scholarly journals Measuring Voluntary Responses in Healthcare Utilization During and After COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from Taiwan

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yung-Yu Tsai ◽  
Yang Tzu-Ting
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Healthcare Utilization ◽  
Demand Response ◽  
Human Mobility ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Prevention Measures ◽  
Difference In Differences ◽  
Related Services ◽  
Side Constraints ◽  
Substantial Decline

Abstract Healthcare has been one of the most affected sectors during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The utilization of related services for non-COVID-19 diseases fell dramatically following the point at which the virus broke out; however, little is known about whether this observed decline in healthcare use was due to voluntary behaviors or enforced measures. This paper quantifies the spontaneous change in healthcare utilization during and after the pandemic. We utilize a county-by-week-level dataset from Taiwan's National Health Insurance (NHI) record, covering the entire Taiwanese population, and a difference-in-differences design. Our results indicate that even if there were no human mobility restrictions or supply-side constraints, people voluntarily reduced their demand for healthcare, due to fears of contagion, or COVID-related precautionary behaviors. We find that the number of outpatient visits (inpatient admissions) decreased by 21% (11%) during the pandemic period (February to May 2020). Furthermore, the demand response of healthcare for infectious diseases (e.g., flu) was much greater and more persistent than for non-infectious diseases, thereby suggesting that the substantial decline in accessing healthcare was induced by positive public health externality of prevention measures for COVID-19. Finally, we find that the demand for healthcare services did not get back to the pre-pandemic baseline, even when there were no local coronavirus cases for 253 consecutive days (mid-April to December 2020) in Taiwan.

scholarly journals COVID-19 Outbreak and Voluntary Demand for Non-COVID-19 Healthcare: Evidence from Taiwan

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yung-Yu Tsai ◽  
Tzu-Ting Yang
Keyword(s):  
Demand Response ◽  
Human Mobility ◽  
Prevention Measures ◽  
Healthcare Use ◽  
Difference In Differences ◽  
Outpatient Visits ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Taiwan National Health Insurance ◽  
Substantial Decline ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThis paper examines the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on voluntary demand for Non-COVID-19 healthcare. We use 2014–2020 weekly county-level data from Taiwan National Health Insurance alongside a difference-in-differences design. Our results indicate that even if there are no government restrictions on human mobility, people spontaneously reduce their demand for healthcare due to fears of infection or improved health status. On average, the number of outpatient visits (inpatient admissions) decreased by 18% (9%) after COVID-19 outbreak. Furthermore, the demand response of healthcare for infectious diseases (e.g. flu) is much greater and more persistent than for other diseases, suggesting that the substantial decline in healthcare use is induced by positive public-health externality of prevention measures for COVID-19.

ON-THE-FARM TESTS OF RECOMMENDATIONS AND VETERINARY AND SANITARY PREVENTION MEASURES OF CATTLE NECROBACILLOSIS

1970 ◽  
pp. 62-64
Author(s):  
М. G. Vinnikov ◽  
R. N. Melnik ◽  
S. А. Grin ◽  
А. Ya. Samuylenko ◽  
N. V. Melnik ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Production Process ◽  
Dairy Farm ◽  
Practical Experience ◽  
Moscow Region ◽  
Prevention Measures ◽  
Sex Composition ◽  
Therapeutic Measures ◽  
Age And Sex ◽  
Scientific Achievements

The system of veterinary and sanitary measures in the CJSC "Makeevo" of the Zarayskiy municipal district of the Moscow region was studied during 2015-2016. The tests were carried out on 2232 cattle with age and sex composition: 965 cows, 206 heifers, 186 heifers (2014 year of birth), 52 bulls (2014 year of birth,) 426 heifers (2015 year of birth), 397 male calves (2015 year of birth). The system of veterinary and sanitary measures to prevent infectious diseases of cattle have been developed on the basis of modern scientific achievements, taking into account many years of practical experience in Russia, includes a set of measures: an analysis of the current situation in the farm; identification of urgent priority measures, specialists training on the farm, monitoring of the proposed measures implementation; elaboration of the farm development plan. The results of the recommendations production tests and the system of veterinary and sanitary measures on number of cattle in the dairy farm enterprise through the modernization of the production process are presented. Application of organizational-economic, sanitary, diagnostic, preventive and therapeutic measures was allowed to protect 99.25% of animals from necrobacteriosis.

scholarly journals Survey of Saliva Components and Virus Sensors for Prevention of COVID-19 and Infectious Diseases

Biosensors ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 14
Author(s):  
Priya Dave ◽  
Roberto Rojas-Cessa ◽  
Ziqian Dong ◽  
Vatcharapan Umpaichitra
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Dental Health ◽  
The United States ◽  
Human Saliva ◽  
Field Application ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Prevention Measures ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Close Distance

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers saliva contact the lead transmission mean of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Saliva droplets or aerosols expelled by sneezing, coughing, breathing, and talking may carry this virus. People in close distance may be exposed directly to these droplets or indirectly when touching the droplets that fall on surrounding surfaces and ending up contracting COVID-19 after touching the mucosa tissue of their faces. It is of great interest to quickly and effectively detect the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in an environment, but the existing methods only work in laboratory settings, to the best of our knowledge. However, it may be possible to detect the presence of saliva in the environment and proceed with prevention measures. However, detecting saliva itself has not been documented in the literature. On the other hand, many sensors that detect different organic components in saliva to monitor a person’s health and diagnose different diseases, ranging from diabetes to dental health, have been proposed and they may be used to detect the presence of saliva. This paper surveys sensors that detect organic and inorganic components of human saliva. Humidity sensors are also considered in the detection of saliva because a large portion of saliva is water. Moreover, sensors that detect infectious viruses are also included as they may also be embedded into saliva sensors for a confirmation of the presence of the virus. A classification of sensors by their working principles and the substances they detect is presented, including the sensors’ specifications, sample size, and sensitivity. Indications of which sensors are portable and suitable for field application are presented. This paper also discusses future research and challenges that must be resolved to realize practical saliva sensors. Such sensors may help minimize the spread of not only COVID-19 but also other infectious diseases.

scholarly journals Leveraging Existing Data from CMS-Linked Cohort Studies for the Advancement and Translation of Frailty Research

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 777-777
Author(s):  
Qian-Li Xue ◽  
Kristine Ensrud ◽  
Shari Lin
Keyword(s):  
Cohort Studies ◽  
Healthcare Utilization ◽  
Risk Adjustment ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Care Organization ◽  
Frailty Phenotype ◽  
Frailty Assessment ◽  
The Impact

Abstract As population aging is accelerating rapidly, there is growing concern on how to best provide patient-centered care for the most vulnerable. Establishing a predictable and affordable cost structure for healthcare services is key to improving quality, accessibility, and affordability. One such effort is the “frailty” adjustment model implemented by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that adjusts payments to a Medicare managed care organization based on functional impairment of its beneficiaries. Earlier studies demonstrated added value of this frailty adjuster for prediction of Medicare expenditures independent of the diagnosis-based risk adjustment. However, we hypothesize that further improvement is possible by implementing more rigorous frailty assessment rather than relying on self-report of ADL difficulties as used for the frailty adjuster. This is supported by the consensus and clinical observations that neither multimorbidity nor disability alone is sufficient for frailty identification. This symposium consists of four talks that leverage data from three CMS-linked cohort studies to investigate the utility of assessment of the frailty phenotype for predicting healthcare utilization and costs. Talk 1 and 2 use data from the NHATS cohort to assess healthcare utilization by frailty status in the general population and the homebound subset. Talk 3 and 4 use data from the MrOS study and the SOF study to investigate the impact of frailty phenotype on healthcare costs. Taken together, their findings highlight the potential of incorporating phenotypic frailty assessment into CMS risk adjustment to improve the planning and management of care for frail older adults.

scholarly journals Patient health engagement model: explaining citizens noncompliance and maladaptive behaviors

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
G Graffigna ◽  
S Barello ◽  
L Palamenghi ◽  
M Savarese ◽  
G Castellini
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Health Prevention ◽  
Prevention Measures ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Patient Health ◽  
Public Health Authorities ◽  
High Level ◽  
Restrictive Measures

Abstract Background At the end of February 2020 a new case was diagnosed with COVID-19 in north Italy, suddenly followed by new cases. Italian health authorities decided to enforce restrictive measures. Northern areas of Italy were identified as “red areas” to slow down the epidemic and its impact on the healthcare system. From this perspective, the COVID-19 epidemic in Italy constitutes a testing ground for the assessment of the ability of consumers to cope with this health risk. Methods A cross-sectional study on a representative sample of 1000 Italian citizens was conducted over the period 27 February- 5 March exploring the following hypotheses: 1) less engaged individuals are more concerned for the health emergency and feel more vulnerable; 2) less engaged have higher probability to develop negative attitudes and dysfunctional behaviors. Results only the 16% the interviewees presented a high level of engagement. Lower levels of engagement were measured in the southern parts of Italy (not yet touched by the epidemics at the time of data collection). People with lowers levels of engagement reported higher fears for the contagion and sense of vulnerability. Furthermore, they showed the lower levels of trust in the Public Health Authorities, in medical research and in vaccines. Finally, they appeared more dismissive in their preventive behaviors and more disorganized in the fruition of the healthcare services. Conclusions A psychological analysis of processes of attitudinal and role change in the direction of becoming more engaged in health prevention is worthy in order to forecast potential dysfunctional reactions to restrictive health prevention measures and to orient personalized education initiatives to consumers with different level of engagement. Key messages Profiling based on the levels of health engagement is important in order to plan more effective healthcare measures during epidemics. Targeted educational initiatives should take into account citizens' engagement profiles.

scholarly journals Inequalities in out-of-pocket health expenditure among women of reproductive age: after-effects of national health insurance scheme initiation in Ghana

2021 ◽  
Vol 96 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Ekholuenetale ◽  
Amadou Barrow
Keyword(s):  
Health Insurance ◽  
Healthcare Utilization ◽  
Health Expenditure ◽  
Concentration Index ◽  
Insurance Coverage ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Socioeconomic Disadvantage ◽  
Reproductive Age ◽  
Women Of Reproductive Age ◽  
Maternal Healthcare

Abstract Background Improvement in maternal healthcare is a public health priority. Unfortunately, in spite of the efforts made over time regarding universal coverage, there remain issues with accessibility and use of healthcare services up to now. In this study, we examined inequalities in out-of-pocket health expenditure among women of reproductive age in Ghana. We analyzed secondary data collected in Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS) - 2014. A total of 9,002 women of reproductive age were included in this study. Lorenz curves and the concentration index were used to examine neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage inequalities in out-of-pocket expenditure for maternal healthcare utilization Results About two thirds (66.0%) of women of reproductive age in Ghana were covered by health insurance. In sum, women of high neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage status had the least out-of-pocket expenditure for total healthcare utilization, laboratory investigations, antenatal care visits, post-natal care visits, care for new born for up to 3 months, and other healthcare services. The converse was however true for family planning service utilization. Using Concentration Index, we quantified the degree of neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage inequalities in healthcare service utilizations. Conclusion This study showed a gap in health insurance coverage among women of reproductive age. There were also inequalities in out-of-pocket expenditure for healthcare services utilization. It is expedient for stakeholders in the healthcare system to make policies targeted at bridging the neighborhood socioeconomic differences in maternal healthcare use and develop programs to improve women’s financial protection. Moreover, enlightenment on health insurance availability and coverage should focus on women at risk of out-of-pocket expenditure.

scholarly journals Cross-sectional telephone surveys as a tool to study epidemiological factors and monitor seasonal influenza activity in Malta

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Marmara ◽  
D. Marmara ◽  
P. McMenemy ◽  
A. Kleczkowski
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Seasonal Influenza ◽  
Medical Information ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Reporting Rate ◽  
Google Trends ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Self Perception ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Public

Abstract Background Seasonal influenza has major implications for healthcare services as outbreaks often lead to high activity levels in health systems. Being able to predict when such outbreaks occur is vital. Mathematical models have extensively been used to predict epidemics of infectious diseases such as seasonal influenza and to assess effectiveness of control strategies. Availability of comprehensive and reliable datasets used to parametrize these models is limited. In this paper we combine a unique epidemiological dataset collected in Malta through General Practitioners (GPs) with a novel method using cross-sectional surveys to study seasonal influenza dynamics in Malta in 2014–2016, to include social dynamics and self-perception related to seasonal influenza. Methods Two cross-sectional public surveys (n = 406 per survey) were performed by telephone across the Maltese population in 2014–15 and 2015–16 influenza seasons. Survey results were compared with incidence data (diagnosed seasonal influenza cases) collected by GPs in the same period and with Google Trends data for Malta. Information was collected on whether participants recalled their health status in past months, occurrences of influenza symptoms, hospitalisation rates due to seasonal influenza, seeking GP advice, and other medical information. Results We demonstrate that cross-sectional surveys are a reliable alternative data source to medical records. The two surveys gave comparable results, indicating that the level of recollection among the public is high. Based on two seasons of data, the reporting rate in Malta varies between 14 and 22%. The comparison with Google Trends suggests that the online searches peak at about the same time as the maximum extent of the epidemic, but the public interest declines and returns to background level. We also found that the public intensively searched the Internet for influenza-related terms even when number of cases was low. Conclusions Our research shows that a telephone survey is a viable way to gain deeper insight into a population’s self-perception of influenza and its symptoms and to provide another benchmark for medical statistics provided by GPs and Google Trends. The information collected can be used to improve epidemiological modelling of seasonal influenza and other infectious diseases, thus effectively contributing to public health.

scholarly journals The role of nutrition in strengthening immune system against newly emerging viral diseases: case of SARS-CoV-2

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (7) ◽  
pp. 240-244
Author(s):  
Meghit Boumediene Khaled ◽  
Nada Benajiba
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Nutritional Status ◽  
Infected Individual ◽  
Emerging Infectious Diseases ◽  
The Body ◽  
Healthy Diet ◽  
World Health ◽  
Viral Diseases ◽  
Prevention Measures

The immune system is involved in the protection of host against environmental agents such as pathogenic micro-organisms (bacteria, fungi, and viruses) and chemicals, thereby preserving the integrity of the body. To preserve organism defense mechanisms, adequate nutritional status should be maintained with appropriate intakes of calories, vitamins, minerals and water that should be continuously provided by a healthy diet. The emergence of new infectious diseases with new pathogenic properties constitutes a serious health issue worldwide. Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) represents one of the most recent emerging infectious diseases, caused by a novel coronavirus member called (SARS-CoV-2), identified in Wuhan, Hubei, China in December 2019, and recognized as pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). The nutritional status of each COVID-19-infected patient should be assessed prior undertaking treatments. Nutritional support should be the basis of management of any infected individual. However, prevention measures remain the first priority and strategy to develop throughout proper hygiene, healthy diet and staying home. Keywords: Nutrition, Immune system, Viral diseases, SARS-CoV-2.

scholarly journals Estimating infection-related human mobility networks based on time series data of COVID-19 infection in Japan

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tetsuya Yamada ◽  
Shoi Shi
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Time Series Data ◽  
Human Mobility ◽  
Emerging Infectious Diseases ◽  
Human Movement ◽  
Data Driven ◽  
Disease Spread ◽  
Series Data ◽  
Data Infrastructure

Comprehensive and evidence-based countermeasures against emerging infectious diseases have become increasingly important in recent years. COVID-19 and many other infectious diseases are spread by human movement and contact, but complex transportation networks in 21 century make it difficult to predict disease spread in rapidly changing situations. It is especially challenging to estimate the network of infection transmission in the countries that the traffic and human movement data infrastructure is not yet developed. In this study, we devised a method to estimate the network of transmission of COVID-19 from the time series data of its infection and applied it to determine its spread across areas in Japan. We incorporated the effects of soft lockdowns, such as the declaration of a state of emergency, and changes in the infection network due to government-sponsored travel promotion, and predicted the spread of infection using the Tokyo Olympics as a model. The models used in this study are available online, and our data-driven infection network models are scalable, whether it be at the level of a city, town, country, or continent, and applicable anywhere in the world, as long as the time-series data of infections per region is available. These estimations of effective distance and the depiction of infectious disease networks based on actual infection data are expected to be useful in devising data-driven countermeasures against emerging infectious diseases worldwide.

scholarly journals GLOBAL SPREAD OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES

2004 ◽  
Vol 12 (03) ◽  
pp. 289-300 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. HSU ◽  
A. ZEE
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Human Mobility ◽  
Air Travel ◽  
Peak Number ◽  
Public Health Infrastructure ◽  
Health Infrastructure ◽  
Global Spread ◽  
Epidemiological Parameters ◽  
Simple Models

We develop simple models for the global spread of infectious diseases, emphasizing human mobility via air travel and the variation of public health infrastructure from region to region. We derive formulas relating the total and peak number of infections in two countries to the rate of travel between them and their respective epidemiological parameters.

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