Clustering Diagnoses from 58M Patient Visits in Finland 2015–2018 (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pasi Fränti ◽  
Sami Sieranoja ◽  
Katja Wikström ◽  
Tiina Laatikainen
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Clustering Algorithm ◽  
Target Population ◽  
Care Process ◽  
Care Services ◽  
System P ◽  
Integration Of Services ◽  
Effective Organization ◽  
Using Data

BACKGROUND Patients with multiple chronic diseases cause a major burden to the health service system. Currently, diseases are mostly treated separately without paying enough attention to their relationships, which results in a fragmentation of the care process. Better integration of services can lead to more effective organization of the overall health care system. OBJECTIVE To analyze the connections between diseases based on their co-occurrences in order to support decision-makers in better organizing health care services. METHODS We performed cluster analysis of diagnosis using data from the Finnish Health Care Registers for primary and specialized health care visits and inpatient care. The target population of this study comprised all individuals aged 18 years or older who used health care services during the years 2015–2018. Clustering was performed based on the co-occurrence of diagnoses. The more the same pair of diagnoses appears in the records of same patients, the more the diagnoses correlate. Based on the co-occurrences, we calculated the relative risk of each pair of diagnoses and clustered the data using a graph-based clustering algorithm called M-algorithm, a variant of k-means. RESULTS The results reveal multimorbidity clusters, of which some are expected, for example one representing hypertensive and cardiovascular diseases. Other clusters are more unexpected, such as a cluster containing lower respiratory tract diseases and systemic connective tissue disorders. We also report the estimated cost effect of each cluster to society. CONCLUSIONS The method and achieved results provide new insight to identify key multimorbidity groups, especially ones resulting in burden and costs in health care services.

Spatio-Temporal Hot Spot Analysis of Epidemic Diseases Using Geographic Information System for Improved Healthcare

2019 ◽  
pp. 31-63
Author(s):  
Uma V. ◽  
Jayanthi Ganapathy
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Spatial Analysis ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Hot Spot ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Treatment And Prevention ◽  
Epidemiology Data ◽  
Care Systems ◽  
Spatio Temporal ◽  
Using Data

Health-care systems aid in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of diseases. Epidemiology deals with the demographic study on frequency, distribution and determinants of disease in order to provide better health-care. Today information technology has made data pervasive i.e. data is available anywhere and in abundance. GIS in epidemiology enables prompt services to mankind or people at risk. It brings out health-care services that are amicable for prevention and control of disease spread. This could be achieved when epidemiology data is modeled considering temporal and spatial factors and using data driven computation techniques over such models. This chapter discusses 1) the need for integrating GIS and epidemiology, 2) various case studies that indicates the need for spatial analysis being performed on epidemiologic data, 3) few techniques involved in the spatial analysis, 4) functionalities provided by some of the widely used GIS software packages and tools.

Anthropology and Informatics in Health Care

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurie Novak ◽  
Joyce Harris
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Delivery Of Health Care ◽  
Health Informatics ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Collaborative Work ◽  
Health Records ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Health And Illness ◽  
Using Data

Information technology increasingly figures into the activities of health-care workers, patients, and their informal caregivers. The growing intersection of anthropology and health informatics is reviewed, a field dedicated to the science of using data, information, and knowledge to improve human health and the delivery of health-care services. Health informatics as a discipline wrestles with complex issues of information collection, classification, and presentation to patients and working clinical personnel. Anthropologists are well-suited as collaborators in this work. Topics of collaborative work include the construction of health and illness, patient-focused research, the organization and delivery of health-care services, the design and implementation of electronic health records, and ethics, power, and surveillance. The application of technology to social roles, practices, and power relations that is inherent in health informatics provides a rich source of empirical data to advance anthropological theory and methods.

scholarly journals Satisfaction of patients received in emergencies in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the Yalgado Ouedraogo teaching hospital: comparative study before and after the introduction of free care

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. 3259
Author(s):  
Hyacinthe Zamané ◽  
Sibraogo Kiemtoré ◽  
Paul Dantola Kain ◽  
Lydie Zounogo Ouédraogo ◽  
Blandine Bonané Thiéba
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Quality Of Care ◽  
Teaching Hospital ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Care Process ◽  
Important Indicator ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Free Care

Background: The quality of care perceived by the users of health care services is an important indicator of the quality of care. The aim of this study was to assess the satisfaction of patients received in obstetric and gynecological emergencies department of Yalgado Ouedraogo Teaching Hospital before and after the introduction of free care.Methods: This was a cross-sectional investigation. Data collection was carried out from February to July 2016, covering the last three months before the start of free care and the first three months of implementation of this free policy in Burkina Faso.Results: A total of 620 patients formed the sample. The reception (p=0.0001), the waiting period (p=0.0001), respect for treatment schedules (p=0.0001), respect for intimacy (p=0.0001), communication between providers and patients (p=0.007), the comfort of the delivery room (p=0.003) and the comfort of the ward room (p=0.002) were more favorably appreciated by patients before the free treatment than during that period. Overall patient satisfaction was better before the effectiveness of free care (p=0.003).Conclusions: The realization of free care process was followed by a lower patient’s satisfaction reflecting an alteration in the quality of health care services. A situational analysis of this free health care process is necessary in order to make corrective measures. Also adequate preventive measures should be adopted before any implementation to a larger scale of this free policy.

Learning to Accept Uncertainty as a Quality of Care Dimension

2013 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Vahé A. Kazandjian
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Information Technology ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Clinical Decision Making ◽  
Clinical Decision ◽  
Care Process ◽  
Care Services

Uncertainty in clinical decision-making is integral to the pathways chosen while applying available knowledge to a patient’s care process. This chapter explores the ways in which uncertainty can be incorporated into the understanding of better performance approaches, and is thus proposed as an enabling dimension of performance. Tracing the keystone definitions of uncertainty from Hippocrates to Osler, the discussion addresses the dimensions of decision - making appropriateness, its timeliness, the expected and actual value of the care services, and the role of systematic communication between providers of care as well as with patients. The crucial role of Health Information Technology is emphasized, and a unifying model is proposed where the inclusion of uncertainty as a dimension of performance promotes an encompassing evaluation of the quality of health care services.

scholarly journals Patient Satisfaction with Health Care Services; An Application of Physician’s Behavior as a Moderator

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (18) ◽  
pp. 3318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Faiza Manzoor ◽  
Longbao Wei ◽  
Abid Hussain ◽  
Muhammad Asif ◽  
Syed Irshad Ali Shah
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Patient Satisfaction ◽  
Prenatal Care ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Care Facility ◽  
Target Population ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Public Hospitals ◽  
Preventive Healthcare ◽  
Care Services

Patient satisfaction is a measure of the extent to which a patient is content with the health care they received from their health care provider. Patient satisfaction is one of the most important factors to determine the success of a health care facility. The purpose of this study was to determine patient satisfaction with healthcare services and encompass the physician’s behavior as moderation between patient satisfaction and healthcare services. The study seeks to measure the health care services, like a laboratory and diagnostic care, preventive healthcare and prenatal care, to patient satisfaction in the public health sectors of Pakistan. A descriptive survey research design was used for this study. The target population was patients from the out-patient department (OPD) of three public hospitals from Pakistan. By using the convenient sampling technique, 290 sample participants were selected from the target population. The reliability scales were tallied by using Cronbach’s Alpha. The findings of the study are gleaned by using regression to explore patient satisfaction with the health care services, and whether or not the physician’s behavior moderates the link of patient satisfaction and healthcare services. SPSS Hayes process was used for the moderation effect of the physician’s behavior. The main results of the regression analysis validate that health care services, such as laboratory and diagnostic care, preventive healthcare, and prenatal care, have a significant and positive effect on patient satisfaction. Specifically, the study suggests that the physician’s behavior significantly moderates the effect of health care services on the satisfaction of patients. The overall opinions about the satisfaction level of patients for the availability of health services in the hospitals were good. The degree of satisfaction was satisfactory with respect to laboratory and diagnostic care, preventive healthcare, and prenatal care services. Based on the outcomes, the study confirms that the proposed hypotheses are statistically significant. Furthermore, the directions for future research of the study are offered.

Factors Contributing to Utilization of Health Care Services in Malaysia: A Population-Based Study

2009 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 442-450 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saroja Krishnaswamy ◽  
Kavitha Subramaniam ◽  
Wah Yun Low ◽  
Jemain Abdul Aziz ◽  
Tishya Indran ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Population Based Study ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Health Complications

Objective. This paper examines the factors contributing to the under utilisation of health care services in the Malaysian population. Methodology. Using data derived from Malaysian Mental Health Survey (MMHS) information on utilisation of four basic health services in the previous three months, namely contact with health care professionals, ward admissions, having diagnostic or laboratory tests done and being on any medications were obtained. Results. A total of 2202 out of 3666 or 60% of the MMHS participants were included in this study. Thirty percent of the subjects (n = 664) had contacts with health care professionals. Those with health complications, disabilities and those aged 50 years and above utilised health services more significantly as compared to those who lacked health facilities near their homes, had little family support during illnesses and were from the Chinese ethnic group. Conclusion. Factors leading to the under utilisation of health care services need to be further studied and needs in certain groups in the population should be addressed. Healthcare providers must be prepared to fulfil these needs.

scholarly journals The distribution of mental health services within NHS trusts

1994 ◽  
Vol 18 (8) ◽  
pp. 469-471
Author(s):  
Judy Harrison
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Acute Hospital ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Community Trust ◽  
Using Data

From April 1994, over 95% of health care services will be provided by NHS trusts. Mental Health services have a choice of remaining within the acute hospital trust or forming part or all of a community trust. Using data from trust directories, the distribution of mental health services within the first three trust waves is described. Forty per cent of acute hospital trusts currently do not include mental health services. Unlike other specialities, a significant proportion of mental health services are choosing to form specialist mental health trusts. The implications of the alternative trust arrangements for psychiatry are discussed.

scholarly journals Patients’ and Professionals’ Views on Managing Fibromyalgia

2013 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erica Briones-Vozmediano ◽  
Carmen Vives-Cases ◽  
Elena Ronda-Pérez ◽  
Diana Gil-González
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Health Care Systems ◽  
Care Process ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Semistructured Interviews ◽  
Standardized Treatment ◽  
Care Systems ◽  
Insight Into

BACKGROUND: Managing fibromyalgia is a challenge for both health care systems and the professionals caring for these patients, due, in part, to the fact that the etiology of this disease is unknown, its symptoms are not specific and there is no standardized treatment.OBJECTIVE: The present study examines three aspects of fibromyalgia management, namely diagnostic approach, therapeutic management and the health professional-patient relationship, to explore specific areas of the health care process that professionals and patients may consider unsatisfactory.METHODS: A qualitative study involving semistructured interviews with 12 fibromyalgia patients and nine health professionals was performed.RESULTS: The most commonly recurring theme was the dissatisfaction of both patients and professionals with the management process as a whole. Both groups expressed dissatisfaction with the delay in reaching a diagnosis and obtaining effective treatment. Patients reported the need for greater moral support from professionals, whereas the latter often felt frustrated and of little help to patients. Patients and professionals agreed on one point: the uncertainty surrounding the management of fibromyalgia and, especially, its etiology.CONCLUSION: The present study contributes to a better understanding regarding why current management of fibromyalgia is neither effective nor satisfactory. It also provides insight into how health professionals can support fibromyalgia patients to achieve beneficial results. Health care services should offer greater support for these patients in the form of specific resources such as fibromyalgia clinics and health professionals with increased awareness of the disease.

scholarly journals INCOME PER BED AS A DETERMINANT OF HOSPITAL’S FINANCIAL LIQUIDITY

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 124-131
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Bem ◽  
Paulina Ucieklak-Jeż ◽  
Paweł Prędkiewicz
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Financial Management ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Annual Income ◽  
Financial Condition ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Intensity Of Care ◽  
Financial Liquidity ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Relationship

Hospitals’ financial condition is very important, in terms of availability and quality of inpatient health care services. Inpatient’s services consume, in Poland, an important part (about 50%) of National Health Fund resources, but financial situation of hospitals is difficult and many hospitals report problems with liquidity and solvency. The purpose of this research is to study the relationship between the intensity of care, measured by the annual income per bed, and the static liquidity ratios (current ratio and quick ratio). The research has been conducted on the sample of 138 Polish hospitals, using data covering the period 2009-2011. In order to test research hypotheses, statistical tools have been used (T-Student distribution). The study has shown, that, during analyzed period, liquidity ratios have lowered and the level of financial liquidity is, in case of Polish hospitals, lower than recommended in the literature. The authors also confirmed the existence of the relationship between annual income per bed and liquidity ratios. However, the most important finding is that the relationship between the hospital’s income per bed and financial liquidity ratios is positive only up to a certain level, which has been estimated at about 60,000-70,000 EUR per bed. Above this level further increase in income per bed decreases liquidity ratios. This finding seems to be extremely important for health care managers, which usually strive for the income maximization. Key words: hospital, financial liquidity, financial management, CR, QR.

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