Utilization of health insurance data in an environmental epidemiology

OBJECTIVES: In South Korea, health insurance data are used as material for the health insurance of national whole subject. In general, health insurance data could be useful for estimating prevalence or incidence rate that is representative of the actual value in a population. The purpose of this study was to apply the concept of episode of care (EoC) in the utilization of health insurance data in the field of environmental epidemiology and to propose an improved methodology through an uncertainty assessment of disease course and outcome. METHODS: In this study, we introduced the concept of EoC as a methodology to utilize health insurance data in the field of environmental epidemiology. The characterization analysis of the course and outcome of applying the EoC concept to health insurance data was performed through an uncertainty assessment. RESULTS: The EoC concept in this study was applied to heat stroke (International Classification of Disease, 10th revision, code T67). In the comparison of results between before and after applying the EoC concept, we observed a reduction in the deviation of daily claims after applying the EoC concept. After that, we categorized context, model, and input uncertainty and characterized these uncertainties in three dimensions by using uncertainty typology. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first to show the process of constructing episode data for environmental epidemiological studies by using health insurance data. Our results will help in obtaining representative results for the processing of health insurance data in environmental epidemiological research. Furthermore, these results could be used in the processing of health insurance data in the future.

Utilization of health insurance data in an environmental epidemiology

OBJECTIVES: In South Korea, health insurance data are used as material for the health insurance of national whole subject. In general, health insurance data could be useful for estimating prevalence or incidence rate that is representative of the actual value in a population. The purpose of this study was to apply the concept of episode of care (EoC) in the utilization of health insurance data in the field of environmental epidemiology and to propose an improved methodology through an uncertainty assessment of disease course and outcome. METHODS: In this study, we introduced the concept of EoC as a methodology to utilize health insurance data in the field of environmental epidemiology. The characterization analysis of the course and outcome of applying the EoC concept to health insurance data was performed through an uncertainty assessment. RESULTS: The EoC concept in this study was applied to heat stroke (International Classification of Disease, 10th revision, code T67). In the comparison of results between before and after applying the EoC concept, we observed a reduction in the deviation of daily claims after applying the EoC concept. After that, we categorized context, model, and input uncertainty and characterized these uncertainties in three dimensions by using uncertainty typology. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first to show the process of constructing episode data for environmental epidemiological studies by using health insurance data. Our results will help in obtaining representative results for the processing of health insurance data in environmental epidemiological research. Furthermore, these results could be used in the processing of health insurance data in the future.

Effect of a Diet Program for Adult Women on Body Weight Loss and Health Related Indices / 대한지역사회영양학회지

This study was carried out to analyze the effect of a diet program for adult women on weight loss, BMI, eating habits, sleeping habits, health related indices. The subjects was 415 participants of the 10 weeks (20 time participation program). The data was collected by basic somatometry and HRV (Heart Rate Variability) / APG (Accelerated Plethysmograph) Analyzer. The average age, height, weight and BMI were 28.6 years, 162.1 cm, 62.8 kg and 23.9 kg/m2, respectively. Their body types by BMI were under weight (1.2%), normal (45.8%), overweight (24.8%), mild obesity (22.7%) and obesity (5.5%). There were significant reductions of average weight (4.6 kg) and average BMI (1.75 kg/m2) on the 10th week. There were positive changes in vascular age (50.4%), stress index (44.6%), fatigue index (43.9%), health index (54.5%) of the subjects during the program. There was a meaningful difference of the average variation for the vascular age, stress index, fatigue index, and health index between two groups; one improving the eating habit and the other did not (p < 0.05), and also there was a meaningful difference of the average variation for the fatigue index in both groups improving the sleeping habit (p < 0.05), but was not a meaningful difference of the average variation for the vascular age, stress index, and health index between two groups. There was a meaningful difference of the average variation for the vascular age, stress index, fatigue index, and health index between two groups improving both eating and sleeping habit (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the weight loss program was effective on the weight loss and BMI reduction and health related indices.