Ayurvedic management in a chronic spinocerebellar ataxia and progressive improvement in scale for assessment and rating of ataxia score – An interrupted time series case report

BACKGROUND The SARS-CoV-2 outbreak may motivate smokers to attempt to stop in greater numbers. However, given the temporary closure of UK stop smoking services and vape shops, smokers attempting to quit may instead seek out digital support, such as websites and smartphone apps. OBJECTIVE We examined, using an interrupted time series approach, whether the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak has been associated with a step change or increasing trend in UK downloads of an otherwise popular smoking cessation app, Smoke Free. METHODS Data were from daily and non-daily adult smokers in the UK who had downloaded the Smoke Free app between 1 January 2020 and 31 March 2020 (primary analysis) and 1 January 2019 and 31 March 2020 (secondary analysis). The outcome variable was the number of downloads aggregated at the 12-hourly (primary analysis) or daily level (secondary analysis). The explanatory variable was the start of the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak, operationalised as 1 March 2020 (primary analysis) and 15 January 2020 (secondary analysis). Generalised Additive Mixed Models adjusted for relevant covariates were fitted. RESULTS Data were collected on 45,105 (primary analysis) and 119,881 (secondary analysis) users. In both analyses, there was no evidence for a step change or increasing trend in downloads attributable to the start of the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak. CONCLUSIONS In the UK, between 1 January 2020 and 31 March 2020, and between 1 January 2019 and 31 March 2020, there was no evidence that the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak has been associated with a surge in downloads of a popular smoking cessation app. CLINICALTRIAL osf.io/zan2s

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Correction to: Measuring the impact of the Afordable Care Act Medicaid expansion on access to primary care using an interrupted time series approach

Health Research Policy and Systems ◽

10.1186/s12961-021-00740-y ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Elizabeth A. Brown ◽

Brandi M. White ◽

Walter J. Jones ◽

Mulugeta Gebregziabher ◽

Kit N. Simpson

Keyword(s):

Primary Care ◽

Time Series ◽

Interrupted Time Series ◽

Medicaid Expansion ◽

Time Series Approach ◽

Access To Primary Care ◽

The Impact

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

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Does admission prevalence change after reconfiguration of inpatient services? An interrupted time series analysis of the impact of reconfiguration in five centres

BMC Health Services Research ◽

10.1186/s12913-021-06070-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Joanne Martin ◽

Edwin Amalraj Raja ◽

Steve Turner

Keyword(s):

Time Series ◽

Time Series Analysis ◽

Emergency Admission ◽

Interrupted Time Series ◽

Interrupted Time Series Analysis ◽

Emergency Admissions ◽

Series Analysis ◽

Inpatient Services ◽

The Impact ◽

Admission Prevalence

Abstract Background Service reconfiguration of inpatient services in a hospital includes complete and partial closure of all emergency inpatient facilities. The “natural experiment” of service reconfiguration may give insight into drivers for emergency admissions to hospital. This study addressed the question does the prevalence of emergency admission to hospital for children change after reconfiguration of inpatient services? Methods There were five service reconfigurations in Scottish hospitals between 2004 and 2018 where emergency admissions to one “reconfigured” hospital were halted (permanently or temporarily) and directed to a second “adjacent” hospital. The number of emergency admissions (standardised to /1000 children in the regional population) per month to the “reconfigured” and “adjacent” hospitals was obtained for five years prior to reconfiguration and up to five years afterwards. An interrupted time series analysis considered the association between reconfiguration and admissions across pairs comprised of “reconfigured” and “adjacent” hospitals, with adjustment for seasonality and an overall rising trend in admissions. Results Of the five episodes of reconfiguration, two were immediate closure, two involved closure only to overnight admissions and one with overnight closure for a period and then closure. In “reconfigured” hospitals there was an average fall of 117 admissions/month [95% CI 78, 156] in the year after reconfiguration compared to the year before, and in “adjacent” hospitals admissions rose by 82/month [32, 131]. Across paired reconfigured and adjacent hospitals, in the months post reconfiguration, the overall number of admissions to one hospital pair slowed, in another pair admissions accelerated, and admission prevalence was unchanged in three pairs. After reconfiguration in one hospital, there was a rise in admissions to a third hospital which was closer than the named “adjacent” hospital. Conclusions There are diverse outcomes for the number of emergency admissions post reconfiguration of inpatient facilities. Factors including resources placed in the community after local reconfiguration, distance to the “adjacent” hospital and local deprivation may be important drivers for admission pathways after reconfiguration. Policy makers considering reconfiguration might consider a number of factors which may be important determinants of admissions post reconfiguration.

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Impact of Vonoprazan Triple-Drug Blister Packs on H. pylori Eradication Rates in Japan: Interrupted Time Series Analysis

Advances in Therapy ◽

10.1007/s12325-021-01784-w ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Hisato Deguchi ◽

Hajime Yamazaki ◽

Tsukasa Kamitani ◽

Yosuke Yamamoto ◽

Shunichi Fukuhara

Keyword(s):

Time Series ◽

Time Series Analysis ◽

Interrupted Time Series ◽

Interrupted Time Series Analysis ◽

Series Analysis ◽

H Pylori

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Recession and risk of suicide in Denmark during the 2009 global financial crisis: an ecological register-based study

Scandinavian Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1177/14034948211013270 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 140349482110132

Author(s):

Agnieszka Konieczna ◽

Sarah Grube Jakobsen ◽

Christina Petrea Larsen ◽

Erik Christiansen

Keyword(s):

Time Series ◽

Financial Crisis ◽

Time Series Analysis ◽

Suicide Rate ◽

Global Financial Crisis ◽

Interrupted Time Series ◽

Interrupted Time Series Analysis ◽

Series Analysis ◽

Prevention Programmes ◽

The Impact

Aim: The aim of this study is to analyse the potential impact from the financial crisis (onset in 2009) on suicide rates in Denmark. The hypothesis is that the global financial crisis raised unemployment which leads to raising the suicide rate in Denmark and that the impact is most prominent in men. Method: This study used an ecological study design, including register data from 2001 until 2016 on unemployment, suicide, gender and calendar time which was analysed using Poisson regression models and interrupted time series analysis. Results: The correlation between unemployment and suicide rates was positive in the period and statistically significant for all, but at a moderate level. A dichotomised version of time (calendar year) showed a significant reduction in the suicide rate for women (incidence rate ratio 0.87, P=0.002). Interrupted time series analysis showed a significant decreasing trend for the overall suicide rate and for men in the pre-recession period, which in both cases stagnated after the onset of recession in 2009. The difference between the genders’ suicide rate changed significantly at the onset of recession, as the rate for men increased and the rate for women decreased. Discussion: The Danish social welfare model might have prevented social disintegration and suicide among unemployed, and suicide prevention programmes might have prevented deaths among unemployed and mentally ill individuals. Conclusions: We found some indications for gender-specific differences from the impact of the financial crises on the suicide rate. We recommend that men should be specifically targeted for appropriate prevention programmes during periods of economic downturn.

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