scholarly journals Geographic variation in health insurance benefits in Qianjiang District, China: a cross-sectional study

Author(s):  
Yue Wu ◽  
Liang Zhang ◽  
Xuejiao Liu ◽  
Ting Ye ◽  
Yongfei Wang
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuichi Ito ◽  
Tomoko Torii ◽  
Akihiro Nakajima ◽  
Takeshi Iijima ◽  
Hiroshi Murano ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Although gout is rare in children, chronic sustained hyperuricemia can lead to monosodium urate deposits progressing to gout, just as in adults. This study assessed prevalence and characteristics of gout and asymptomatic hyperuricemia, and incidence of gouty arthritis in the pediatric population, using data from Japanese health insurance claims. The diagnosis and treatment of pediatric gout and hyperuricemia were analyzed, and specific characteristics of those patients were assessed. Since Japanese guidelines recommend treatment with uric acid lowering drugs for asymptomatic hyperuricemia as well as for gout, these data were also used to investigate the real-world use of uric acid lowering drugs in a pediatric population. Methods This cross-sectional study was based on a 2016–2017 Japanese health insurance claims database, one of the largest epidemiology claims databases available in Japan, which included 356,790 males and 339,487 females 0–18 years of age. Outcomes were measured for prevalence, patient characteristics, treatment with uric acid lowering drugs for gout and asymptomatic hyperuricemia, and prevalence and incidence of gouty arthritis. Because uric acid can be elevated by some forms of chemotherapy, data from patients under treatment for malignancies were excluded from consideration. Results Total prevalence of gout and asymptomatic hyperuricemia in 0–18 year-olds was 0.040% (276/696,277 patients), with gout prevalence at 0.007% (48/696,277) and asymptomatic hyperuricemia at 0.033% (228/696,277). Prevalence of gout and asymptomatic hyperuricemia was highest in adolescent males, at 0.135% (176/130,823). The most common comorbidities for gout and asymptomatic hyperuricemia were metabolic syndrome at 42.8% (118/276) and kidney disease at 34.8% (96/276). Of the patients diagnosed with gout or asymptomatic hyperuricemia, 35.1% (97/276) were treated with uric acid lowering drugs. Gouty arthritis developed in 43.8% (21/48) of gout patients during the study, at an incidence of 0.65 flares/person-year. Conclusions Even the pediatric population could be affected by asymptomatic hyperuricemia, gout, and gouty arthritis, and uric acid lowering drugs are being used in this population even though those drugs have not been approved for pediatric indications. Such off-label use may indicate a potential need for therapeutic agents in this population. Trial registration UMIN000036029.


BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. e037195
Author(s):  
Piotr Wilk ◽  
Shehzad Ali ◽  
Kelly K Anderson ◽  
Andrew F Clark ◽  
Martin Cooke ◽  
...  

ObjectiveThe objective of this study is to examine the magnitude and pattern of small-area geographic variation in rates of preventable hospitalisations for ambulatory care-sensitive conditions (ACSC) across Canada (excluding Québec).Design and settingA cross-sectional study conducted in Canada (excluding Québec) using data from the 2006 Canadian Census Health and Environment Cohort (CanCHEC) linked prospectively to hospitalisation records from the Discharge Abstract Database (DAD) for the three fiscal years: 2006–2007, 2007–2008 and 2008–2009.Primary outcome measurePreventable hospitalisations (ACSC).ParticipantsThe 2006 CanCHEC represents a population of 22 562 120 individuals in Canada (excluding Québec). Of this number, 2 940 150 (13.03%) individuals were estimated to be hospitalised at least once during the 2006–2009 fiscal years.MethodsAge-standardised annualised ACSC hospitalisation rates per 100 000 population were computed for each of the 190 Census Divisions. To assess the magnitude of Census Division-level geographic variation in rates of preventable hospitalisations, the global Moran’s I statistic was computed. ‘Hot spot’ analysis was used to identify the pattern of geographic variation.ResultsOf all the hospitalisation events reported in Canada during the 2006–2009 fiscal years, 337 995 (7.10%) events were ACSC-related hospitalisations. The Moran’s I statistic (Moran’s I=0.355) suggests non-randomness in the spatial distribution of preventable hospitalisations. The findings from the ‘hot spot’ analysis indicate a cluster of Census Divisions located in predominantly rural and remote parts of Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan and in eastern and northern parts of Nunavut with significantly higher than average rates of preventable hospitalisation.ConclusionThe knowledge generated on the small-area geographic variation in preventable hospitalisations can inform regional, provincial and national decision makers on planning, allocation of resources and monitoring performance of health service providers.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenjia Wei ◽  
Agne Ulyte ◽  
Oliver Gruebner ◽  
Viktor von Wyl ◽  
Holger Dressel ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Regional variation in healthcare utilization could reflect unequal access to care, which may lead to detrimental consequences to quality of care and costs. The aims of this study were to a) describe the degree of regional variation in utilization of 24 diverse healthcare services in eligible populations in Switzerland, and b) identify potential drivers, especially health insurance-related factors, and explore the consistency of their effects across the services. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study using health insurance claims data for the year of 2014. The studied 24 healthcare services were predominantly outpatient services, ranging from screening to secondary prevention. For each service, a target population was identified based on applicable clinical recommendations, and outcome variable was the use of the service. Possible influencing factors included patients’ socio-demographics, health insurance-related and clinical characteristics. For each service, we performed a comprehensive methodological approach including small area variation analysis, spatial autocorrelation analysis, and multilevel multivariable modelling using 106 mobilité spaciale regions as the higher level. We further calculated the median odds ratio in model residuals to assess the unexplained regional variation. Results Unadjusted utilization rates varied considerably across the 24 healthcare services, ranging from 3.5% (osteoporosis screening) to 76.1% (recommended thyroid disease screening sequence). The effects of health insurance-related characteristics were mostly consistent. A higher annual deductible level was mostly associated with lower utilization. Supplementary insurance, supplementary hospital insurance and having chosen a managed care model were associated with higher utilization of most services. Managed care models showed a tendency towards more recommended care. After adjusting for multiple influencing factors, the unexplained regional variation was generally small across the 24 services, with all MORs below 1.5. Conclusions The observed utilization rates seemed suboptimal for many of the selected services. For all of them, the unexplained regional variation was relatively small. Our findings confirmed the importance and consistency of effects of health insurance-related factors, indicating that healthcare utilization might be further optimized through adjustment of insurance scheme designs. Our comprehensive approach aids in the identification of regional variation and influencing factors of healthcare services use in Switzerland as well as comparable settings worldwide.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Nsiah-Boateng ◽  
Justice Nonvignon ◽  
Genevieve Cecelia Aryeetey ◽  
Paola Salari ◽  
Fabrizio Tediosi ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. S795-S795 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia H Rogers ◽  
Elisabeth Brandstetter ◽  
Caitlin Wolf ◽  
Jennifer Logue ◽  
Ashley E Kim ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Individuals experiencing homelessness are at an increased risk of respiratory illness due to high prevalence of underlying chronic conditions, inadequate ventilation and crowding in shelters, and difficulty accessing health services. Few studies have investigated the prevalence and transmission of viral respiratory infections within shelters. We sought to determine the prevalence and risk factors for influenza-like illness (ILI) at two homeless shelters in Seattle, WA. Methods Between January and April 2019, we conducted a cross-sectional study of adults experiencing homelessness who identified their primary residence as one of the two shelters in Seattle. Participants voluntarily enrolled if they self-reported at least two symptoms of acute respiratory illness in the past week. Demographic, clinical, and behavioral data were ascertained via questionnaire, and a mid-nasal swab was collected. ILI was defined as fever with cough or sore throat. Chronic lung disease was defined as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, and/or chronic bronchitis. Results Among the 480 participants enrolled in the study, 204 (42.5%) reported ILI symptoms. Of those enrolled, 144 (30.0%) had chronic lung disease. The prevalence of ILI was higher among individuals with chronic lung disease (53.5% vs. 42.5%, P = 0.001). A total of 422 (87.9%) had health insurance; the prevalence of ILI was lower among those with health insurance (42.4% vs. 57.8%, P = 0.66). 216 (45.0%) of participants received flu vaccine; the prevalence of ILI was similar among those who received the vaccine than those that did not (42.6% vs. 42.4%, P = 1.00). 129 (30.6%) of those with health insurance sought care for their reported symptoms; ILI was more prevalent in those that sought care than those that did not throughout the observation period (33.8% vs. 21.7%, P = 0.002). Of those with ILI that sought care, 46 (54.8%, P = 0.42) received antivirals or antibiotics. Laboratory results for the corresponding mid-nasal swabs are pending. Conclusion A large proportion of our study population self-reported ILI and chronic lung disease. Despite high insurance coverage, a low proportion of homeless enrolled sought care for their symptoms or received treatment. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.


CMAJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. E15-E22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fiona K.I. Chan ◽  
Kimberlyn McGrail ◽  
Sumit R. Majumdar ◽  
Michael R. Law

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