evident [