Trend of Urban-Rural Disparities in Hospice Utilization in Taiwan

Aims

The palliative care has spread rapidly worldwide in the recent two decades. The development of hospice services in rural areas usually lags behind that in urban areas. The aim of our study was to investigate whether the urban-rural disparity widens in a country with a hospital-based hospice system.

Methods

From the nationwide claims database within the National Health Insurance in Taiwan, admissions to hospices from 2000 to 2006 were identified. Hospices and patients in each year were analyzed according to geographic location and residence.

Results

A total of 26,292 cancer patients had been admitted to hospices. The proportion of rural patients to all patients increased with time from 17.8% in 2000 to 25.7% in 2006. Although the numbers of beds and the utilizations in both urban and rural hospices expanded rapidly, the increasing trend in rural areas was more marked than that in urban areas. However, still two-thirds (898/1,357) of rural patients were admitted to urban hospices in 2006.

Conclusions

The gap of hospice utilizations between urban and rural areas in Taiwan did not widen with time. There was room for improvement in sufficient supply of rural hospices or efficient referral of rural patients.     

2011—2015年北京儿童医院集团门诊量变化趋势分析

目的 分析北京儿童医院集团9家医院2011—2015年门诊量变化趋势,评价儿童医院集团的成立对儿科优势资源下沉产生的初步效果。方法 由北京儿童医院集团秘书处统一收集9家医院2011—2015年共60个月的门诊量数据,采用中断时间序列分析集团成立前、后门诊量的变化趋势。结果 北京、安徽、河北3家儿童医院在集团成立后增长速度有所降低（β₁´β₂分别为-2 048.00、-504.49、-840.20,P分别为0.016、0.021、0.003）。聊城、南京、郑州3家儿童医院的增长速度略有增加（β₁´β₂分别为164.74、228.67、717.17）,但无统计学意义。结论 北京儿童医院集团成立后,初步实现儿科优势资源下沉,但西部地区仍有待于进一步加强。     

Modes of Admission to Hospital: A Survey of Emergency Admissions to a General Medical Unit

In a survey of the modes of referral and disposal of “acute patients” to a general medical unit during the period 1 February 1968 to 31 July 1970 only 1,432 out of 3,455 were referred by general practitioners. There was a high incidence of self-referral to hospital, and this trend was on the increase. A large percentage of self-referred patients came from their homes, and 65-77% of these arrived by ambulance ordered by themselves.     

Relating Weather Types to Asthma-Related Hospital Admissions in New York State

Many previous studies have looked into the relationship between asthma and individual weather variables, but comparatively few have looked at this relationship using holistic weather types (WTs). Utilizing the Spatial Synoptic Classification, this research considers up to 6 days of lag time while investigating the asthma-to-WT relationship in two age groups (under 18 and 18 and over) throughout New York State. Results indicate that a cold and dry WT in autumn corresponds to increased asthma admissions and spike days in admissions in New York City (NYC) for the school-aged population, while hot and dry WTs in summer correspond to spike days in asthma admissions in both age groups. However, results vary considerably for other regions, seasons and WTs, and spike day analysis yields clearer results than the analysis of total anomalous admissions. When stratified by multiple regions and age groups, the sample size of daily asthma admissions is a limiting factor outside of NYC.     

Estimation of Short-Term Effects of Air Pollution on Stroke Hospital Admissions in Wuhan,China

Background and Objective

High concentrations of air pollutants have been linked to increased incidence of stroke in North America and Europe but not yet assessed in mainland China. The aim of this study is to evaluate the association between stroke hospitalization and short-term elevation of air pollutants in Wuhan, China.

Methods

Daily mean NO₂, SO₂ and PM₁₀ levels, temperature and humidity were obtained from 2006 through 2008. Data on stroke hospitalizations (ICD 10: I60–I69) at four hospitals in Wuhan were obtained for the same period. A time-stratified case-crossover design was performed by season (April-September and October-March) to assess effects of pollutants on stroke hospital admissions.

Results

Pollution levels were higher in October-March with averages of 136.1 µg/m³ for PM₁₀, 63.6 µg/m³ for NO₂ and 71.0 µg/m³ for SO₂ than in April-September when averages were 102.0 µg/m³, 41.7 µg/m³ and 41.7 µg/m³, respectively (p<.001). During the cold season, every 10 µg/m³ increase in NO₂ was associated with a 2.9% (95%C.I. 1.2%–4.6%) increase in stroke admissions on the same day. Every 10 ug/m³ increase in PM₁₀ daily concentration was significantly associated with an approximate 1% (95% C.I. 0.1%–1.4%) increase in stroke hospitalization. A two-pollutant model indicated that NO₂ was associated with stroke admissions when controlling for PM₁₀. During the warm season, no significant associations were noted for any of the pollutants.

Conclusions

Exposure to NO₂ is significantly associated with stroke hospitalizations during the cold season in Wuhan, China when pollution levels are 50% greater than in the warm season. Larger and multi-center studies in Chinese cities are warranted to validate our findings.     

Outcomes and Trends of Prostate Biopsy for Prostate Cancer in Chinese Men from 2003 to 2011

Background

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening is growing in popularity in China, but its impact on biopsy characteristics and outcomes are poorly understood.

Objective

Our objective was to characterize prostate biopsy outcomes and trends in Chinese men over a 10-year period, since the increasing use of PSA tests.

Methods

All men (n = 1,650) who underwent prostate biopsy for PCa at Huashan Hospital, Shanghai, China from 2003–2011 were evaluated. Demographic and clinical information was collected for each patient, including age, digital rectal examination (DRE), transrectal ultrasound (prostate volume and nodule), total prostate-specific antigen (tPSA) levels and free PSA ratio (fPSA/tPSA) prior to biopsy. Prostate biopsy was performed using six cores before October 2007 or ten cores thereafter. Logistic regression and multivariate analysis were used to evaluate our data.

Results

The overall positive rate of prostate biopsy for PCa was 47% and the rate decreased significantly over the years from 74% in 2003 to 33% in 2011 (P-trend = 0.004) . Age at diagnosis was slightly increased (P-trend = 0.04) while fPSA/tPSA was significantly decreased (P-trend = 1.11×10-5). A statistically significant trend was not observed for tPSA levels, prostate volume, or proportion of positive nodule. The model including multiple demographic and clinical variables (i.e., age, DRE, tPSA, fPSA/tPSA and transrectal ultrasound results) (AUC = 0.93) statistically outperformed models that included only PSA (AUC = 0.85) or fPSA/tPSA (AUC = 0.66) to predict PCa risks (P<0.05). Similar results were observed in a subgroup of men whose tPSA levels were lower than 20 ng/mL (AUC = 0.87, vs. AUC of tPSA  = 0.62, P<0.05).

Conclusions

Detection rates of PCa and high-grade PCa among men that underwent prostate biopsy at the institution has decreased significantly in the past 10 years, likely due to increasing use of PSA tests. Predictive performance of demographic and clinical variables of PCa was excellent. These variables should be used in clinics to determine the need for prostate biopsy.     

Incidence and Risk Factors for Neonatal Tetanus in Admissions to Kilifi County Hospital,Kenya

Background

Neonatal Tetanus (NT) is a preventable cause of mortality and neurological sequelae that occurs at higher incidence in resource-poor countries, presumably because of low maternal immunisation rates and unhygienic cord care practices. We aimed to determine changes in the incidence of NT, characterize and investigate the associated risk factors and mortality in a prospective cohort study including all admissions over a 15-year period at a County hospital on the Kenyan coast, a region with relatively high historical NT rates within Kenya.

Methods

We assessed all neonatal admissions to Kilifi County Hospital in Kenya (1999–2013) and identified cases of NT (standard clinical case definition) admitted during this time. Poisson regression was used to examine change in incidence of NT using accurate denominator data from an area of active demographic surveillance. Logistic regression was used to investigate the risk factors for NT and factors associated with mortality in NT amongst neonatal admissions. A subset of sera from mothers (n = 61) and neonates (n = 47) were tested for anti-tetanus antibodies.

Results

There were 191 NT admissions, of whom 187 (98%) were home deliveries. Incidence of NT declined significantly (Incidence Rate Ratio: 0.85 (95% Confidence interval 0.81–0.89), P<0.001) but the case fatality (62%) did not change over the study period (P = 0.536). Younger infant age at admission (P = 0.001) was the only independent predictor of mortality. Compared to neonatal hospital admittee controls, the proportion of home births was higher among the cases. Sera tested for antitetanus antibodies showed most mothers (50/61, 82%) had undetectable levels of antitetanus antibodies, and most (8/9, 89%) mothers with detectable antibodies had a neonate without protective levels.

Conclusions

Incidence of NT in Kilifi County has significantly reduced, with reductions following immunisation campaigns. Our results suggest immunisation efforts are effective if sustained and efforts should continue to expand coverage.     

Impact of Illness and Medical Expenditure on Household Consumptions: A Survey in Western China

Background

The main goal of this study is to examine the associations between illness conditions and out-of-pocket medical expenditure with other types of household consumptions. In November and December of 2011, a survey was conducted in three cities in western China, namely Lan Zhou, Gui Lin and Xi An, and their surrounding rural areas.

Results

Information on demographics, income and consumption was collected on 2,899 households. Data analysis suggested that the presence of household members with chronic diseases was not associated with characteristics of households or household heads. The presence of inpatient treatments was significantly associated with the age of household head (p-value 0.03). The level of per capita medical expense was significantly associated with household size, presence of members younger than 18, older than 65, basic health insurance coverage, per capita income, and household head occupation. Adjusting for confounding effects, the presence of chronic diseases was negatively associated with the amount of basic consumption (p-value 0.02) and the percentage of basic consumption (p-value 0.01), but positively associated with the percentage of insurance expense (p-value 0.02). Medical expenditure was positively associated with all other types of consumptions, including basic, education, saving and investment, entertainment, insurance, durable goods, and alcohol/tobacco. It was negatively associated with the percentage of basic consumption, saving and investment, and insurance.

Conclusions

Early studies conducted in other Asian countries and rural China found negative associations between illness conditions and medical expenditure with other types of consumptions. This study was conducted in three major cities and surrounding areas in western China, which had not been well investigated in published literature. The observed consumption patterns were different from those in early studies, and the negative associations were not observed. This study may complement the existing rural studies and provide useful information on western Chinese cities.     

1982～2003年东北地区植被覆盖变化特征分析

利用1982~2003年GIMMS-NDVI数据集和GIS技术,结合多种统计分析方法,定量分析了东北地区植被覆盖时空变化规律。结果显示:(1)1982~2003年东北地区森林、草地和农田植被年内变化曲线均为单峰型,峰值都出现在夏季,森林植被年内NDVI变化曲线峰值最高,农田次之,草地最低。(2)22年期间,森林植被覆盖呈下降趋势;草地和农田植被覆盖总体亦呈下降趋势,但西辽河平原草地和松嫩平原农田植被覆盖呈上升趋势;相同植被类型比较,长白山东北部林地、西辽河平原草地、松嫩平原农田植被覆盖均比较稳定。(3)1982~2003年,东北地区植被覆盖总体呈缓慢下降趋势,其中1982~1992年,东北地区植被覆盖呈增加趋势,植被覆盖增加的面积为545 435 km2,占东北地区总面积的43.91%;植被覆盖减少面积为96 491 km2,占总面积的7.77%;1993~2003年,东北地区植被覆盖呈减少趋势,植被覆盖减少的面积为626 839 km2,占东北地区总面积的50.45%,植被覆盖增加的面积较少,仅为27 025 km2,占总面积的2.18%,且呈零星分布。研究表明,人类活动和自然因素的变化是东北地区植被覆盖下降的主要原因。     

Predictors and Outcomes of Infection-Related Hospital Admissions of Heart Failure Patients

Background

Infections are one of the most common causes for hospitalization of patients with heart failure (HF). Yet, little is known regarding the prevalence and predictors of different types of acute infections as well as their impact on outcome among this growing population.

Methods and Results

We identified all patients aged 50 or older with a major diagnosis of HF and at least one echocardiography examination who had been hospitalized over a 10-year period (January 2000 and December 2009). Infection-associated admissions were identified according to discharge diagnoses. Among 9,335 HF patients, 3530 (38%) were hospitalized at least once due to infections. The most frequent diagnoses were respiratory infection (52.6%) and sepsis/bacteremia (23.6%) followed by urinary (15.7%) and skin and soft tissue infections (7.8%). Hospitalizations due to infections compared to other indications were associated with increased 30-day mortality (13% vs. 8%, p<0.0001). These higher mortality rates were predominately related to respiratory infections (OR 1.28 [95% CI 1.09, 1.5]) and sepsis\bacteremia (OR 3.13 [95% CI 2.6, 3.7]). Important predictors for these serious infections included female gender, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, past myocardial infarction and echocardiography-defined significant right (RV) but not left ventricular dysfunction.

Conclusions

Major infection-related hospitalizations are frequent among patients with HF and are associated with increased mortality rates. Elderly female patients with multiple comorbidities and those with severe RV dysfunction are at higher risk for these infections.     

Hospital Admissions in Children with Down Syndrome: Experience of a Population-Based Cohort Followed from Birth

Objective

Children with Down syndrome, the most common genetic cause of intellectual disability, are prone to multiple and varied health-related problems. This study describes patterns of hospitalisations for children and young people with Down syndrome in Western Australia.

Methods

Birth records were linked to the Western Australian population-based Intellectual Disability database to identify all children born with Down syndrome in Western Australia between 1 January, 1983 and 31 December, 1999. These records were linked to the Hospital Morbidity Data System to provide information on all hospitalisations up to 31 December, 2004. Hospitalisation data, coded using ICD-9CM or ICD-10 (v0.5) were grouped into clinically relevant categories using the primary diagnosis. Rates of hospital admission for all and specific diagnoses were expressed in 1000-person-years at-risk and median age at first admission and length of stay were calculated.

Results

Of the 405 children, 395 had one or more hospital admissions, totalling 3786 admissions for all children and an estimated 39.5 person-years in hospital. On average, children were admitted 9.7 times, with an estimated rate of 757.2 admissions per 1000pyr (95% CI: 680, 843). A quarter of all admissions occurred in the first year of life. The average hospital length of stay was 3.8 days (95% CI: 3.7, 4.1). Upper respiratory tract conditions affected the most children (58.5%) and accounted for 12.1% of all admissions. Other disorders which affected a high percentage of children were ear/hearing conditions (50.6%), disorders of the oral cavity (38.0%) and lower respiratory tract conditions (37.5%). Overall, children with Down syndrome were hospitalised at a rate five times (95% CI = 4.3–6.2) that of the general population.

Conclusion

Children with Down syndrome are at increased risk of morbidity for varied causes underlining the importance of comprehensive and targeted primary care for this group.     

2010至2011年我院产ESBLs大肠埃希菌的耐药性分析

分析2010年1月至2011年12月牡丹江医学院附属红旗医院临床分离的大肠埃希菌的耐药性变化,为指导临床合理用药提供依据。2010至2011年临床各科室送检的全部标本(包括血、尿、便、痰、分泌物等),采用微生物分析仪进行分离鉴定及药物敏感性分析。2010和2011年产ESBLs大肠埃希菌检出率分别为23.8%5、7.4%,呈上升趋势。产ESBLs大肠埃希菌对大多数抗菌药物的耐药率明显高于非产ESBLs大肠埃希菌(P<0.05)。产ESBLs大肠埃希菌检出率越来越高,耐药率日益严重,给临床抗菌治疗带来很大困难,开展产ESBLs大肠埃希菌耐药性分析,指导临床合理应用抗生素,对控制大肠埃希菌对抗菌药物的耐药性增长有重大意义。     

Changes of adult population health status in China from 2003 to 2008

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to examine the change in health status of China''s adult population between the years of 2003 and 2008 due to rapid economic growth and medical system improvement.

Methods

Data from the third and fourth Chinese national health services surveys covering 141,927 residents in 2003 and 136,371 residents in 2008 who were aged >18 years were analyzed.

Results

Chinese respondents in 2008 were more likely to report disease than in 2003. Smoking slightly decreased among men and women, and regular exercise showed much improvement. Stratified analyses revealed significant subpopulation disparities in rate ratios for 2008/2003 in the presence of chronic disease, with greater increases among women, elderly, the Han nationality, unmarried and widow, illiterate, rural, and regions east of China than other groups.

Conclusions

Chinese adults in 2008 had worse health status than in 2003 in terms of presence of chronic disease. China''s reform of health care will face more complex challenges in coming years from the deteriorating health status in Chinese adults.     

我院2006-2008年恶性肿瘤检出率及发病趋势分析

目的:了解近三年恶性肿瘤发病规律和特征.方法:整理并分析我院病理科2006-2008年肿瘤诊断登记资料.结果:三年中我院检出恶性肿瘤9319例.粗发率22.96%,并呈逐年上升趋势.男性平均发病年龄为(53.9±17.9)岁,前五位恶性肿瘤为:胃癌、肺癌、肠癌、鼻咽癌、食管癌;女性平均发病年龄为(49.7±17.7)岁,前五位恶性肿瘤为:乳腺癌、肺癌、胃癌、宫颈癌、肠癌.结论:我院三年来恶性肿瘤发病呈逐年上升趋势.     

医疗保险费用分析及管理探讨

目的 了解影响医保患者医疗费用的主要因素,为控制医疗费用的不合理增长和医疗保险支付方式的改革提供参考依据。方法 收集2006—2009年三级基本医疗保险定点医疗机构住院费用,对可能的影响因素进行相关分析。结果 人均住院费用呈逐年上涨趋势。次均费用与药品比例、材料呈正相关（决定系数分别为0.914和0.909,P＝0.044和0.046）,P＜0.05。结论 合理降低药费比例和耗材比例是控制医疗费用过快增长的关键。应加快医疗保险支付方式的改革,制定科学的诊疗规范、临床路径。