scholarly journals Making the link: using long-term cancer survival measures linked with acute care data to plan health services.

Author(s):  
Cameron Wright ◽  
Rachael Moorin

IntroductionLong-term cancer survival measures have become more important as management has improved outcomes. However, we know some cancer-related acute care use persists into the long-term. This project sought to integrate cancer survival analysis and health services research, validating our modelling retrospectively, for prospective application for health service planning. Objectives and ApproachWe used linked Western Australian cancer registry, mortality and hospitalisation data. Flexible parametric models for first-time invasive cancer diagnoses between 1/1/1997 and 31/12/2006 were used to extract marginal estimates of the cure proportion –that expected not to experience excess mortality from cancer - for those diagnosed in 1999. Fine and Gray competing risks regression was used to estimate the proportion who had died of non-cancer causes. The expected number of individuals diagnosed in 1999 still alive in 2011 was multiplied by the mean expected rate of cancer-related hospitalisations 12 years post-diagnosis (modelled for individuals diagnosed between 1/1/1997 and 31/12/2011). ResultsCure modelling was appropriate for colorectal cancer (CRC) and melanoma. CRC cure proportions were 0.58 for ≤ 50 years at diagnosis, 0.61 for 51 – 70 years, and 0.49 for ≥71 years. For melanoma, corresponding proportions were 0.94, 0.91 and 0.83. The expected number still alive in 2011 was similar to the actual observed in the linked data for the youngest age group, with an over-estimate for older groups. The actual age-standardised, cancer-related hospitalisations in 2011 for those diagnosed with CRC or melanoma in 1999, was within the lower and upper limits of the expected number for all except melanoma diagnosed between 51 and 70 years of age. For this group, observed cancer-related hospitalisations were higher than the expected (355 versus 271 (203 – 341)). Conclusion/ImplicationsCancer registry linked with health service use data can provide useful insights for health service planners. While a decline in cancer-related hospitalisations from diagnosis is expected, this study shows that some demand remains 12 years post-diagnosis. Further refinement of our approach will facilitate its utility in planning cancer-related acute care.

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 466-466
Author(s):  
Kelly Trevino ◽  
Peter Martin ◽  
John Leonard

Abstract Indolent lymphomas are incurable but slow-growing cancers, resulting in a large number of older adults living with these diseases. Patients typically live with their illness for years with the knowledge that disease progression is likely. Yet, little is known about psychological distress in this population. This study examined rates of and the relationship between distress and mental health service use in older and younger adults with indolent lymphomas. Adult patients diagnosed with an indolent lymphoma (e.g., follicular lymphoma, marginal zone lymphoma) within the past six months completed self-report surveys of distress (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale; HADS) and mental health service use since the cancer diagnosis (yes/no). Descriptive statistics, t-tests, and chi-square analyses were used to examine study questions. The sample (n=84) included 35 patients 65 years or older. Across the entire sample, 21.4% screened positive for distress on the HADS; 58.8% of these patients did not receive mental health services. Older adults reported lower distress levels than younger adults (17.1% v. 24.5%; p=.038). Among younger adults, 50% of distressed patients received mental health services; only 20% of distressed older adults received mental health services. Distress was associated with mental health service use in younger adults (p=.004) but not in older adults (p=.17). Older adults with indolent lymphomas have higher levels of untreated distress than younger adults. Research on the mechanisms underlying these age differences (e.g., stigma toward mental health services, ageism) would inform interventions to increase rates of mental health service use and reduce care disparities due to age.


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
W Peng ◽  
J Maguire ◽  
A Hayen ◽  
J Adams ◽  
D Sibbritt

Abstract Background This is a case study for recurrent stroke prevention. Lifestyle factors account for about 80% of the risk of recurrent stroke. Most health services studies examining stroke prevention rely on stroke survivors' self-reported lifestyle behaviour data. How can researchers increase the value of collected self-reported data to provide additional information for more comprehensive assessments? Methods 45 and Up Study is the largest ongoing study in the Southern Hemisphere focusing on the health of people aged 45 years and older living in NSW, Australia. This case study linked self-reported longitudinal lifestyle data in the 45 and Up Study, with corresponding mortality data (i.e. NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages & NSW Cause of Death Unit Record File) and hospital data (i.e. NSW Admitted Patient Data Collection) via the Centre for Health Record Linkage (CHeReL). The main outcome measures are health services, clinical outcomes, and mortality rates for stroke care. The analyses will include descriptive analysis, multivariate regression analysis, and survival analysis. Results A total of 8410 stroke survivors who participated in the 45 and Up Study were included in this data linkage study. From January 2006 to December 2015, 99249 hospital claims (mean: 13 times admission to hospital per person) and 2656 death registration records have been linked to these participants. The mean age of the stroke survivors was 72 (SD = 11) years, with 56% being males. These results are preliminary and more analyses will be conducted by using quality of life status, clinical diagnosis, comorbidities, and procedures. Conclusions Data linkage enables researchers to generate comprehensive findings on health services studies and gain a more holistic understanding of the determinants and outcomes of stroke prevention with lower data collection costs and less burden on participants. Key messages Data linkage brings about a new opportunity for self-reported data on health services utilisation. It is a cost-effective way to enhance existing self-reported data via the data linkage approach to increase its usefulness for informing health service planning.


1997 ◽  
Vol 352 (1363) ◽  
pp. 1887-1893 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Grimley Evans

Health services for older people in the NHS have developed pragmatically, and reflect the nature of disease in later life and the need to agree objectives of care with patients. Although services are likely to be able to cope with the immediate future, the growth of the elderly population anticipated from 2030 calls for long–term planning and research. The issue of funding requires immediate political thought and action. Scientifically the focus needs to be on maximizing the efficiency of services by health services research and reducing the incidence of disability in later life through research on its biological and social determinants. Senescence is a progressive loss of adaptability due to an interaction between intrinsic (genetic) processes with extrinsic factors in environment and lifestyle. There are grounds for postulating that a policy of postponement of the onset of disability, by modifications of lifestyle and environment, could reduce the average duration of disability before death. The new political structures of Europe offer underexploited–unexploited opportunities for the necessary research.


2020 ◽  
pp. bmjspcare-2020-002449
Author(s):  
Alison Pauline Bowers ◽  
Natalie Bradford ◽  
Raymond Javan Chan ◽  
Anthony Herbert ◽  
Patsy Yates

BackgroundHealth service planning in paediatric palliative care is complex, with the diverse geographical and demographic characteristics adding to the challenge of developing services across different nations. Accurate and reliable data are essential to inform effective, efficient and equitable health services.AimTo quantify health service usage by children and young people aged 0–21 years with a life-limiting condition admitted to hospital and health service facilities in Queensland, Australia during the 2011 and 2016 calendar years, and describe the clinical and demographic characteristics associated with health services usage.DesignRetrospective health administrative data linkage of clinical and demographic information with hospital admissions was extracted using International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision Australian Modification (ICD-10-AM) diagnostic codes. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics.Setting/participantsIndividuals aged 0–21 years with a life-limiting condition admitted to a Queensland Public Hospital and Health Service or private hospital.ResultsHospital admissions increased from 17 955 in 2011 to 23 273 in 2016, an increase of 5318 (29.6%). The greatest percentage increase in admissions were for those aged 16–18 years (58.1%, n=1050), and those with non-oncological conditions (36.2%, n=4256). The greatest number of admissions by ICD-10-AM chapter for 2011 and 2016 were by individuals with neoplasms (6174, 34.4% and 7206, 31.0% respectively). Overall, the number of admissions by Indigenous children and young people increased by 70.2% (n=838).ConclusionsAdministrative data are useful to describe clinical and demographic characteristics and quantify health service usage. Available data suggest a growing demand for health services by children eligible for palliative care that will require an appropriate response from health service planners.


2011 ◽  
pp. 1976-1993
Author(s):  
Gulcin Buyukozkan ◽  
Ufuk Bilsel

The use of advanced telecommunication and information technologies has been investigated for several decades as an effort in improving healthcare services. Over the last ten years, in particular, efforts have been centered on telemedicine, which has become an increasingly attractive field of research in healthcare service delivery. This chapter discusses multiple criteria evaluation of electronic healthcare (e-health) services, a branch of telemedicine, with both users’ and practitioners’ (service provider) perspectives. The proposed approach integrates several analytical decision making techniques and can be helpful in increasing the flexibility and efficiency of e-health service planning. Several different discrete alternative methods, namely AHP, Borda Count, LINMAP, and PROMETHEE are utilized to prioritize different e-health services and to evaluate preferences of both users and practitioners.


Author(s):  
David Lawrence

This chapter shows you how to contribute to planning health services successfully at strategic and operational levels. It first explains what health service planning is and the nature of health services as mainly ‘soft’ systems. It provides a conceptual framework for planning and then goes through steps and tasks in planning. It then suggests some ways of overcoming pitfalls, notes some common fallacies about planning, and provides a real planning case study with its successes and failures. Finally, it notes ways to assess how well you are doing


2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Y Zhu ◽  
D Edwards ◽  
S Kiddle ◽  
R Payne

Abstract Background Current clinical specialities, guidelines and quality of care metrics are organised around single diseases and treatments of multiple conditions are rarely coordinated, resulting in insufficient or even conflicting care. This study uses large scale English general practice (GP) records to identify and characterise clusters of patients based on their multimorbidity to allow better design of health services and highlight groups that require additional interventions. Methods This is a retrospective cohort study that includes multimorbid adult patients (N = 113,211), from a random sample of 391,669 English patients with valid GP records in 2012 where 38 long-term conditions were defined. Latent class analysis, stratified by age groups, was used to identify multimorbidity clusters. Class solutions are validated and associations between multimorbidity clusters, patient characteristics, public health service utilisation and mortality are assessed. Results Poor socioeconomic status is associated with clusters with higher service use and mortality risk. Physical-mental health co-morbidity is a major component of multimorbidity across all age strata. The clusters with highest age-stratified mortality risk in under 65 year olds were linked to alcohol and substance misuse, whereas in over 65 year olds they were linked to cardiovascular disease. The largest cluster in the 85+ years strata (58%) has the lowest number of morbidities, a low degree of service use and mortality. Consistency was seen across identification and validation data. Conclusions We find a clear distinction between morbidity clusters, both in the prevalence of long term conditions within them, and in their associations with outcomes (service use and mortality). Specific health services and interventions might be more effective when targeted on the distinct types of multimorbidity we have identified, with a particular focus on the morbidity clusters associated with the worst patient outcomes. Key messages The first study to derive age stratified multimorbidity clusters from a large GP record system, whose patients are representative of the English population. Knowledge about particularly dangerous clusters of multimorbidity, such as those involving alcohol and drug use in 18–64 years old, and cardiovascular disease in those 65 years or older.


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