A Population-Based Multivariate Analysis of the Association of County Demographic and Medical System Factors with Per Capita Pediatric Trauma Death Rates in North Carolina

The pandemic caused by COVID-19 has left millions infected and dead around the world, with Latin America being one of the most affected areas. In this work, we have sought to determine, by means of a multiple regression analysis and a study of correlations, the influence of population density, life expectancy, and proportion of the population in vulnerable employment, together with GDP per capita, on the mortality rate due to COVID-19 in Latin American countries. The results indicated that countries with higher population density had lower numbers of deaths. Population in vulnerable employment and GDP showed a positive influence, while life expectancy did not appear to significantly affect the number of COVID-19 deaths. In addition, the influence of these variables on the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 was analyzed. It can be concluded that the lack of resources can be a major burden for the vulnerable population in combating COVID-19 and that population density can ensure better designed institutions and quality infrastructure to achieve social distancing and, together with effective measures, lower death rates.

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Characteristics and implications of insurance-reimbursed inpatient care for gastric and oesophageal cancers in Anhui, China

International Health ◽

10.1093/inthealth/ihaa092 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Anqi Yao ◽

Xingrong Shen ◽

Jing Chai ◽

Jing Cheng ◽

Rong Liu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Inpatient Care ◽

Regression Discontinuity ◽

Medical System ◽

Anhui Province ◽

Disposable Income ◽

Medical Systems ◽

Start Time ◽

Treatment Variable ◽

Per Capita ◽

Out Of Pocket Expenses

Abstract Background This study aimed to identify characteristics and trends in insurance-reimbursed inpatient care (NRIC) for gastric and oesophageal cancers and inform evaluation of medical systems reform. Methods The study extracted routinely collected records of claims for reimbursement from the New Rural Cooperative Medical System (NRCMS) in Anhui Province, China and performed descriptive and regression discontinuity analysis. Results From 2013 to 2017, NRIC in terms of person-time per million people (pmp) increased 5.60 and 20.62 times for gastric and oesophageal cancers, respectively. Total expense per episode for gastric and oesophageal cancers increased from 1130.25 and 22 697.99 yuan to 12 514.98 and 24 639.37 yuan, respectively. The ratio of out-of-pocket expenses per inpatient care episode to annual disposable income per capita was 0.43 for gastric cancer and 0.91 for oesophageal cancer and decreased by 0.17 and 0.47, respectively. Regression discontinuity modelling revealed that, when controlled for disposable income, illiteracy rate and months from start time, the treatment variable was significantly associated with person-times of NRIC pmp (β=0.613, p=0.000), length of stay per 105 people (β=−52.990, p=0.000) and total expenses per NRIC episode (β=2.431, p=0.000). Conclusions The study period witnessed substantial achievements in benefits to patients, inpatient care efficiency and equity. These achievements may be attributed mainly to the recent reforms launched in Anhui province, China.

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