scholarly journals The Evaluation of Professional Divisions of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Taiwan through Patient Visit Records of 2012

Author(s):  
Ta-Peng Wu ◽  
Cheng-Hung Tsai ◽  
Yu-Ting Su ◽  
Chu-Chiao Wang ◽  
Tzeng-Ji Chen ◽  
...  

For decades, professional divisions have been represented as the main structural divisions in Western medicine throughout the world. In Taiwan, medical policymakers are also interested in designing professional divisions of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Therefore, this study evaluated the current status and potentiality of professional divisions of TCM in Taiwan using data from the year 2012 obtained from the National Health Insurance Research Database; the database provides information regarding age and gender of TCM physicians (TCMPs); total visit counts; contracted medical institution codes; groupings of diseases classified under International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes; numbers of children and female patients seeking treatment; and claim disposition codes used by each TCMP. The results indicated that there were 5522 TCMPs in 2012, and 4876 (90.3%) TCMPs practiced in primary clinics. The proportions of pediatric visits to these TCMPs were mostly below 0.2, and acupuncture or traumatology-related visit proportions were below 0.5. Only a few of the studied Taiwan-based TCMPs practiced gynecology and pediatrics, but most of them performed “internal medicine”, or “acupuncture” or “traumatology” treatments. Thus, the number of TCM specialists practicing gynecology or pediatrics is insufficient, indicating that a policy that forms professional divisions of TCM practitioners in Taiwan should be reconsidered.

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tsung-Ying Lin ◽  
Chieh Hsin Wu ◽  
Wei-Che Lee ◽  
Chao-Wen Chen ◽  
Liang-Chi Kuo ◽  
...  

Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a critical illness that may result in patient mortality or morbidity. In this study, we investigated the outcomes of patients treated in medical center and nonmedical center hospitals and the relationship between such outcomes and hospital and surgeon volume. Patient data were abstracted from the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan in the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2000, which contains all claims data of 1 million beneficiaries randomly selected in 2000. The International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, subarachnoid hemorrhage (430) was used for the inclusion criteria. We identified 355 patients between 11 and 87 years of age who had subarachnoid hemorrhage. Among them, 32.4% (115/355) were men. The median Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) score was 1.3 (SD ± 0.6). Unadjusted logistic regression analysis demonstrated that low mortality was associated with high hospital volume (OR = 3.21; 95% CI: 1.18–8.77). In this study, we found no statistical significances of mortality, LOS, and total charges between medical centers and nonmedical center hospitals. Patient mortality was associated with hospital volume. Nonmedical center hospitals could achieve resource use and outcomes similar to those of medical centers with sufficient volume.


Hand ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc D. Lipman ◽  
Samuel Evan Carstensen ◽  
Dylan Nicole Deal

Background: Dupuytren disease is a common fibroproliferative disorder. Multiple procedural treatment options are available, with Collagenase Clostridium Histolyticum (CCH) injection being introduced in 2010. The purpose of this study was to investigate trends in the treatment of Dupuytren disease in the United States between 2007 and 2014. Methods: The PearlDiver Humana database was queried using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) and Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes for patients with Dupuytren disease that received percutaneous needle aponeurotomy (PNA), fasciotomy, fasciectomy, and CCH injection. Patients were filtered by age, number of comorbidities, and gender. Change in composition of treatments over time was analyzed for each demographic group between 2007 and 2014. Results: Patients presenting to clinic for Dupuytren disease increased from 1118 to 3280, with unchanging treatment percentage of 41. Percent fasciotomies and fasciectomies decreased from 5% to 3% and 33% to 21%, while CCH injection increased to 11% by 2012 to 2014. Percent fasciotomies decreased ( P < .05) in younger healthier (age <65, 0-1 comorbidities) and older less healthy (age 65-74, 4+ comorbidities) populations. Percent fasciectomies decreased significantly in nearly all age and comorbidity groups, but by greater amounts in patients with 2+ comorbidities with increasing age. Percent CCH injections increased in all groups, at rates similar to the losses seen in open procedures. Conclusions: CCH injections have risen to substantial levels, with corresponding decreases in the percentage of patients receiving fasciotomies and fasciectomies. Patient age, comorbidities, and gender appear to have influence on the treatment chosen, likely due to their effects on surgical risk and the importance of timely return to activity.


2015 ◽  
Vol 100 (8) ◽  
pp. 2899-2908 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei-Che Chiu ◽  
Wen-Chao Ho ◽  
Ding-Lieh Liao ◽  
Meng-Hung Lin ◽  
Chih-Chiang Chiu ◽  
...  

Context: Diabetes is a risk factor for dementia, but the effects of diabetic severity on dementia are unclear. Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between the severity and progress of diabetes and the risk of dementia. Design and Setting: We conducted a 12-year population-based cohort study of new-onset diabetic patients from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. The diabetic severity was evaluated by the adapted Diabetes Complications Severity Index (aDCSI) from the prediabetic period to the end of follow-up. Cox proportional hazard regressions were used to calculate the hazard ratios (HRs) of the scores and change in the aDCSI. Participants: Participants were 431,178 new-onset diabetic patients who were older than 50 years and had to receive antidiabetic medications. Main Outcome: Dementia cases were identified by International Classification of Diseases, ninth revision, code (International Classification of Diseases, ninth revision, codes 290.0, 290.1, 290.2, 290.3, 290.4, 294.1, 331.0), and the date of the initial dementia diagnosis was used as the index date. Results: The scores and change in the aDCSI were associated with the risk of dementia when adjusting for patient factors, comorbidity, antidiabetic drugs, and drug adherence. At the end of the follow-up, the risks for dementia were 1.04, 1.40, 1.54, and 1.70 (P &lt; .001 for trend) in patients with an aDCSI score of 1, 2, 3, and greater than 3, respectively. Compared with the mildly progressive patients, the adjusted HRs increased as the aDCSI increased (2 y HRs: 1.30, 1.53, and 1.97; final HRs: 2.38, 6.95, and 24.0 with the change in the aDCSI score per year: 0.51–1.00, 1.01–2.00, and &gt; 2.00 vs &lt; 0.50 with P &lt; .001 for trend). Conclusions: The diabetic severity and progression reflected the risk of dementia, and the early change in the aDCSI could predict the risk of dementia in new-onset diabetic patients.


2008 ◽  
Vol 158 (4) ◽  
pp. 447-457 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirstine Stochholm ◽  
Torben Laursen ◽  
Anders Green ◽  
Peter Laurberg ◽  
Marianne Andersen ◽  
...  

ObjectiveTo estimate morbidity in Denmark in all patients with GH deficiency (GHD).DesignMorbidity was analyzed in 1794 GHD patients and 8014 controls matched on age and gender. All records in the GHD patients were studied and additional morbidity noted. Diagnoses and dates of admissions were identified in the National Patient Registry. Lag time until first admission was used as a measure of morbidity. Patients were divided into childhood onset (CO) and adult onset (AO), discriminated by an age cut-off of 18 years at onset of GHD.MethodSex- and cause-specific hazard ratios (HRs) in CO and AO GHD compared with controls.ResultsTotal morbidity was significantly increased in the GHD patients. HR for CO males: 3.1 (95% confidence interval (CI): 2.7–3.7), CO females: 3.2 (95% CI: 2.6–3.9), AO males: 2.9 (95% CI: 2.6–3.2), and AO females: 3.2 (95% CI: 2.8–3.6). In 18 out of 20 chapters from the International Classification of Diseases-10, a significantly increased morbidity was identified for at least one of the four subgroups of patients. Morbidity was significantly increased in all the four subgroups due to infectious, endocrine, pulmonary, urogenital, and neurological diseases; cancer; diseases of the eye, ear, and circulatory diseases; and traumas. Fractures were significantly increased in AO females, not in males.ConclusionsMorbidity was significantly increased in the GHD patients. The increased morbidity was due to a variety of disorders, some of which can readily be explained by GHD and other pituitary deficiencies, while others cannot be easily explained.


2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 385-392 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Cheng-Chung Wei ◽  
Lin-Hong Shi ◽  
Jing-Yang Huang ◽  
Xue-Fen Wu ◽  
Rui Wu ◽  
...  

Objective.To analyze the trend of prevalence and incidence rates for psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and psoriasis in Taiwan, and to determine the changes in medication patterns.Methods.Data were collected from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database, which covered at least 95% of the population from 2000 to 2013. International Classification of Diseases, 9th edition (ICD-9) was used to identify PsA (ICD-9 696.0) and other psoriasis (ICD-9 696.1). Medications were identified by Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification code. We calculated the annual age standardized prevalence and incidence rate of PsA and psoriasis in individuals aged ≥ 16 years from 2000 to 2013, and used the Poisson regression to test the trends by Wald chi-square statistic.Results.The prevalence (per 100,000 population) of psoriatic diseases between 2000 and 2013 increased from 11.12 to 37.75 for PsA, and from 179.2 to 281.5 for psoriasis. The incidence (per 100,000 person-yrs) increased from 3.64 to 6.91 in PsA, while there was no significant change in psoriasis. Prevalence and incidence in PsA were more rapidly increased than in psoriasis. Sex ratio (men to women) of PsA decreased from 2.0 to 1.5 in 2000 and 2013, respectively. There was an increase in the use of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARD), especially biologics, which is significantly different from topical therapies.Conclusion.The prevalence and incidence rates of psoriatic disease, especially PsA, were increasing in Taiwan. The medication pattern showed an increase in DMARD and biologics, while use of topical therapies decreased.


2016 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 97-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ankit Sakhuja ◽  
Rahul S. Nanchal ◽  
Shipra Gupta ◽  
Hatem Amer ◽  
Gagan Kumar ◽  
...  

Background: Though the incidence of severe sepsis is rising, there is a lack of contemporary information regarding the epidemiology and outcomes of severe sepsis in those on maintenance dialysis. The objectives of this study were to measure the incidence and outcomes of severe sepsis in those on maintenance dialysis. Methods: Using data from Nationwide Inpatient Sample database from 2005 to 2010, we included all hospitalizations of adults with severe sepsis based on the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes. Those on maintenance dialysis were identified by ICD-9-CM codes. We calculated incidence of severe sepsis and mortality. We used logistic regression to assess independent effect of maintenance dialysis status on mortality. Results: Of the estimated 5,000,152 hospitalizations with severe sepsis, 322,734 (6.4%) were on maintenance dialysis. The unadjusted incidence of severe sepsis was 145.4 per 1,000 in those on maintenance dialysis in comparison to 3.5 per 1,000 in the general population. Mortality was higher in those with severe sepsis (30.3 vs. 26.2%; p < 0.001). Maintenance dialysis is an independent predictor of death in those with severe sepsis (OR 1.26; 95% CI 1.23-1.29). Conclusions: Hospitalizations with severe sepsis are more prevalent and associated with poor outcomes in those on maintenance dialysis.


2019 ◽  
Vol 128 (5) ◽  
pp. 406-412 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying-Ta Lai ◽  
Yuan-Hung Wang ◽  
Yu-Chun Yen ◽  
Tzu-Yun Yu ◽  
Pin-Zhir Chao ◽  
...  

Objective: Because there are few population-based studies regarding the epidemiology of benign voice diseases, the present study used a nationwide population-based claims database (the National Health Insurance Research Database) to investigate the epidemiology of benign voice diseases among the general adult population in Taiwan. Methods: Study participants were retrieved for those patients who were 20 to 90 years old with a diagnosis of benign voice diseases that were defined by International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes from 2006 to 2014. Patient visits were grouped into infectious (ICD-9-CM: 012.3, 032.3, 034.0, 090.5, 095.8,101, 464.0, 464.20, 464.21, 465.x, 476.0, 476.1) and noninfectious (ICD-9-CM: 306.1, 478.3x, 478.4, 478.5, 748.3, 784.4x) dysphonia groups. Results: Benign voice disorders have a prevalence of approximately 3.6% in Taiwan as of 2014. The year-to-year prevalence decreased gradually in the query period. Infectious dysphonia diagnoses were higher than noninfectious ones. Dysphonia caused by noninfectious diagnoses was most prevalent in the 60 to 79 years age group. Dysphonia caused by infectious diagnoses was highest in 20 to 39 years group. Noninfectious dysphonia diagnoses were more common in women. Conclusion: The prevalence of voice disorders among the adult population in Taiwan was 3.6% in 2014. Voice disorders are more common in women and occur primarily in the 20 to 39 years age group. Infectious dysphonia is more common than noninfectious dysphonia. The results may be underestimated due to limitation of the database. This is the first population-based epidemiology study of adult voice disorders.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Kai-Huang Lin ◽  
Ci-Wen Luo ◽  
Shih-Pin Chen ◽  
Dom-Gene Tu ◽  
Ming-Shian Lin ◽  
...  

Diabetes mellitus (DM) and tuberculosis (TB) are major public health and economic burdens. DM increases Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) infection rates and treatment durations. This study evaluated the relationship between five classes of oral DM medications and TB infection risk in DM patients. We used longitudinal records from the Taiwan Longitudinal Health Insurance Research Database. DM patients were identified using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) code 250 and A code A181. TB patients were identified using ICD-9-CM code 010.x-017.x. Oral DM medications were divided into five classes: sulfonylureas, biguanides, meglitinides, α-glucosidase inhibitors (AGIs), and thiazolidinediones. Users were classified as nonusers, low-concentration users, and high-concentration users. The incidence rate ratio (IRR) was derived using multivariate Poisson regression to calculate the relative risk of TB infection. DM patients using low- and high-concentration AGIs had significantly lower TB infection risks compared with nonusers. The IRRs of the sulfonylureas and AGI users were [CI] 0.693–0.948) and (95% CI 0.651–0.995), respectively. The other four classes of medications exhibited no significant effect on TB infection risk in DM patients. Furthermore, DM patients using high-concentration AGIs had a significantly lower TB infection risk compared with those using low-concentration AGIs (IRR 0.918, 95% CI: 0.854–0.987). We noted a dose-response relationship in the effects of DM medications on TB risk. Accordingly, we suggest that DM patients use AGIs to benefit from their protective effect on TB infection risk.


Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1059
Author(s):  
Yu-Chih Shen ◽  
Chiao-Erh Chang ◽  
Ming-Nan Lin ◽  
Chin-Lon Lin

In order to determine whether Taiwanese vegetarian diets reduce the risks of depression, we analyzed data from the Tzu Chi Vegetarian Study (TCVS), which is a prospective cohort study following 12,062 participants from the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation of Taiwan since 2005. The cohort was prospectively followed by linking to the National Health Institute Research Database (NHIRD) of Taiwan and hazard ratios of depression between vegetarian and non-vegetarian groups were calculated by Cox proportional hazards regression. We assessed dietary intake using a detailed food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Incident depression was ascertained through linkage to NHIRD which had claim records with the International Classification of Diseases, and a total of 3,571 vegetarians and 7,006 non-vegetarians were included in this analysis. Compared with non-vegetarians, the vegetarian group had a lower incidence of depressive disorders (2.37 vs. 3.21 per 10,000 person-years; adjusted hazard ratio (aHR): 0.70; 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 0.52–0.93). Thus, Taiwanese vegetarians had a lower risk of developing subsequent depressive disorders compared with non-vegetarians. This indicated that diet may be an important measure for the prevention of depression. However, to generalize to the global population requires further study.


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