Abstract
BACKGROUND: Rheumatological care should be available for people with inflammatory rheumatic diseases in all regions of Germany. In this article the distance to rheumatological specialist care is mapped. METHODOLOGY: Specialists in rheumatology listed in the German Federal Medical Register as of 31 December 2023 were assigned to postal code regions. The mean linear distance from a postal code region to the nearest region with a rheumatology practice was calculated. The mean distance from the places of residence of patients was calculated for the rheumatology centers participating in the German national database. RESULTS: Of the postal code regions 25% are > 20 km linear distance away from a postal code district with a rheumatological practice. Especially in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein there are larger areas with a low density of care. In the German national database, the median distance between the patient's place of residence and the rheumatological facility is between 10 km (Berlin) and 40 km (Tübingen). CONCLUSION: In rural areas and for specialized rheumatology centers patients must travel long distances to reach a specialized rheumatological care.