Table 1. Compilation of trends underlying the non-demographic factors.

Epidemiology	Declining incidence rates due to success in prevention, health care and rehabilitation followed by changes in the spectrum of diseases
	Improved chances of survival in potentially life-threatening diseases through improved medical care
Structural changes in health care	Introduction of new therapy options
	Structural changes within the inpatient care sector, e.g. hospital closures, mergers, etc
	Patient shifting between the health care sectors e.g. between inpatient and ambulatory or rehabilitative care
	Introduction of new classification systems, e.g. DRG-system
	Further legal changes to the billing of services
	changes in the utilization, e.g. changes in the use of emergency care
Change of non-demographic structural characteristics of the population	socio-structural changes of subsequent birth cohorts

Source: [17]