Health Services Insights最新文献

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1177/11786329231198991.].

In case of crisis, the salvation of injuries depends on the timely provision of medical goods, relief supplies, and equipment. The aim of this study is to present a mathematical model for the supply chain network of perishable medical goods in crisis situation considering the uncertain environment. In this paper, a three-level supply chain including suppliers, intermediate warehouses, and final customers is developed for perishable medical items. The uncertainty of customer demand for service and the spent time in the intermediate warehouses are considered using the exponential distribution functions. Also, it is assumed that the life-cycle of perishable medical goods follow the Weibull distribution function. The model attempts to minimize the total costs of the supply chain and total presence time of perishable items in the whole chain. The LP-Metric method is employed for solving small-sized problems. Due to the NP-Hardness of the problem, the modified Multi-objective Particle Swarm Optimization (MOPSO) and Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm (NSGA-II) are utilized as 2 well-known and efficient meta-heuristic algorithms for solving large-sized problems. The findings indicate that the meta-heuristic algorithms are efficient in achieving close to the optimal solution for large-size problems in a reasonable time. Also, the results demonstrate that NSGA-II outperforms MOPSO in terms of the high quality solution. Finally, the applicability of the model to real-world problems is demonstrated using a real case study. This paper can assist the planners and decision-makers of perishable drugs supply chain networks in crisis conditions with on-time supplying and distributing the required emergency items.

Background: During the COVID-19 lockdown in spring 2020, Switzerland restricted non-urgent healthcare services to safeguard capacity. While prioritization of care was supposed to be driven by medical urgency, demographic factors or economic incentives might have influenced the hospitals' resource allocation decisions.

Objectives: This study investigates potential determinants of procedure prioritization in hospitalized patients during the lockdown period.

Design: Quasi-experimental retrospective study of hospital data in Switzerland.

Methods: We analyzed 496 456 adult patients with known insurance status and a recorded procedure, admitted for cardiovascular, orthopedic/musculoskeletal or oncological reasons from January 2017 (3 years before the COVID-19 outbreak) to mid-April 2020 (in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic), to obtain admission rate ratios (ARRs, "lockdown" admission rates divided by "normal" rates) from negative binomial regression analysis of fortnightly admissions for frequent procedure-diagnosis combinations. Quade and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests compared ARRs between sex×age, insurance and comorbidity strata.

Results: Admission rates showed significant reductions for 29 of 53 procedure-diagnosis combinations. Reductions varied strongly by emergency, with largest decreases in orthopedic procedures for arthrosis (osteoarthritis) and non-arthritic joint disorders, and the smallest in cerebral imaging for stroke patients and surgical procedures for malignant neoplasms. The only difference in ARRs between strata was a stronger decrease in admission rates for cardiovascular combinations for patients with private versus basic health insurance.

Conclusion: While medical procedures were affected to varying degrees by the ban on non-urgent healthcare during the COVID-19 lockdown, we found no robust evidence that factors other than medical urgency influenced healthcare prioritization.

The transition of patients with complex needs from hospital to municipal rehabilitation following moderate and severe brain injury is challenging. This qualitative study explored the municipal service allocation processes within such transitions. The caseworkers' comprehensive task of combining patients' preferences and needs, healthcare providers' recommendations and municipal guidelines and service allocation were analysed. Data comprised of patients' health records, meeting observations and semi-structured interviews with municipal staff, patients and next of kin. Results demonstrated that the issue of most concern was the location of where the patient was to continue municipal rehabilitation. Municipal caseworkers gathered extensive information, including recommendations from healthcare providers and preferences of patients and next of kin. These were frequently in contrast to the municipal guidelines' requirements and the services' organisational structure. The discrepancies led to tension, which was difficult to manoeuvre. This study indicates that incorporating individually tailored services into the daily service allocation practice can be demanding and even dilemmatic. The designated focus on the transition of patients with complex rehabilitation needs gives insights into how service allocation, user involvement and coordination policies are acted out in practice and may directly influence rehabilitation trajectories.

Background: The assessment of antidepressant and anxiolytic consumption and expenditures represents a reliable barometer of the burden of such mental health disorders and the effectiveness of relative healthcare services.

Objectives: The current analysis aims to evaluate trajectories of consumption and expenditures of antidepressant and anxiolytic drugs to define patterns of usage and spending across 14 European countries between 2012 and 2021.

Methods: A retrospective longitudinal study was performed based on pooled time series secondary data analysis over 2012/2021. Defined Daily Doses (DDD) per 1000 inhabitants and health expenditure per capita were analysed. Linear and quadratic trends were computed to determine relationships between the variables of interest.

Results: Only 2 patterns of consumption/expenditure of antidepressants can be identified: consumption and expenditure both grow; consumption grows, and spending decreases. Consumption and expenditures registered 2 main patterns, decreasing in most European countries and increasing only in 2 cases.

Conclusion: Prevailing patterns of consumption and spending show an increase in antidepressants and a decrease in anxiolytics. The variation in consumption of such drugs during this timeframe is attributable to several reasons, such as the epidemiological characteristics of mental disease, for instance, the prevalence and incidence of disorders, the accessibility of drugs and alternative treatments, like psychotherapy, different clinical practices and national guidelines. However, such analyses deserve attention for targeted policies and strategies for promoting mental health.

Background: Despite the known benefits of cardiac rehabilitation (CR), the rate of participation is low following coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). The reasons for this lack of participation are unclear and there have been few studies investigating this, particularly in Asian countries. The present study aimed to address this lack of information and identify reasons for non-participation in phase-2 CR among patients who underwent CABG.

Methods: We enrolled 42 patients who underwent CABG or CABG combined with valvular heart surgery in a university hospital between October 2016 to September 2018. Patients who participated in phase-1 but not phase-2 CR were interviewed by phone following an 11-item questionnaire.

Results: The rate of participation in phase-2 CR was only 12.5%. The most frequently reported reason for non-participation was "Did not know that there was phase-2 CR" (61.9%), followed by "Transportation problems" (31%). "Unable to take leave due to work schedule" was fairly frequently reported (19%) as was "Did not participate due to chronic diseases and complications" (14.3%).

Conclusion: Our study revealed low participation in phase-2 CR, despite its well-known benefits. The primary reason identified was a lack of awareness and understanding among patients regarding phase-2 CR. This highlights the need for targeted interventions aimed at increasing knowledge and awareness of the benefits and availability of CR. Additionally, it is crucial to establish an efficient referral system that ensures seamless transitions from the initial cardiac treatment to the rehabilitation phase. Implementing these strategies is expected to boost CR participation, leading to improved patient outcomes and overall cardiac health.

Introduction: Cloud-based telemedicine holds promise for improving healthcare accessibility and delivery, particularly in rural areas of developing countries like Tanzania. However, little is known about its determinants and benefits in such contexts. This study investigates the factors influencing the usage of telemedicine in Mvomero district, Morogoro region, Tanzania, focusing on both supply and demand sides.

Method: Using structured interviews and key informant interviews, the study examines various cloud-based telemedicine platforms, including remote monitoring, electronic health records, cloud-based storage, and machine learning algorithms. The study used descriptive statistics to analyze quantitative data, while thematic analysis was used to analyze qualitative data.

Results: Results reveal several factors influencing telemedicine usage. On the demand side, perceived benefits (53.96%), technology cost (62.79%), legal practices (62.79%), and resource availability and affordability (49.77%) are crucial. On the supply side, technological innovation (35%) and access to financial resources (43%) play pivotal roles. Environmental and institutional factors such as political willingness (38%) and regulatory support (34%) also impact telemedicine usage. Moreover, results reveal that cloud-based telemedicine platforms in rural healthcare facilities have several benefits including improved access (32.74% to 57.44%), cost efficiency (37.88% to 54.82%), timely consultations (56.83% to 65.21%), health monitoring, and prescription management (43.89% to 75.90%). Private facilities particularly emphasize health monitoring.

Conclusion: Adopting telemedicine technologies can revolutionize rural healthcare by providing customized and easily accessible services. Policymakers can use these findings to develop targeted strategies, including subsidized infrastructure, innovative financing models, and clear regulatory frameworks. Clear guidelines on data transfer and privacy are essential to ensure legal compliance and equitable access to telemedicine benefits. Simplifying registration requirements and implementing explicit consent mechanisms are recommended to address data privacy concerns. These measures aim to promote operational efficiency, data safety, and enhanced health outcomes in resource-limited settings.

Background: The Ghanaian elderly population is increasing at the fastest rate and this has become a burden as the rate is not proportional to the investment in health to meet their deteriorating health needs. This creates discrepancies and inequalities in healthcare access and coupled with poor healthcare provider services, the inequalities widen. Poor care services are related to poor knowledge and bad attitudes of care providers hence this study seeks to explore the health practitioners' level of knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) toward geriatric care.

Methods: The study used a cross-sectional survey design with a simple stratified random technique to select study participants. Out of 257 participants who were sampled for the study, 215 responses were received, representing 83.6% response rate. However, 200 questionnaires were complete (93%) and valid for analysis, which consisted of 166 nurses, representing 83% valid responses, and 34 medical officers, physician assistants, and other allied health care providers, representing 17% valid responses from these professionals. A structured questionnaire was used to assess KAP using the knowledge about Older Patients Quiz (KOP-Q) and Kogan's Attitudes toward Old People Scale (KAOP). Using a mean score of 80%, knowledge, attitude, and practice were dichotomized into good or bad. The Kruskal-Wallis H test was used to compare mean rank across health professionals' knowledge, attitude, and practice of geriatric care.

Results: It shows that the majority (94%) of participants have low levels of knowledge in geriatric care. The majority (84%) of participants do not practice good geriatric care. Differences in knowledge exist among health providers and were statistically significant (P = .045). Doctors had the lowest mean knowledge score (78.61). Nurses (100.27) and physician assistants (106.15) had moderate mean knowledge score ranks. Although not statistically significant, the rank order for practice scores from highest to lowest was: physician assistants (112.95), nurses (99.19), and doctors (79.21). There were however no statistically significant differences between professions in practice scores (P = .067), or attitude scores (P = .097).

Conclusion: Health care providers have low knowledge and, bad attitude toward aged care and this may be related to their service delivery which may affect the aged patronage of healthcare services. This is a wake-up call for authorities to organize continuous professional development to enable care providers to improve their service delivery.

Background: Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) is considered the gold standard for proper diagnosis of hypertension. Yet, access to ABPM in the U.S. is limited, and the extent of coverage by commercial health plans remains uncertain, potentially limiting access to ABPM among commercially insured patients.

Objective: This study aims to assess the net cost impact of using ABPM in comparison to clinical blood pressure monitoring (CBPM) in the U.S. over a 5-year time period.

Design methods: Using a Markov Model, we estimate the 5-year cumulative cost impact of using ABPM to confirm a prior diagnosis of primary hypertension using CBPM to avoid treatment for white-coat hypertension (WCH) in a hypothetical cohort of 1000 patients from a U.S. healthcare system perspective. The probability and cost inputs for the model were derived from available literature. Base-case model parameters were varied to account for different scenarios.

Results: Base-case results indicate using ABPM instead of CBPM over 5 years saves a total of $348,028, reflecting an average per-person-per-year (PPPY) cost saving of $70. In sensitivity analyses, almost all cases reveal ABPM as a cost-saving approach compared to CBPM, with cost savings reaching up to $228 PPPY in the highest hypertension treatment cost model. Regression results reveal that ABPM was cost-saving compared to CBPM if ABPM annual payment rates are $100 or less and annual hypertension treatment costs are ⩾$300.

Conclusion: The potential cost-savings of using ABPM instead of CBPM found in our simulation model underscores the need for confirmatory research using real-world data to support increased use of ABPM as the standard diagnostic approach for hypertension.

Aim of the study: Short stay processes are incentives to unburden chronically stressed healthcare systems. The aim of this study is to analyze financial implications of day admission (DAS) and outpatient strategies for colon resections in a prospective payment system (PPS) using Diagnosis Related Group (DRG) coding.

Methods: Consecutive patients undergoing left and right colonic resections between January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2020 were included. Medico-economic evaluations of the virtual outpatient and day admission surgery groups based on predefined criteria were compared to the identical group of patients who underwent surgery in the actual traditional inpatient setting. In a second step, postoperative complications of the virtual outpatient group were assessed. Cost-revenue analysis was performed using a micro-costing approach including direct medical costs.

Results: Overall (N = 257), 97 (37.7%) colectomies would have been potentially eligible for an outpatient strategy. The global costs of the actual inpatient strategy totaled USD 3 634 392 with a global revenue of USD 3 571 069, corresponding to a cost coverage rate of 98%. The result of the virtual DAS strategy would have been a net loss of USD 15 800 (coverage rate of 99%) due to 4 low length of stay outliers triggering a reimbursement reduction and preventing a positive net result of USD 16 208. The pilot reference outpatient case's revenue and cost amounted to respectively USD 7479 and USD 6911 (cost coverage of 108%).

Conclusion: From both any given hospital and healthcare system point of view, elective outpatient colectomy for selected patients is the most cost-saving option. However, in a prospective payment system implemented to avoid bad incentives, the latter can unintentionally disadvantage best performing hospitals and impede widespread adoption of high-value strategies.