scholarly journals Diagnosing Asthma: The Fit between Survey and Administrative Database

2002 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 407-412 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Huzel ◽  
Leslie L Roos ◽  
Nick R Anthonisen ◽  
Jure Manfreda
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Utilization ◽  
Population Studies ◽  
Administrative Database ◽  
Care Utilization ◽  
Physician Visits ◽  
The Past ◽  
Asthma Symptoms ◽  
Trends Over Time ◽  
Over Time

BACKGROUND:Standard methods for population studies of asthma include surveying population samples using questionnaires and examining people in laboratories. These procedures are extremely expensive. It would be helpful if, at least for some purposes, they could be replaced by cheaper techniques with adequate validity. OBJECTIVES: To determine agreement between survey and database in regard to the prevalence of asthma.METHODS: Responses to survey questions about asthma symptoms in the past 12 months were linked to physician claims in the Manitoba Population Health Repository.RESULTS: The overall agreement was moderate (κ=0.45 to 0.50) and increased if two years of physician claims were studied (κ=0.55 to 0.59); studying additional years had no further effect on agreement. Sex and smoking did not significantly affect the kappa scores.CONCLUSIONS: There were several plausible reasons for discrepancies. Symptoms recorded on the survey were intrinsically different from those recorded for physician visits. Physicians also used other respiratory codes instead of asthma, and survey participants did not see a physician every year for asthma. The estimates of prevalence derived from the survey and the administrative database included two overlapping groups of people. In each, the diagnosis of asthma seems justifiable, although the agreement between the two groups was only moderate to substantial. Both methods are useful, although they are useful for different purposes. Health care utilization estimates may be particularly useful for studying trends over time.

Half-Managed Care

2015 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 519-531
Author(s):  
Shou-Hsia Cheng ◽  
Chih-Ming Chang ◽  
Chi-Chen Chen ◽  
Chih-Yuan Shih ◽  
Shu-Ling Tsai
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Utilization ◽  
Estimating Equation ◽  
Emergency Department Visits ◽  
Care Utilization ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Minimal Impact ◽  
Physician Visits ◽  
Comparison Groups ◽  
Patient Model

In 2011, a novel capitation program was launched in Taiwan under its universal health insurance plan. This study aimed to assess the short-term impact of the program. Two hospitals in the greater Taipei area, one participating in the “loyal patient” model (13,319 enrollees) and one in the “regional resident” model (13,768 enrollees), were analyzed. Two comparison groups were selected by propensity score matching. Generalized estimating equation models with differences-in-differences analysis were used to examine the net effects of the capitation program on health care utilization, expenses, and outcomes. Enrollees in the loyal patient model had fewer physician visits in the host hospital, but more physician visits outside that hospital during the program year than they had the year before. Compared with non-enrollees, the loyal patient model enrollees incurred fewer physician visits (β = −0.042, p < .001), fewer emergency department visits, (β = −0.140, p < .001), and similar total expenses and outcome. For the regional resident model, no differences were found in the number of physician visits, expenses, or outcomes between enrollees and non-enrollees. The novel capitation models in Taiwan had minimal impact on health care utilization after 1 year of implementation and the health care outcome was not compromised.

scholarly journals Prevalence and Determinants of Pain and Pain-Related Disability in Urban and Rural Settings in Southeastern Ontario

2006 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 225-233 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dean A Tripp ◽  
Elizabeth G VanDenKerkhof ◽  
Margo McAlister
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Health Care Utilization ◽  
Pain Intensity ◽  
Pain Interference ◽  
Urban Region ◽  
Care Utilization ◽  
The Past ◽  
Pain Prevalence

BACKGROUND: Canadian chronic pain prevalence estimates range from 11% to 66%, are affected by sampling and measurement bias, and largely represent urban settings.OBJECTIVES: To estimate chronic pain prevalence and factors associated with pain in southeastern Ontario, a region with a larger rural than urban residence.METHODS: A systematic sampling with a random start was used to contact households. A telephone-administered questionnaire using the Graded Chronic Pain Scale, with questions on health care and medication use, health status, depression and demographics, was administered to consenting adults (18 to 94 years of age; mean age 50.2±16.6 years).RESULTS: The response rate was 49% (1067 of 2167), with 76% reporting some pain over the past six months. Low pain intensity with low pain interference prevalence was 34% (grade I), high pain intensity with low pain interference was 26% (grade II), and high pain intensity with high pain interference was 17% (grades III and IV). Of those reporting pain, 49% reported chronic pain (ie, pain for a minimum of 90 days over the past six months) representing 37% of the sample. Being female, unmarried, lower income, poorer self-reported health status and rural residence were associated with increasing pain. Once depression was considered in this pain analysis, residence was no longer significant. Lower rates of health care utilization were reported by rural residents. In those reporting the highest pain grades, poor health, greater medication and health care use, depression and more pain sites were associated with higher odds for pain-related disability.CONCLUSION: There is an elevated prevalence of pain in this almost equally split rural/urban region. Further examination of health care utilization and depression is suggested in chronic pain prevalence research.

Leisure-Time Physical Activity and Health-Care Utilization in Older Adults

2006 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 392-410 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle Y. Martin ◽  
M. Paige Powell ◽  
Claire Peel ◽  
Sha Zhu ◽  
Richard Allman
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Utilization ◽  
Leisure Time ◽  
Leisure Time Physical Activity ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Care Utilization ◽  
Physically Active ◽  
Physician Visits

This study examined whether leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) was associated with health-care utilization in a racially diverse sample of rural and urban older adults. Community-dwelling adults (N= 1,000, 75.32 ± 6.72 years old) self-reported participating in LTPA and their use of the health-care system (physician visits, number and length of hospitalizations, and emergency-room visits). After controlling for variables associated with health and health-care utilization, older adults who reported lower levels of LTPA also reported a greater number of nights in the hospital in the preceding year. There was no support, however, for a relationship between LTPA and the other indicators of health-care utilization. Our findings suggest that being physically active might translate to a quicker recovery for older adults who are hospitalized. Being physically active might not only have health benefits for older persons but also lead to lower health-care costs.

scholarly journals Effect of mood and anxiety disorders on health care utilization in multiple sclerosis

2020 ◽  
pp. 135245852096388
Author(s):  
Ruth Ann Marrie ◽  
Randy Walld ◽  
James M Bolton ◽  
Jitender Sareen ◽  
Scott B Patten ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Anxiety Disorders ◽  
Health Care Utilization ◽  
Care Utilization ◽  
Health Services Use ◽  
Physician Visits ◽  
Mood And Anxiety Disorders ◽  
Drug Classes ◽  
Hospital Days

Background: Little is known about the effects of changes in the presence or absence of psychiatric disorders on health care utilization in multiple sclerosis (MS). Objective: To evaluate the association between “active” mood and anxiety disorders (MAD) and health care utilization in MS. Methods: Using administrative data from Manitoba, Canada, we identified 4748 persons with MS and 24,154 persons without MS matched on sex, birth year, and region. Using multivariable general linear models, we evaluated the within-person and between-person effects of any “active” MAD on annual physician visits, hospital days, and number of drug classes dispensed in the following year. Results: Annually, the MS cohort had an additional two physician visits, two drug classes, and nearly two more hospital days versus the matched cohort. Individuals with any MAD had more physician visits, had hospital days, and used more drug classes than individuals without a MAD. Within individuals, having an “active” MAD was associated with more utilization for all outcomes than not having an “active” MAD, but the magnitude of this effect was much smaller for visits and drugs than the between-person effect. Conclusion: Within individuals with MS, changes in MAD activity are associated with changes in health services use.

Results from year 1 of an embedded supportive oncology practice.

2014 ◽  
Vol 32 (31_suppl) ◽  
pp. 40-40
Author(s):  
Bethann Scarborough ◽  
Emily Chai ◽  
Randall F. Holcombe ◽  
Eric Lee ◽  
Nathan Goldstein
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Palliative Care ◽  
Health Care Utilization ◽  
Symptom Management ◽  
Care Utilization ◽  
First Year ◽  
Goals Of Care ◽  
Supportive Oncology ◽  
Oncology Practice ◽  
Over Time

40 Background: We present the findings from our first year of a Supportive Oncology practice embedded in a quaternary care center’s outpatient cancer practice. Methods: One palliative medicine physician saw patients 4 days per week. Oncologists made referrals for symptom management, psychosocial support, advance care planning, or by predetermined triggers for palliative care. Results: 239 patients were referred for a total of 821 visits. Palliative care referrals increased over time; 0.6% of the cancer center’s patients were referred in the first quarter and 1.5% were referred in the third quarter. Referral reasons included symptom management/support (90%), goals of care (5%), or triggers (6%). Six to 9 symptoms were addressed at 41% of visits. Sixteen percent of patients initially referred for symptoms were later seen for conversations regarding goals of care. Of these patients, 76% discussed goals of care with their oncologist, 61% were referred to hospice and 47% enrolled in hospice. Supportive oncology visits were associated with decreased health care utilization, with a downward trend in Emergency Department visits (0.82 vs. 0.72 per patient) and inpatient admissions (0.91 vs. 0.84 per patient) after the initial palliative care visit compared to use before the visit. Approximately 17% of all Supportive Oncology patients enrolled in hospice. Conclusions: Our first year of an embedded palliative care practice focused on building collaborative relationships. The steady referral growth over time indicates that oncologists increasingly accepted the program. While only a small proportion of patients were referred, the high visit complexity reflects this population’s acuity. Decreased health care utilization may be due to better symptom control or care aligned with patients’ values. Early referrals for symptom management facilitate goals of care discussions later on, and the importance of delivering a unified message on treatment options is seen in the hospice referral rate of 61% for the subset of patients who discussed goals of care with palliative care and oncology. Embedding palliative care in oncology fosters expert symptom management, seamless communication, and trusting relationships between oncologists, palliative care, and patients.

scholarly journals The Effect of Back Pain on Health Care Utilization and Costs

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica J Wong ◽  
Pierre Côté ◽  
Andrea C Tricco ◽  
Tristan Watson ◽  
Laura C Rosella
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Back Pain ◽  
Propensity Score ◽  
Health Care Utilization ◽  
Canadian Community Health Survey ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Care Utilization ◽  
Physician Visits ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Behavioural Factors

Introduction: We assessed the effect of self-reported back pain on health care utilization and costs in a population-based sample of Ontario adults. Methods: We conducted a population-based matched cohort study of Ontarian respondents aged ≥18 years of Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) from 2003-2012. CCHS data were individually linked to health administrative data to measure health care utilization and costs up to 2018. We propensity-score matched (hard-matched on sex) adults with self-reported back pain to those without back pain, accounting for sociodemographic, health-related, and behavioural factors. We evaluated back pain-specific and all-cause health care utilization and costs from healthcare payer perspective adjusted to 2018 Canadian dollars. Poisson and linear (log-transformed) models were used to assess healthcare utilization rates and costs.  Results: After propensity-score matching, we identified 36,806 pairs (21,054 for women, 15,752 for men) of CCHS respondents with and without back pain (mean age 51 years; SD=18). Compared to propensity-score matched adults without back pain, adults with back pain had two times the rate of back pain-specific visits (women: rate ratio [RR] 2.06, 95% CI 1.88-2.25; men: RR 2.32, 95% CI 2.04-2.64), 1.1 times the rate of all-cause physician visits (women: RR 1.12, 95% CI 1.09-1.16; men: RR 1.10, 95% CI 1.05-1.14), and 1.2 times the costs (women: 1.21, 95% CI 1.16-1.27; men: 1.16, 95% CI 1.09-1.23). Incremental annual per-person costs were higher in adults with back pain versus those without (women: $395, 95% CI $281-$509; men: $196, 95% CI $94-$300), corresponding to $532 million for women and $227 million CAD for men annually in Ontario. Conclusions: Adults with back pain had considerably higher health care utilization and costs compared to adults without back pain. These findings provide the most recent, comprehensive, and high-quality estimates of the health system burden of back pain to inform healthcare policy and decision-making. New strategies to reduce the substantial burden of back pain are warranted.

scholarly journals Burden of Active Tuberculosis in an Integrated Health Care System, 1997–2016: Incidence, Mortality, and Excess Health Care Utilization

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Y Wada ◽  
Christian Lee-Rodriguez ◽  
Yun-Yi Hung ◽  
Jacek Skarbinski
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Utilization ◽  
Active Tuberculosis ◽  
Emergency Department Visits ◽  
Care Utilization ◽  
First Year ◽  
Potential Value ◽  
Outpatient Visits ◽  
Integrated Health Care System ◽  
Over Time

Abstract Active tuberculosis (TB) is preventable. To quantify the potential value of prevention, we assessed active TB burden in a large health system from 1997 to 2016. Compared with a matched non-TB cohort, patients with active TB had higher mortality (8.4% vs 1.3%), mean number of hospitalizations (0.55 vs 0.10), emergency department visits (0.78 vs 0.28), and outpatient visits (14.6 vs 5.9) in the first year. TB-associated hospital use (mean number of hospitalizations and total length of stay) increased from 1997–2000 compared with 2013–2016 despite decreasing active TB incidence. Active TB is associated with high mortality and health care utilization and has remained stable or increased over time.

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