The Trend of Dental Check-Up And Incidence of Dental Complications Following The Use of Bone Modifying Agents In Patients With Metastatic Breast And Prostate Cancer: Analysis of Data From The Korean National Health Insurance Service

Purpose: Bone-modifying agents (BMAs) are key components in the management of cancer patients with bone metastasis. Despite their clinical benefits, the use of BMAs is associated with adverse dental events including medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ). This study investigated the rate of preoperative dental surveillance to reduce the incidence of adverse dental events including MRONJ after BMA treatment in patients with bone metastasis from breast and prostate cancer. Methods: Data, including age, cancer diagnosis, administered BMAs, and adverse dental events during cancer treatment, of patients with bone metastasis from breast and prostate cancer who received at least one infusion of BMA between 2007 and 2019 were extracted from the Korean National Health Insurance Service (KNHIS) dataset. Results: Of the 15357 patients who received BMAs, 1706 patients (11.1%) underwent dental check-ups before BMA treatment. The proportion of patients receiving dental check-ups increased from 4.4% in 2007 to 16.7% in 2019. Referral for dental check-up was more frequent in clinics and primary hospitals than in tertiary hospitals, and from the departments of internal medicine and urology than from the department of general surgery, regardless of the patient's health insurance status. After BMA treatment, 3328 patients (21.6%) developed adverse dental events, including tooth extraction (73.0%), abscess (16.9%), acute periodontitis (5.3%), acute pericoronitis (2.6%), and MRONJ (2.2% of 3328, 0.5% of 15357). Conclusions: Considering the long treatment period in patients with metastatic cancer, coordination between dentists and oncologists is necessary to ensure appropriate dental treatment before the initiation of BMAs.

Patient satisfaction with the Nigerian National Health Insurance Scheme two decades since establishment: A systematic review and recommendations for improvement

Background: To improve healthcare access and mitigate healthcare costs for its population, Nigeria established a National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in 1999. The NHIS remains Nigeria’s leading vehicle for achieving universal health coverage; nonetheless, questions remain regarding its quality and effectiveness. Studies on patient satisfaction have served as a useful strategy to further understand the patient experience and the efficacy of health systems.Aim: To synthesise current knowledge on patient satisfaction with the NHIS.Methods: The authors performed a systematic review of primary literature from 1999 to 2020 reporting on NHIS patient satisfaction in eight databases (including PubMed, Embase, and Africa-wide Information).Results: This search returned 764 unique records of which 21 met criteria for full data extraction. The 21 qualifying studies representing 11 of the 36 Nigerian states, were published from 2011 to 2020, and found moderate overall satisfaction with the NHIS (64%). Further, when disaggregated into specific domains, NHIS enrolees were most satisfied with provider attitudes (77%) and healthcare environments (70%), but less satisfied with laboratories (62%), billings (62%), pharmaceutical services (56%), wait times (55%), and referrals (51%). Importantly, time trends indicate satisfaction with the NHIS is increasing – although to differing degrees depending on the domain.Conclusion: The beneficiaries of the NHIS are moderately satisfied with the scheme. They consider it an improvement from being uninsured, but believe that the scheme can be considerably improved. The authors present two main recommendations: (1) shorter wait times may increase patient satisfaction and can be a central focus in improving the overall scheme, and (2) more research is needed across all 36 states to comprehensively understand patient satisfaction towards NHIS in anticipation of potential scheme expansion.

The Potentially Protective Effects of Anti-Lipid, Hypoglycemic, and Anti-Hypertensive Agents for Perioperative Mortality in Geriatric Group

Background Great efforts were made to collect information and identify risk factors in predicting post-anesthetic mortality. In this study, we use national health insurance data base, including medications, underlying comorbidities and surgical factors to assess the relationship between these factors and mortality after surgery. Methods This is a retrospective, population based study. The study population who underwent general anesthesia (GA) were retrieved from the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2013. We classified the study patients into 4 major comparison groups by surgical procedures, including major organ transplantation (heart, liver, lung, kidney, or pancreas), CV surgery, major neurosurgery, and others according to the diagnostic codes of the international classification of diseases, ninth revision, clinical modification (ICD-9-CM) codes. We proposed a logistic regression model with valuable variables which can significantly predicts the post-anesthesia mortality. We also designed different models for 4 subgroups according the results. Results A total of 833,685 subjects were included in this study, and the most common comorbidity was hypertension. Age was an important determinant associated with post-operation mortality among different surgical types. Perioperative prescription could reduce risks of operation. The prediction model based on the preliminary training group also performed well in the validation group (AUROC=0.8753 for in-hospital mortality; AUROC= 0.8767 for 30-days mortality). A reliable predicting model can help anesthesiologists to decide the anesthesia method or monitors, as well as helping physicians to take care of their patients after operation. Conclusions While GA is commonly used for the majority of the patients undergoing operations, the prediction model that we proposed from this nationwide study could identify the predictors for post-operation mortality. The potentially protective effects of anti-lipid, hypoglycemic, and anti-hypertensive agents were encouraging in geriatric preoperative group. It is expected that applying this prediction model and prescription into clinical practice could improve surgical risk stratification and further improve patient outcomes. Trial registration The protocol of this study was approved by the National Taiwan University Hospital Research Ethics Committee (Trial Registration 201411078RINC). Informed consent was waived by the National Taiwan University Hospital Research Ethics Committee due to the retrospective and anonymous nature of the claims data.

Prevalence of Chronic Kidney Disease and Variation of Its Risk Factors by the Regions in Okayama Prefecture

Objective: The prevention of chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression is an important issue from health and financial perspectives. We conducted a single-year cross-sectional study to clarify the prevalence of CKD and its risk factors along with variations in these factors among five medical regions in Okayama Prefecture, Japan. Methods and Results: Data concerning the renal function and proteinuria as well as other CKD risk factors were obtained from the database of the Japanese National Health Insurance. The proportion of CKD patients at an increased risk of progression to end-stage renal disease (ESRD), classified as orange and red on the CKD heatmap, ranged from 6–9% and did not vary significantly by the regions. However, the causes of the increased severity differed between regions where renal dysfunction was predominant and regions where there were many patients with proteinuria. CKD risk factors, such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hyper low-density lipoprotein-cholesterolemia, obesity, smoking and lack of exercise, also differed among these regions, suggesting that different regions need tailored interventions that suit the characteristics of the region, such as an increased health checkup ratio, dietary guidance and promotion of exercise opportunities. Conclusions: Approximately 6–9% of people are at an increased risk of developing ESRD (orange or red on a CKD heatmap) among the population with National Health Insurance in Okayama Prefecture. The underlying health problems that cause CKD may differ among the regions. Thus, it is necessary to consider intervention methods for preventing CKD progression that are tailored to each region’s health problems.

Association between anesthetic method and postpartum hemorrhage in Korea based on National Health Insurance Service data

Background: Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is a major cause of maternal mortality. An increasing incidence of PPH has been reported in many countries. The risk factors for PPH differ among studies and it can occur in patients with no known risk factors. In this large-scale study, we investigated whether the anesthetic method used was associated with PPH after cesarean section.Methods: We extracted data on cesarean sections performed between January 2008 and June 2013 from the National Health Insurance Service database. The anesthetic methods were categorized into general, spinal and epidural anesthesia. To compare the likelihood of PPH among deliveries using different anesthetic methods, crude and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals were calculated using logistic regression analysis.Results: Data from 330,324 cesarean sections were analyzed, and 21,636 cases of PPH were identified. Univariate analysis showed that general and epidural anesthesia increased the risk of PPH compared to spinal anesthesia. The OR for PPH was highest for morbidly adherent placenta, followed by placenta previa, placental abruption, and hypertension. When other clinical covariates were controlled for, general and epidural anesthesia still remained significant risk factors for PPH compared to spinal anesthesia.Conclusions: This study showed that general and epidural anesthesia elevated the risk of PPH compared to spinal anesthesia during cesarean section. Since we could not consider the potential bias of group differences in indications, more in-depth clinical trials are needed to validate our findings. Obstetric factors such as placental abnormalities had high odds ratios and thus are more important than the choice of anesthetic method, which should be based on the patient’s clinical condition and institutional resources.

Cases of Dispute and Pending Claims in Hospitals in the Era of National Health Insurance

Background: Indonesia began to implement a National Health Insurance System based on the National Social Security System in 2014 with the support of government regulations which states that Indonesia requires every citizen to have access to comprehensive and quality health services so that can continue their life through the National Health Insurance. Pending and dispute claims are problems that often occur in the era of national health insurance that can affect hospital budget allocation and planning policies, increasing the high cost burden for hospitals which will affect the quality of health services provided. The purpose of this study was to determine pending cases and dispute claims in hospitals in the Era of National Health Insurance.Methods: The study used a descriptive method with a qualitative approach. The data collection technique used is the observation method, namely directly to the e-claim file at several hospitals. 15 e-claim files taken in total from April – July 2021.Results: Obtained 13 cases of pending claims and 2 cases of dispute claims. Cases pending claims are caused by not complying with the code with evidence or resources, not in accordance with medical clinical practice guidelines and the rules of the health insurance provider.Conclusions: In coding, it is necessary to match the theory on the ICD-10, update the ICD-10. It is necessary to understand the rules and provisions made by the insurer and the related guidelines and rules. Please be aware of every latest code update.

Examining proximity to death and health care expenditure by disease: a Bayesian-based descriptive statistical analysis from the National Health Insurance database in Japan

Background Japan is one of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries where population aging and increasing health care expenditures (HCE) are urgent issues. Recent studies have identified factors other than age, such as proximity to death and morbidity, as contributing factors to the increase in medical costs. It is important to assess HCE by disease and analyze their factors to estimate and improve future HCE. Methods We extracted individual records spanning approximately 2 years prior to the death of persons aged 65 to 95 years from the National Health Insurance data in Japan, and used a Bayesian approach to decompose monthly HCE into five disease groups (circulatory, chronic kidney disease, neoplasms, respiratory, and others). The relationship between the proximity to death and the average HCE in each disease group was stratified by sex and age and analyzed using a descriptive statistical method similar to the two-part model. Results The average HCE increased rapidly as death approached in most disease groups, but the increase-pattern differed greatly among disease groups, sex, and age groups. The effect of proximity to death on average HCE was small for chronic diseases, but large for lethal diseases. When stratified by age and sex, younger and male decedents tended to have higher average HCE, but the extent of this varied by disease group. The two-year cumulative average HCE for neoplasms in the 65–75 years age group was about six times larger than those in the 85–95 years age group. Conclusions In Japan, it was suggested that disease, proximity to death, age, and sex may contribute to HCE. However, these factors interact in a complex manner, and it is important to analyze HCE by disease. In addition, preventing or delaying the severity of diseases with high medical burdens in younger people may be effective in reducing future terminal care costs. These findings have important implications for future projections and improvements of HCE.

Physicians’ Behavior in Referring National Health Insurance Patients to Hospital

Physicians’ decision to refer patients in primary health care is vital in supporting the referral system. The increase of referral cases impacted the claims cost and hospital workload. This study aimed to analyze the physicians’ behavior in referring National Health Insurance (NHI) patients to hospitals. This study employed a qualitative method; 18 informants were selected using purposive sampling and analyzed using content analysis. The data were validated by triangulating method, source, and data. Physicians referred patients when the cases could not be handled; there were indications of severe disease and required further examination. The obstacles in the referral system were pressure from NHI patients that wanted to be referred and diagnosed differently from ICD 10. In referring NHI patients, physicians had followed referral procedures and criteria. High referrals were caused by patients being forced to be referred, coming with complaints of severe disease, having examined in a hospital, and some cases should not be referred to but still referred by entering a similar diagnosis into the ICD 10. It is expected that public health centers will educate NHI patients related to tiered referral procedures in health services.

Reduced Incidence of Stroke in Patients with Gout Using Benzbromarone

Gout is strongly associated with the incidence of atherosclerotic events, including stroke and myocardial infarction. Considering the increased prevalence of stroke in the population with gout, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of benzbromarone, a uricosuric agent, on the incidence of stroke in the population with gout. We used data from the Taiwanese National Health Insurance Registration Database (NHIRD). The benzbromarone user cohort included 15,143 patients; each patient was age- and sex-matched with one non-user randomly selected from the population with gout. Cox proportional hazard regression analysis was conducted to estimate the effects of benzbromarone on the incidence of stroke in the population with gout. The incidence of stroke was significantly lower in benzbromarone users than in benzbromarone non-users. The HR for the incidence of stroke was lower in male benzbromarone users than in non-users. An analysis of three age groups (<40, 40–59, and ≥60 years) indicated that the HRs in those aged 40–59 years and ≥60 years were significantly lower among benzbromarone users than non-users. In the population with gout, the incidence of stroke was lower in benzbromarone users than in benzbromarone non-users.