scholarly journals Utilization of Health Care Services and Common Disease Diagnoses among University Students: An Analysis of 35,249 Students from Thailand

Author(s):  
Suphawita Pliannuom ◽  
Kanokporn Pinyopornpanish ◽  
Chaisiri Angkurawaranon ◽  
Kanokwan Pinyopornpanish ◽  
Anawat Wisetborisut ◽  
...  

The health care services for university students are important to improve student health and well-being. Analyzing the database of health conditions in the health service system will identify common health problems, which could be useful in further appropriate and specific health service planning. This study aims to investigate the utilization of health care services and common disease diagnoses among university students enrolled at Chiang Mai University during the academic year of 2018. A retrospective study was carried out using health data from the electronic health records (EHR) database of the university hospital. Ethical procedures were followed. Out of the overall 35,249 students in the academic year 2018, 17,284 students (49.03%) had visited an outpatient department (65,150 outpatient department visits), and 407 students (1.15%) had been admitted to the hospital (458 inpatient department admissions). The proportions of utilization between each field of education and training were similar across both groups. The top five categories of diagnosis, for both outpatient department visits and inpatient department admissions, differed between gender. Some of the most common diseases included trauma and injury conditions, respiratory diseases, and mental health. The conclusion of the study is that integration of a health promotion program with preventive methods, especially regarding traffic injury, transmitted diseases, mental health support, and safe environments are essential for university students. A general overview of utilization and common diseases among university students, which is still lacking in the literature, could be useful as a platform to enhance health care services for common diseases.

10.2196/14535 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. e14535 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanna Paldanius ◽  
Noora Seilo ◽  
Kristina Kunttu ◽  
Reija Autio ◽  
Minna Kaila

Background Health questionnaires and health checks are an established part of preventive health care services in Finland. However, only very limited research of these has been conducted. The Finnish Student Health Service (FSHS) provides primary health care services to all bachelor’s and master’s degree university students (approximately 134,500 students) in Finland. FSHS’s statutory health examination process of university entrants includes an electronic health questionnaire (eHQ) and, based on the students’ eHQ responses, a subsequent health check if necessary. To our knowledge, no previous studies have been published on the use of questionnaires for screening students for general health checks. Objective The general aim of the study is to evaluate the health examination process of university entrants. The objectives are to determine how students’ self-reported health in the eHQ and participation in the health examination process are associated with graduation, mental health problems, and the use of student health care services. Methods This is an ongoing, nationwide, retrospective, register-based cohort study with a 6-year follow-up. The study population is the cohort of university entrants (N=15,723) from the 2011-2012 academic year. These students were sent the eHQ, which consisted of 26 questions about health, health habits, social relations, and studying. Based on the eHQ responses, students were referred to one of the following interventions: (1) a health check, (2) an appointment other than a health check (eg, physiotherapy), or (3) electronic feedback to support a healthy lifestyle, when the other interventions were not necessary. Multiple comparisons will be made within these groups using logistic regression. The primary outcome variables are graduation, having a mental health problem, and attending a health check. The use of FSHS health care services will be studied with the cluster analysis method. The data have been obtained from three nationwide registers: the eHQ register, the medical records of FSHS, and the Higher education achievement register. The data have been linked using personal identity codes. Results As of August 2019, the data collection and processing are complete and the statistical analyses are in progress. Preliminary results are expected in autumn 2019. Further publications are expected in 2020, and two PhD theses are expected to be completed by the end of 2022. Conclusions Studying practical procedures in primary health care is highly important for resource allocation and the development of evidence-based processes. This study will be the first to assess the usage of a health questionnaire in screening students for health checks. The findings of this study will contribute to the field of preventive health care. The main practical implication is the development of the FSHS’s health examination process. We hypothesize that participation in the health examination process enhances academic achievement and the detection of university students’ mental health problems early on in their studies. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/14535


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanna Paldanius ◽  
Noora Seilo ◽  
Kristina Kunttu ◽  
Reija Autio ◽  
Minna Kaila

BACKGROUND Health questionnaires and health checks are an established part of preventive health care services in Finland. However, only very limited research of these has been conducted. The Finnish Student Health Service (FSHS) provides primary health care services to all bachelor’s and master’s degree university students (approximately 134,500 students) in Finland. FSHS’s statutory health examination process of university entrants includes an electronic health questionnaire (eHQ) and, based on the students’ eHQ responses, a subsequent health check if necessary. To our knowledge, no previous studies have been published on the use of questionnaires for screening students for general health checks. OBJECTIVE The general aim of the study is to evaluate the health examination process of university entrants. The objectives are to determine how students’ self-reported health in the eHQ and participation in the health examination process are associated with graduation, mental health problems, and the use of student health care services. METHODS This is an ongoing, nationwide, retrospective, register-based cohort study with a 6-year follow-up. The study population is the cohort of university entrants (N=15,723) from the 2011-2012 academic year. These students were sent the eHQ, which consisted of 26 questions about health, health habits, social relations, and studying. Based on the eHQ responses, students were referred to one of the following interventions: (1) a health check, (2) an appointment other than a health check (eg, physiotherapy), or (3) electronic feedback to support a healthy lifestyle, when the other interventions were not necessary. Multiple comparisons will be made within these groups using logistic regression. The primary outcome variables are graduation, having a mental health problem, and attending a health check. The use of FSHS health care services will be studied with the cluster analysis method. The data have been obtained from three nationwide registers: the eHQ register, the medical records of FSHS, and the Higher education achievement register. The data have been linked using personal identity codes. RESULTS As of August 2019, the data collection and processing are complete and the statistical analyses are in progress. Preliminary results are expected in autumn 2019. Further publications are expected in 2020, and two PhD theses are expected to be completed by the end of 2022. CONCLUSIONS Studying practical procedures in primary health care is highly important for resource allocation and the development of evidence-based processes. This study will be the first to assess the usage of a health questionnaire in screening students for health checks. The findings of this study will contribute to the field of preventive health care. The main practical implication is the development of the FSHS’s health examination process. We hypothesize that participation in the health examination process enhances academic achievement and the detection of university students’ mental health problems early on in their studies. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT DERR1-10.2196/14535


2005 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 137-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Debra Rickwood

AbstractFor young people still at school, the school setting is vital to their mental health and wellbeing. Not only does the school environment have a direct and indirect impact on mental health, it provides an opportunistic setting in which to identify and respond to emerging mental health problems. To do this effectively, schools and school staff must work in collaboration with the young people themselves, their families, and other support services within the community, particularly primary health care services, including general practice. The importance of developing effective partnerships and care pathways between schools and the primary health care sector is being increasingly acknowledged, and initiatives such as MindMatters Plus GP have advanced our understanding in this area.


2015 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 244-253 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher E. Johnson ◽  
Ruth L. Bush ◽  
Jeffrey Harman ◽  
Jane Bolin ◽  
Gina Evans Hudnall ◽  
...  

2011 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 239-243 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. McCrone

Background:Investment in innovative mental health care services requires the use of scarce resources that could be used in alternative ways. Economic evaluation is essential to ensure that such an investment is appropriately compared with investment elsewhere.Method:A non-systematic review of mental health evaluations identifies key methodological issues pertaining to economic studies.Results:Economic evaluations require the measurement and combination of costs and outcomes, and clarity about how this measurement is undertaken is required. Regarding costs, important considerations relate to the perspective to be taken (e.g., health service or societal), method of measurement (patient self-report or use of databases) and valuation (actual costs, fees or expenditure). Decision makers frequently need to compare evidence both within and between clinical areas and therefore there is a tension between the use of condition specific and generic outcome measures. Quality-adjusted life years are frequently used in economic evaluations, but their appropriateness in mental health care studies is still debated.Conclusions:Economic evaluations in the area of mental health care are increasing in number and it is essential that researchers continue to develop and improve methods used to conduct such studies.


Spectrum ◽  
2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Josiah Michael Villareal De Los Santos ◽  
Sonya Jakubec

Filipinos experience numerous barriers to mental health care in their country, such as stigmatization ofillness and behaviours, lack of mental health care services, and resource deficits. The Philippine MentalHealth Act of 2017 was formed to resolve these issues and is in its early stages of implementation.Legislation and policy interventions of this nature are but one level of many interventions that can addresshealth care at a population level. The influence of this legislation for different levels of society is analyzed inorder to understand the different barriers and alternatives to its implementation. Solutions suggested in thelegislation, such as addressing lack of accessibility in rural areas, creating liaisons between different levelsof mental health care, and educating the population regarding mental health, are explored for their effects ondifferent spheres, or levels, of influence. The comprehensiveness of the legislation to address the needs ofmental health service users are highlighted, as are barriers to implementation that inhibit the realization ofpractical strategies. This policy case review and analysis informs program development by highlighting thestrengths and weaknesses aligned to the legislative articles’ target sphere of influence and the population.


Author(s):  
Daniel Leightley ◽  
Katharine M Mark ◽  
David Pernet ◽  
Dominic Murphy ◽  
Nicola T Fear ◽  
...  

BackgroundThere is a lack of quantitative evidence concerning United Kingdom veterans who access secondary mental health care. This is mainly due to a person’s veteran status not being routinely collected when they enter the health care system. Main AimThe study aimed to develop an NLP approach for identifying veterans accessing secondary mental health care services using National Health Service electronic health records. MethodsVeterans were identified using the South London and Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre (SLaM) case register – a database holding secondary mental health care electronic records for the South London and Maudsley National Health Service Trust of 300,000 patients. We developed two methods. An NLP and machine learning tool were developed to automatically evaluate personal history statements written by clinicians. ResultsThis study showed that it was possible to identify veterans using the NLP and machine learning approach on a sub-set of 4,200 patients. The automatic machine learning method was able to identify 270 veterans representing an accuracy of 97.2%. It is estimated to take between 6 to 16 minutes to manually search patient history statements whereas the automatic machine learning method took only one minute to run. ConclusionWe have shown that it is possible to identify veterans using NLP combined with machine learning. This work contributes towards the development of a more comprehensive picture of veterans who are accessing secondary mental health care services in the UK. It represents a first step in identifying veterans from one dataset and we hope that future research can inform the possibility of deploying the methods nationally. Despite our success in the current work, the tools are tailored to the SLaM dataset and future work is needed to develop a more agnostic framework. FundingForces in Mind Trust


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