Incidence of acute cholecystitis underwent cholecystectomy in incidence dialysis patients: a nationwide population-based cohort study in Korea

Patients on dialysis have numerous gastrointestinal problems related to uremia, which may represent concealed cholecystitis. We investigated the incidence and risk of acute cholecystitis in dialysis patients and used national health insurance data to identify acute cholecystitis in Korea. Methods: The Korean National Health Insurance Database was used, with excerpted data from the insurance claim of the International Classification of Diseases code of dialysis and acute cholecystitis treated with cholecystectomy. We included all patients who commenced dialysis between 2004 and 2013 and selected the same number of controls via propensity score matching. Results: A total of 59,999 dialysis and control patients were analyzed; of these, 3,940 dialysis patients (6.6%) and 647 controls (1.1%) developed acute cholecystitis. The overall incidence of acute cholecystitis was 8.04-fold higher in dialysis patients than in controls (95% confidence interval, 7.40–8.76). The acute cholecystitis incidence rate (incidence rate ratio, 23.13) was especially high in the oldest group of dialysis patients (aged ≥80 years) compared with that of controls. Dialysis was a significant risk factor for acute cholecystitis (adjusted hazard ratio, 8.94; 95% confidence interval, 8.19–9.76). Acute cholecystitis developed in 3,558 of 54,103 hemodialysis patients (6.6%) and in 382 of 5,896 patients (6.5%) undergoing peritoneal dialysis. Conclusion: Patients undergoing dialysis had a higher incidence and risk of acute cholecystitis than the general population. The possibility of a gallbladder disorder developing in patients with gastrointestinal problems should be considered in the dialysis clinic.

The Nationwide Incidence of Retinal Vein Occlusion Following Dialysis due to End-stage Renal Disease in Korea, 2004 through 2013

Background@#We investigated the incidence and risk of retinal vein occlusion (RVO) in endstage renal disease (ESRD) patients on dialysis in Korea. @*Methods@#In this nationwide cohort study, we used Korean National Health Insurance Service data between 2004 and 2013 for analysis. ESRD patients who started dialysis from 2004 to 2013 and an equal number of controls were selected through propensity score matching. RVO incidence in both cohorts were calculated for 2004–2013 using washout data from 2003. The multivariable Cox proportional hazards model was used to assess the risk of RVO in dialysis cohort. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to generate the cumulative RVO incidence curve.Whether the dialysis modality affects the development of RVO was also evaluated. @*Results@#In this study, 74,551 ESRD patients on dialysis and the same number of controls were included. The incidence of RVO was significantly higher in the dialysis cohort than in the control cohort (dialysis = 7.3/1,000 person-years [PY]; control = 1.9/1,000 PY; P < 0.001). The cumulative-incidence of RVO was also significantly higher in the dialysis cohort than in the control cohort (P < 0.001; log-rank test). However, there was no significant difference in the incidence of RVO between the two dialysis methods (P = 0.550; log-rank test). @*Conclusion@#This study provided epidemiological evidence that receiving dialysis for ESRD could increase the risk of developing RVO. We also found a rapid increase in the incidence of RVO with a longer dialysis period. These results strengthen the relationship between retinal vascular disease and renal function.

Trends in Axillary Surgery for Treating Ductal Carcinoma In Situ: A Korean Population-based Study / 한국유방암학회지

Purpose@#Ductal carcinoma In Situ (DCIS) is common in South Korea. We evaluated the patterns of axillary surgery among patients with DCIS to highlight the need for compliance with the updated national guidelines. We also evaluated whether sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) was performed in accordance with the national guidelines. @*Methods@#The Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service-National Inpatient Sample database was searched for patients with DCIS (2009–2015) to identify axillary surgery patterns by breast surgery type, year of diagnosis, age at diagnosis, and the location and volume of surgeries for DCIS at the hospital. The rates of SLNB and axillary dissection were compared using descriptive statistics and univariate analyses. Analyses were also conducted using the chi-squared test and multiple logistic regression analysis. @*Results@#We identified 16,315 Korean women who underwent surgery for DCIS, including 11,292 cases of SLNB (69.2%) and 131 cases of axillary lymph node dissection (0.8%).Breast-conserving surgery (BCS) was performed in 10,323 patients (63.3%) with an SLNB rate of 56.0%, while total mastectomy (TM) was performed in 5,992 patients (36.7%), with an SLNB rate of 92.0%. During 2009–2015, the SLNB rate during TM increased from 88.23% to 92.80%. SLNB was influenced by hospital region and surgical volume, and hospitals performing low volumes of surgeries were significantly more likely to perform SLNB regardless of the surgery type (odds ratio, 1.372; 95% confidence interval, 1.265–1.488). @*Conclusion@#Although the Korean guidelines recommend SLNB for all TM procedures and select BCS procedures for DCIS, relatively high rates of SLNB were performed for BCS, and there was inter-hospital variability in performing SLNB. Improved compliance with the guidelines by the surgeons is critical for Korean patients with DCIS.

The Nationwide Incidence of Retinal Vein Occlusion Following Dialysis due to End-stage Renal Disease in Korea, 2004 through 2013

Background@#We investigated the incidence and risk of retinal vein occlusion (RVO) in endstage renal disease (ESRD) patients on dialysis in Korea. @*Methods@#In this nationwide cohort study, we used Korean National Health Insurance Service data between 2004 and 2013 for analysis. ESRD patients who started dialysis from 2004 to 2013 and an equal number of controls were selected through propensity score matching. RVO incidence in both cohorts were calculated for 2004–2013 using washout data from 2003. The multivariable Cox proportional hazards model was used to assess the risk of RVO in dialysis cohort. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to generate the cumulative RVO incidence curve.Whether the dialysis modality affects the development of RVO was also evaluated. @*Results@#In this study, 74,551 ESRD patients on dialysis and the same number of controls were included. The incidence of RVO was significantly higher in the dialysis cohort than in the control cohort (dialysis = 7.3/1,000 person-years [PY]; control = 1.9/1,000 PY; P < 0.001). The cumulative-incidence of RVO was also significantly higher in the dialysis cohort than in the control cohort (P < 0.001; log-rank test). However, there was no significant difference in the incidence of RVO between the two dialysis methods (P = 0.550; log-rank test). @*Conclusion@#This study provided epidemiological evidence that receiving dialysis for ESRD could increase the risk of developing RVO. We also found a rapid increase in the incidence of RVO with a longer dialysis period. These results strengthen the relationship between retinal vascular disease and renal function.

Trends in Axillary Surgery for Treating Ductal Carcinoma In Situ: A Korean Population-based Study / 한국유방암학회지

Purpose@#Ductal carcinoma In Situ (DCIS) is common in South Korea. We evaluated the patterns of axillary surgery among patients with DCIS to highlight the need for compliance with the updated national guidelines. We also evaluated whether sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) was performed in accordance with the national guidelines. @*Methods@#The Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service-National Inpatient Sample database was searched for patients with DCIS (2009–2015) to identify axillary surgery patterns by breast surgery type, year of diagnosis, age at diagnosis, and the location and volume of surgeries for DCIS at the hospital. The rates of SLNB and axillary dissection were compared using descriptive statistics and univariate analyses. Analyses were also conducted using the chi-squared test and multiple logistic regression analysis. @*Results@#We identified 16,315 Korean women who underwent surgery for DCIS, including 11,292 cases of SLNB (69.2%) and 131 cases of axillary lymph node dissection (0.8%).Breast-conserving surgery (BCS) was performed in 10,323 patients (63.3%) with an SLNB rate of 56.0%, while total mastectomy (TM) was performed in 5,992 patients (36.7%), with an SLNB rate of 92.0%. During 2009–2015, the SLNB rate during TM increased from 88.23% to 92.80%. SLNB was influenced by hospital region and surgical volume, and hospitals performing low volumes of surgeries were significantly more likely to perform SLNB regardless of the surgery type (odds ratio, 1.372; 95% confidence interval, 1.265–1.488). @*Conclusion@#Although the Korean guidelines recommend SLNB for all TM procedures and select BCS procedures for DCIS, relatively high rates of SLNB were performed for BCS, and there was inter-hospital variability in performing SLNB. Improved compliance with the guidelines by the surgeons is critical for Korean patients with DCIS.

The Incidences and Characteristics of Various Cancers in Patients on Dialysis: a Korean Nationwide Study

BACKGROUND: The numbers of patients on dialysis and their life expectancies are increasing. Reduced renal function is associated with an increased risk of cancer, but the cancer incidence and sites in dialysis patients compared with those of the general population require further investigation. We investigated the incidences of various cancers in dialysis patients in Korea and used national health insurance data to identify cancers that should be screened in dialysis clinics. METHODS: We accessed the Korean National Health Insurance Database and excerpted data using the International Classification of Disease codes for dialysis and malignancies. We included all patients who commenced dialysis between 2004 and 2013 and selected the same number of controls via propensity score matching. RESULTS: A total of 48,315 dialysis patients and controls were evaluated; of these, 2,504 (5.2%) dialysis patients and 2,201 (4.6%) controls developed cancer. The overall cancer risk was 1.54-fold higher in dialysis patients than in controls (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.71; 95% confidence interval, 1.61–1.81). The cancer incidence rate (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 3.27) was especially high in younger dialysis patients (aged 0–29 years). The most common malignancy of end-stage renal disease patients and controls was colorectal cancer. The major primary cancer sites in dialysis patients were liver and stomach, followed by the lung, kidney, and urinary tract. Kidney cancer exhibited the highest IRR (6.75), followed by upper urinary tract (4.00) and skin cancer (3.38). The rates of prostate cancer (0.54) and oropharyngeal cancer (0.72) were lower than those in the general population. CONCLUSION: Dialysis patients exhibited a higher incidence of malignancy than controls. Dialysis patients should be screened in terms of colorectal, liver, lung, kidney and urinary tract malignancies in dialysis clinics.

End-stage Renal Disease and Risk of Active Tuberculosis: a Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study

BACKGROUND: The converging epidemics of tuberculosis (TB) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) have generated a significant public health burden, however, previous studies have been limited to a small number of patients. This nationwide cohort study aimed to assess the rate of developing active TB among patients receiving dialysis for ESRD. METHODS: The Korean national health insurance database was used to identify patients receiving dialysis for new-onset ESRD during 2004–2013, who were propensity score matched to an equivalent number of non-dialysis subjects from the general population. The incidences of active TB in the ESRD and control cohorts were calculated for 2004–2013, and multivariable Cox proportional hazards model was used to evaluate the ESRD-related risk of active TB. RESULTS: During 2004–2013, 59,584 patients received dialysis for newly diagnosed ESRD. In the dialysis and control cohorts, 457 (0.8%) and 125 (0.2%) cases of active TB were detected, respectively. Patients with ESRD were associated with a significantly higher risk of active TB compared to the controls (incidence rate ratio, 4.80). The ESRD cohort had an independently elevated risk of active TB (adjusted hazard ratio, 4.39; 95% confidence interval, 3.60–5.37). CONCLUSION: We found that patients receiving dialysis for ESRD had an elevated risk of active TB. These results highlight the need for detailed and well-organised guidelines for active TB screening among patients with ESRD.

Cost-Benefit Analysis of Malaria Chemoprophylaxis and Early Diagnosis for Korean Soldiers in Malaria Risk Regions

BACKGROUND: Chemoprophylaxis has been used to prevent malaria among soldiers and secondary transmission, as it effectively facilitates a decline in disease occurrence and secondary prevention. However, poor compliance and decreased risk of exposure to malaria necessitate that control strategies be reestablished. METHODS: To predict the incidence of malaria according to a control strategy, we proposed a mathematical model for its transmission using epidemiological data from 2010 to 2012. The benefit component included in the analyses was the averted cost with each control strategy, and the cost components were the cost of implementing chemoprophylaxis and early diagnosis. RESULTS: The chemoprophylaxis regimen with hydroxychloroquine sulfate and primaquine was Intervention 1, the regimen with primaquine only was Intervention 2, and diagnosis with a rapid diagnostic test (RDT) kit within 5 days of fever was Intervention 3. The simulation indicated that the combined control program with chemoprophylaxis and early diagnosis would be the most effective strategy, whereas sole early diagnosis would be the least effective strategy. However, the cost-benefit ratio of chemoprophylaxis was less than Intervention 1, irrespective of the varying range of chemoprophylaxis compliance, and that of early diagnosis was more than Intervention 1, regardless of the varying early diagnosis rate and demand for the RDT kit. Although chemoprophylaxis would be more effective at reducing the incidence of malaria than early diagnosis, it is less economical due to the higher cost. CONCLUSION: Our results support the introduction of early diagnosis with a RDT kit to control malaria in the Republic of Korea Army.

Public Awareness of Stroke and Its Predicting Factors in Korea: a National Public Telephone Survey, 2012 and 2014

The aim of this study was to investigate time trends in the public awareness of stroke and its predicting factors. The target population was 9,600 community-dwelling adults, aged 19–79 years, in 16 metropolitan cities and provinces in Korea. The survey samples in 2012 and 2014 were selected separately (entirely different sets of subjects) using a proportionate quota sampling method. Information concerning knowledge of stroke and demographics was collected by trained telephone interviewers using random digit dialing. After excluding subjects with a non-response or refusal to answer any question, the analyses included 8,191 subjects in 2012 and 8,127 subjects in 2014. Respondents’ awareness of stroke warning signs (numbness or weakness, difficulty speaking or understanding speech, dizziness, visual impairment, and severe headache) was highest for difficulty speaking or understanding speech (80.9% in 2012 and 86.4% in 2014). There were significant increases in the proportion of respondents understanding the appropriate action (i.e., calling an ambulance) at the time of stroke occurrence (59.6% to 67.1%), and in the proportion aware of the general need for prompt treatment (86.7% to 89.8%). In multivariable logistic regression analysis, older age, higher education level, higher household income, current non-smoking, exposure to stroke-related public relations materials, and experience of stroke education were significantly associated with both high knowledge of stroke warning signs and awareness of the need for prompt treatment. Between 2012 and 2014, the public’s awareness of stroke increased significantly. More specialized interventions, including public relations materials and education, should focus on subgroups who have lower stroke knowledge.

The Influence of Community Characteristics on Food Insecurity Korean Adults / 보건행정학회지

BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to analyze the influence of socioeconomic characteristics of community on the food insecurity under the control of personal socioeconomic factors which may be influence to the food security. METHODS: Food insecurity and individual socioeconomic characteristics were obtained from 2012 community health survey. Socioeconomic characteristics of communities were extracted from the data of Statistics Korea and local governments. Personal socioeconomic factors were sex, age, educational status, job, and monthly family income. Socioeconomic characteristics of communities were administrative district (urban vs. rural), senior population rate, degree of financial self reliance, degree of financial independence, portion of welfare budget, number of welfare facilities, and unemployment rate. We analysed the relationships between the food insecurity and socioeconomic characteristics of community using multi-level analysis under the control of personal characteristics. RESULTS: On personal level age, sex, education status, and monthly family income were related with food insecurity. On community level administrative district (urban vs. rural), degree of financial independence, unemployment rate, and proportion of welfare budget among local general government accounts were related to individual food insecurity. Rural area, district with low levels of financial independence, low portion of welfare budget, and greater unemployment rate showed a higher level of food insecurity. CONCLUSION: To reduce the level of food insecurity in a community it is necessary to decrease the unemployment rate, in addition to providing support from the central government by increasing the proportion of the welfare budget so that both factors contribute to raising the degree of financial independence.

Factors Affecting the Validity of Self-Reported Data on Health Services from the Community Health Survey in Korea

PURPOSE: As a follow-up for the validity study of Community Health Surveys (CHSs), the purpose of this study was to evaluate the factors affecting the accuracy of CHSs by investigating subjects' characteristics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used data from 11,217 participants (aged 19 years or older) who had participated in the CHS, conducted by a local government in 2008 and analyzed the variables affecting the sensitivity and specificity of hospitalization and outpatient visit. RESULTS: Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that, factors related with the sensitivity of hospitalization and outpatient visit questions were gender, age, marital status, chronic diseases, medical checkup, the subjective health status and necessary medical services. Factors related with the specificity were gender, marital status, educational background, chronic diseases, medical checkup, alcohol consumption, necessary medical services and sadness. CONCLUSION: This study revealed the subject-related factors associated with the validity of the CHS. Efforts to improve the sensitivity and the specificity from self-report questionnaires should consider how the characteristics of subjects may affect their responses.

Validity of Self-reported Healthcare Utilization Data in the Community Health Survey in Korea

To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of Community Health Survey (CHS), we analyzed data from 11,217 participants aged > or = 19 yr, in 13 cities and counties in 2008. Three healthcare utilization indices (admission, outpatient visits, dental visits) as comparative variables and the insurance benefit claim data of the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service as the gold-standard were used. The sensitivities of admission, outpatient visits, and dental visits in CHS were 54.8%, 52.1%, and 61.0%, respectively. The specificities were 96.4%, 85.6%, and 82.7%, respectively. This is the first study to evaluate the validity of nationwide health statistics resulting from questionnaire surveys and shows that CHS needs a lot of efforts to reflect the true health status, health behavior, and healthcare utilization of the population.

Analysis of the Abstracts of Cancer Related Articles Published from 1990 to 1996 in Korea / 예방의학회지

OBJECTIVE: To explore the status of cancer research in the Republic of Korea. METHODS: Thirty-eight medical journals, published in Korea between 1990 and 1996, were reviewed for abstracts relating to cancer research. Of the 5,899 eligible abstracts related to cancer, 4,732 were collected and evaluated. RESULTS: Including first author and first two co-authors, a total of 7,427 authors were identified. Those who published an average of one or more article per one year were defined as cancer researchers for this study. This group, however, accounted for a small proportion of the total (3.1%). Analysis of the selected abstracts showed that the study goals in more than half focused on pathophysiologic mechanisms. Studies that were designed to use causal relationships such as cohort studies and randomized controlled trials were rare. A greater number of analytic and experimental studies were found in abstracts published by the cancer researcher group. More advanced study designs that explored causal relationships and analytic procedures were found in abstracts published later than those abstracts published from 1990 to 1992. CONCLUSION: Our findings show that researchers who published more articles adopted more advanced study designs. This study provides primary data that can be used to compare the status of cancer research in future studies.

Impacts of DRG Payment System on Behavior of Medical Insurance Claimants / 예방의학회지

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the impacts of the DRG payment system on the behavior of medical insurance claimants. Specifically, we evaluated the case-mix index, the numbers of diagnosis and procedure codes utilized, and the corresponding rate of diagnosis codes before, during and after implementation of the DRG payment system. METHODS: In order to evaluate the case-mix index, the number of diagnosis and procedure codes utilized, we used medical insurance claim data from all medical facilities that participated in the DRG-based Prospective Payment Demonstration Program. This medical insurance claim data consisted of both pre-demonstration program data (fee-for-service, from November, 1998 to January, 1999) and post-demonstration program data (DRG-based Prospective Payment, from February, 1999 to April, 1999). And in order to evaluate the corresponding rate of diagnosis codes utilized, we reviewed 820 medical records from 20 medical institutes that were selected by random sampling methods. RESULTS: The case-mix index rate decreased after the DRG-based Prospective Payment Demonstration Program was introduced. The average numbers of different claim diagnosis codes used decreased (new DRGs from 2.22 to 1.24, and previous DRGs from 1.69 to 1.21), as did the average number of claim procedure codes used (new DRGs from 3.02 to 2.16, and previous DRGs from 2.97 to 2.43). With respect to the time of participation in the program, the change in number of claim procedure codes was significant, but the change in number of claim diagnosis codes was not. The corresponding rate of claim diagnosis codes increased (from 57.9% to 82.6%), as did the exclusion rate of claim diagnosis codes (from 16.5% to 25.1%). CONCLUSIONS: After the implementation of the DRG payment system, the corresponding rate of insurance claim codes and the corresponding exclusion rate of claim diagnosis codes both increased, because the inducement system for entering the codes for claim review was changed.

Factors Affecting Users' Satisfaction with Order Communicating System / 예방의학회지

OBJECTIVES: To identify the factors affecting users' satisfaction with the Order Communicating System(OCS) and to highlight the factors important for the successful establishment of OCS. METHODS: A Users Satisfaction survey was sent to 4,513 people, consisting of 1,503 doctors, 2,379 nurses, 255 pharmacists and 370 administrative workers in 16 hospitals which had introduced OCS. The response rate was 63.9%. Measurement of users' satisfaction was performed with the instrument which was used in Doll's study. Some aspects of Doll's instrument were adjusted according to the aims of this study. The classifying sections of this survey included age, job and status classification, computer experience , OCS education, duration of daily OCS use, type of order entering, number of personnel in the Hospital Information System's department, cost of OCS, problem frequency, proportion of work managed by hand, OCS type, and Hospital establishment type. RESULTS: There was a positive correlation between satisfaction level and managerial status throughout all job classifications. Irrespective of the importance of OCS education as a factor relating to users' satisfaction, the additional work load caused by OCS lowered users' satisfaction. Different factors affected users' satisfaction according to job and status classification. The composition of factors affecting the pharmacist and administrative worker satisfaction levels was simpler than that of the doctor and nurse levels. There were no statistically significant differences between the actual computer experience duration of daily OCS use and users' satisfaction with OCS. CONCLUSIONS: There was an understandable relationship between users' attitude to OCS and factors affecting users' satisfaction. The results of this study could be used as a basis for the successful expansion of the operation of OCS. But more detailed studies on users' satisfaction and further improvements of methodologies are required for the successful establishment of OCS.

Introduction And The Current Status Of Hospital Information Systems / 대한의료정보학회지

The purpose of this research was to understand the current status of hospital information system(HIS) in Korea. Our main interests were when hospitals adopted each component of HIS and how they developed and managed the system. Structured questionnaires were applied to the department of each hospital in charge of managing information system. All hospitals, 276 in 1997, were included, and among them 93.5% responded. The HIS has been rapidly developed to include medical record management system, order communication system, laboratory information system, and picture archiving and communication system. The software for HIS was developed extramurally in more than half of all hospitals, and usually hardware was secured by buying than leasing them. Recently more hospitals has separated departments for His as independent units in hospital.