Incidence of Olfactory Dysfunction and Associated Factors: A Nationwide Cohort Study From South Korea.

OBJECTIVES: Olfactory dysfunction, a reduced or complete loss of the ability to smell, is gaining attention because of its substantial impact on an individual's quality of life and the possibility that it is an important sign of underlying disease. However, olfactory dysfunction is underdiagnosed in the general population due to diagnostic difficulty and unpredictable prognosis. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of clinically diagnosed olfactory dysfunction in South Korea by using well-organized, nationwide, population-based cohort data, and the associations between olfactory dysfunction and risk of neurodegenerative disorders. METHODS: We investigated the Korean National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort for patients diagnosed with olfactory dysfunction according to the International Classification of Diseases. Annual and overall incidence and prevalence of olfactory dysfunction during 2003 to 2013 and patient characteristics were analyzed. Based on those identified patients who were later diagnosed with neurodegenerative disorder, hazard ratios (HRs) of sociodemographic factors and comorbidities associated with neurodegenerative disorder were evaluated using a Cox proportional hazard regression model. RESULTS: In total, 6296 patients were clinically diagnosed with olfactory dysfunction during the study period (524.67 patients/year). The prevalence increased annually and was higher in female patients. The incidence of neurodegenerative disorders among patients with olfactory dysfunction was 4.2% within the study period. Multivariate cox regression analysis of the patients (n = 249) revealed that diabetes mellitus (HR = 1.976) and depression (HR = 2.758) were significant risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: Olfactory dysfunction is underdiagnosed in South Korea, but it is clinically important considering the possibility of presymptom of neurodegenerative disorders. In clinical practice, we should consider its association with neurodegenerative disorders and possibly other systemic conditions.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the care of rare and undiagnosed diseases patients in France: a longitudinal population-based study.

BACKGROUND: Preliminary data suggest that COVID-19 pandemic has generated a switch from face-to-face to remote care for individuals with chronic diseases. However, few data are available for rare and undiagnosed diseases (RUDs). We aimed to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the activities of the French reference network for RUDs in 2020. RESULTS: In this longitudinal retrospective study, we extracted and analyzed the data of the French national registry for RUDs collected between Jan 1, 2019 and Dec 31, 2020. We compared the annual longitudinal evolution of face-to-face and remote care activities between 2019 and 2020 focusing on adult and pediatric patients. Compared to 2019, rare diseases (RD) care activities showed a decrease in 2020 (- 12%) which occurred mostly during the first lockdown (- 45%) but did not catch up completely. This decrease was mainly in face-to-face care activities. Telehealth activities showed a 9-fold increase during the first lockdown and was able to cover for one third of the decrease in RD activities. Finally, the total number of patients receiving care was lower in 2020(- 9%) with a drastic decrease of cases with newly confirmed diagnosis (- 47%). CONCLUSION: Although telehealth was quickly introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic, RUD patient care was strongly affected in France with a decline in the number of patients treated and new patients recruited. This is likely to result in delays in patient diagnosis and care over the next few years.

The National Programme for Health Care of the Elderly: A Review of its Achievements and Challenges in India.

Aging care is critical. Projections for 2020 indicate that India's older population will comprise 6.57% of the overall population. The best-known newly developed technologies must be provided to the older population. Non-governmental organizations and private institutions are increasingly providing more door-to-door guidance and help. This study evaluated the impact of the National Programme for Health Care of the Elderly (NPHCE) in India and analyzed its achievements and challenges. The program's key strategies include providing preventive and promotional care and sickness management, empowering geriatric services, and guaranteeing optimal rehabilitation. The NPHCE is an excellent project for caring for a rapidly aging population. This study described the existing programs and schemes related to older people in India, with a focus on the NPHCE and an analysis of the program's achievements and challenges.

Rapid exome sequencing in critically ill children impacts acute and long-term management of patients and their families: A retrospective regional evaluation.

INTRODUCTION: Genetic disorders are a significant cause of paediatric morbidity and mortality. Rapid exome sequencing was introduced by the National Health Service (NHS) in England on 1st October 2019 for acutely unwell children with a likely monogenic disorder, or to inform current pregnancy management where there was a previously affected child or fetus. We present results of a 12-month patient cohort from one large clinical genetics centre in England. METHODS: Patients were identified through local genetics laboratory records. We included all cases which underwent rapid exome sequencing between 1st October 2020 and 30th September 2021. DNA was extracted, quality checked and exported to the Exeter Genomic laboratory where library preparation, exome sequencing of all known human genes, gene-agnostic bioinformatic analysis, variant interpretation, MDT discussions and reporting were performed. RESULTS: Ninety-five probands were included. Trio analysis was performed in 90% (85), duo in 8% (8), singleton in 2% (2). The median turnaround time for preliminary reports was 11 days. The overall diagnostic yield was 40% (38 patients); 36% (34 patients) made solely on exome with a further 4% on concomitant exome and microarray analysis. Highest diagnostic rates were seen in patients with neuro-regression, skeletal dysplasia, neuromuscular and neurometabolic conditions. Where the diagnosis was made solely through exome sequencing, management was altered for the proband or family in 97% (33/34). For the proband, this was most commonly that the diagnosis was able to inform current management and prognosis (20 patients, 59%), as well as direct specialist referrals (10 patients, 29%). For families, the exome sequencing results provided accurate recurrence risk counselling in 88% (30/34) with cascade testing offered if indicated in some families. CONCLUSIONS: In the majority of cases, the genetic diagnoses influenced acute and long-term management for critically ill children and their families. Paediatric and neonatal clinicians in the NHS now have direct access to exome sequencing for their patients. The rapid turnaround time was particularly helpful to alter the management in acute clinical settings and is a powerful tool for diagnosing monogenic conditions. This study is an example of a highly successful integration of a national rapid exome sequencing service with diagnostic rates comparable to previously reported literature.

Long-Term Exposure to Air Pollution and Incidence of Venous Thromboembolism in the General Population: A Population-Based Retrospective Cohort Study.

To date, the relationship between air pollutants and venous thromboembolism (VTE) has not been well established. Our aim is to investigate the association between ambient air pollutants and the incidence of VTE using the Korean National Health Insurance Service-National Health Screening Cohort (NHIS-HEALS) database. From 2003 to 2015, 338,616 subjects from the general population not previously diagnosed with VTE were included. The long-term average concentration of air pollutants before diagnosis for each subject was calculated. During the study period, there were 3196 incident cases of VTE. After adjusting for age, gender, economic status, body mass index, physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption, comorbid diseases, and meteorological variables, the risk of VTE was observed to increase significantly with the long-term average concentration of particulate matter < 10 µm in diameter: PM10 (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.064 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.053−1.074) for 1 µg/m3), SO2 (HR = 1.118 (95% CI 1.079−1.158) 1 ppb), and O3 (HR = 1.039 (95% CI 1.026−1.053) for 1 ppb), respectively. A difference between the date of the health screening and the date of diagnosis of the disease was observed. Long-term exposure to air pollutants including PM10, SO2, and O3 may be an independent risk factor for the development of VTE.

Universal health coverage as hegemonic health policy in low- and middle-income countries: A mixed-methods analysis.

Universal health coverage (UHC) has become an influential global health policy. This study asked whether and to what extent UHC became a "hegemonic" health policy. The article consists of three parts: a historical timeline of UHC's rise, a bibliometric analysis of UHC in the literature, and a qualitative thematic analysis of how UHC is defined and the thematic content of those definitions. The roots of UHC can be traced to policies enacted by international financial institutions (IFIs) such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) during the latter half of the twentieth century. These policies caused the debt of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to rise precipitously and led the same IFIs and other institutions like the World Health Organization to become involved in the development and restructuring of health systems. UHC was presented as the leading method for financing development of health systems. As the bibliometric analysis shows, UHC has come to predominate in the literature around health system reforms. The thematic analysis based on a random selection of papers obtained in the bibliometric component of the study shows that often the term is not defined or only poorly defined. There is wide variation in the definitions, with many papers mentioning concepts such as quality, access, and equity without further clarification. Usually, papers define UHC to include tiering of benefits, with discussions of financing that focus on preventing "catastrophic [individual] expenditures" rather than discussing universal budgeting of a national health care system or national health insurance. We conclude that UHC has become hegemonic within global health policy, to the exclusion of discussions about other approaches to the transformation of health systems that are not predominately based on insurance coverage such as Health Care for All system, a system which provides equal services for the entire population.

Exposure to air pollution and incidence of atopic dermatitis in the general population: A national population-based retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: To date, little evidence is available to determine whether atopic dermatitis (AD) can be caused by exposure to air pollutants, including gases and particulate matter. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate the relationship between air pollutants and incidence of AD using the National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort database. METHODS: We included 209,168 subjects from the general population previously not diagnosed with AD between 2008 and 2013. Long-term average concentration of air pollutants before diagnosis was calculated for each subject. RESULTS: For 1,030,324 person-years, incident cases of AD were observed in 3203 subjects. There was a significant positive association between incidence of AD and long-term average concentration of particulate matter smaller than 2.5 µm in diameter (hazard ratio [HR], 1.420; 95% CI, 1.392-1.448; for 1 µg/m3), particulate matter smaller than 10 µm in diameter (HR, 1.333, 95% CI, 1.325-1.341; for 1 µg/m3), sulfur dioxide (HR, 1.626; 95% CI, 1.559-1.695; for 1 parts per billion), nitrogen dioxide (HR, 1.200; 95% CI, 1.187-1.212; for 1 parts per billion), and carbon monoxide (HR, 1.005; 95% CI, 1.004-1.005; for 1 parts per billion) after adjusting for age, sex, income, comorbid diseases, and meteorologic variables. LIMITATIONS: The National Health Insurance Service database lacks detailed information on individual subjects. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that long-term exposure to air pollutants, including gases and particulate matter, is an independent risk factor for developing AD.

Analysis on the development of health informatization during the " 14th Five-Year Plan" in China / 中华医院管理杂志

Objective:To analyze the health development plans of the provinces in China during the " 14th Five-Year Plan" , and explore the key tasks, similarities and differences of health informatization construction in each province.Methods:Using the website of local people′s government and the official website of the provincial Health Commission, 27 copies of health development plans of various provinces during the " 14th Five-Year Plan" period were retrieved and collected from February 16 to June 5, 2022. The relevant statements of health information in the plan were extracted, content analysis was used to reveal the structural characteristics of the policy in the form of word frequency statistics, and discourse analysis was used to study the policy content.Results:The health information policies of 27 provinces during the " 14th Five-Year Plan" period could be summarized as 10 major themes, such as accelerating the construction of hierarchical diagnosis and treatment system, promoting the high-quality development of public hospitals, and deepening the reform of medical security system. The health information policy in the eastern, central and western regions was relatively clear, and there were certain differences in the construction points according to their own characteristics.Conclusions:During the " 14th Five-Year Plan" period, the policies of each province around the field of health information are well defined, and the core structure and content are similar. The distribution of key points in the eastern region is relatively balanced; the construction of health information in the central region is more prioritized and prominent; the construction of health information in the western region is focused on complementing the weak links and weaknesses.

Analysis of outpatient expenditure trends using Korean Health Panel Survey data of patients diagnosed with lumbar intervertebral disc herniation.

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aimed to analyze cost trends for the outpatient treatment of lumbar intervertebral disc herniation (LDH). METHODS: We used cross-sectional data obtained from the Korea Health Panel Survey from 2011 to 2015. We compared outpatient medical expenses for conservative treatment of LDH using traditional Korean medicine (TKM) or Western medicine (WM). RESULTS: This analysis revealed that the total medical expenses for outpatient treatment of LDH using WM treatment methods increased by 30% from 2011 to 2015, and self-payment expenses increased by 50%. The total medical expenses for outpatient treatment of LDH using TKM methods increased by 8%, and self-payment expenses decreased by 33%. The National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) expenditure for WM increased by 7%, and non-covered costs increased by 83%. The NHIS expenditure for TKM increased by 41%, and non-covered costs decreased by 66%. CONCLUSIONS: The total medical expenses for WM treatments are increasing in Korea, especially for non-covered treatments. The non-covered costs for TKM treatments are decreasing, suggesting a change in medical cost trends according to whether Korea's actual medical expense insurance scheme is applied.

Association between Anti-Psychotic Drugs Use and Hip Fractures in Patients with Dementia: A Nationwide Population-Based Study.

BACKGROUND: People with dementia are a high-risk group for hip fractures. Although the increased risk of hip fractures associated with antipsychotic drugs (APD) is found in older populations, little is known about the risk for people with dementia living in Asia. We aimed to investigate the association between hip fractures and the characteristics of APD use in patients with dementia. METHODS: A nested case-control analysis was conducted on a nationwide cohort in Taiwan. People with diagnoses of dementia during 2003-2012 were identified. Conditional logistic regression analysis was performed, and adjusted odds ratios (aORs) were calculated with a 95% confidence interval (CI) to estimate the risk of hip fractures. RESULTS: APD use was associated with an increased risk of hip fractures in patients with dementia; current use or combined use of first and second generations of APDs had even higher risks. Regarding the duration of APD use, a U-shape curve of hip fracture risk was noted, and the risk peaked during 0-15 days and >215 days of exposure (aOR = 1.46, 95% CI 1.37-1.57; aOR = 1.47, 95% CI 1.37-1.58; respectively). Considering the doses of APDs, the hip fracture risk was significantly increased with all four levels of the cumulative doses and average daily doses and peaked in the group with the highest average daily dose. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that caution must be taken when initiating APD use in patients with dementia, even in a small dose, and mixed types of APD prescriptions should be administered with care. Furthermore, frequent evaluation of the possibility of tapering or withdrawal of the medication is necessary, as the risk does not attenuate after long-term use.

The Association between Home Healthcare and Burdensome Transitions at the End-of-Life in People with Dementia: A 12-Year Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: For people with dementia, burdensome transitions may indicate poorer-quality end-of-life care. Little is known regarding the association between home healthcare (HHC) and these burdensome transitions. We aimed to investigate the impact of HHC on transitions and hospital/intensive care unit (ICU) utilisation nearing the end-of-life for people with dementia at a national level. METHODS: A nested case-control analysis was applied in a retrospective cohort study using a nationwide electronic records database. We included people with new dementia diagnoses who died during 2002-2013 in whole population data from the universal healthcare system in Taiwan. Burdensome transitions were defined as multiple hospitalisations in the last 90 days (early transitions, ET) or any hospitalisation or emergency room visit in the last three days of life (late transitions, LT). People with (cases) and without (controls) burdensome transitions were matched on a ratio of 1:2. We performed conditional logistic regression with stratified analyses to estimate the adjusted odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of the risks of transitions. RESULTS: Among 150,125 people with new dementia diagnoses, 61,399 died during follow-up, and 31.1% had burdensome transitions (50% were early and 50% late). People with ET had the highest frequency of admissions and longer stays in hospital/ICU during their last year of life, while people with LT had fewer hospital/ICU utilisation than people without end-of-life transitions. Receiving HHC was associated with an increased risk of ET (OR = 1.14, 95 % CI: 1.08-1.21) but a decreased risk of LT (OR = 0.89, 95 % CI 0.83-0.94). In the people receiving HHC, however, those who received longer duration (e.g., OR = 0.50, 95 % CI: 0.42-0.60, >365 versus ≤30 days) or more frequent HHC or HHC delivered closer to the time of death were associated with a remarkably lower risk of ET. CONCLUSIONS: HHC has differential effects on early and late transitions. Characteristics of HHC such as better continuity or interdisciplinary coordination may reduce the risk of transitions at the end-of-life. We need further studies to understand the longitudinal effects of HHC and its synergy with palliative care, as well as the key components of HHC that achieve better end-of-life outcomes.

Panoramic radiography can be an effective diagnostic tool adjunctive to oral examinations in the national health checkup program.

PURPOSE: We investigated correlations between the findings of oral examinations and panoramic radiography in order to determine the efficacy of using panoramic radiographs in screening examinations. METHODS: This study included patients who visited dental clinics at National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) Ilsan Hospital for checkups during 2009-2015 and underwent panoramic radiographic examinations within 1 year prior to the oral examinations. Among the 48,006 patients who received checkups, 1,091 were included in this study. The data were evaluated using the Cohen kappa and interrater agreement coefficients. Accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were calculated using data from the panoramic radiographs as true positive diagnoses. RESULTS: The interrater agreement coefficient for occlusal caries was 28.8%, and the Cohen kappa coefficient was 0.043 between the oral and panoramic radiographic examinations. Root caries and subgingival calculus were only found on the radiographs, while gingival inflammation was found only by the oral examinations. The oral examinations had a specificity for detecting occlusal dental caries of 100%, while their sensitivity for proximal dental caries and supragingival calculus was extremely low (14.0% and 18.3%, respectively) compared to the panoramic radiographic examinations. The oral examinations showed a relatively low sensitivity of 66.2% and a specificity of 43.7% in detecting tooth loss compared with panoramic radiography. CONCLUSIONS: Panoramic radiography can provide information that is difficult to obtain in oral examinations, such as root caries, furcation involvement, and subgingival calculus, which are factors that can directly affect the survival rate of teeth. It therefore seems reasonable and necessary to add panoramic radiography to large-scale health checkup programs such as that provided by the NHIS.

Political Architecture And Legal Framework Related To Social Health Protection Schemes In Pakistan: Qualitative Inquiry Of Policy Makers' Viewpoint.

BACKGROUND: Pakistan is a federal state with three tiers of government. Following contentious general elections in 2013, ever first democratic transition took place in Pakistan. Subsequently, two social health protection schemes were launched. Current paper's objective is to understand the political context in which these schemes were launched and to explore the constitutional position of access to healthcare in Pakistan. This paper also explores the legal protection/ sustainability with regards to these schemes. METHODS: We used qualitative research techniques with interpretivist paradigm and case-study approach. In-depth interviews were conducted, followed by content analysis. Triangulation and data saturation were observed to guide our sample size. Officials involved with these schemes at policy and implementation level were interviewed. Ethical approval was taken from ethics board of Khyber Medical University. Based on purposive sampling, in-depth interviews were conducted and thematic analysis was performed. RESULTS: We identified two themes in response to question-1 of our interview, asking about the cause of action behind starting these schemes and their legal protection. These themes were: (i) [initiation of] Social Health Protection as democratization of healthcare, and (ii) [initiation of] Social health protection in legal void. Implicitly, these schemes are a product of grass root political activism and health found berth in election manifestos recently. Also, we deduce that health is not a constitutional right in Pakistan. These schemes lack constitutional guarantee and ensued in absence of overarching legal framework. CONCLUSIONS: These social health protection schemes are high on political agenda but lack constitutional and legal protection.

Resources to handle childhood asthma in Spain: The role of plans and guides and the participation of nurses.

BACKGROUND: Describe the assistance provided to asthmatic patients by Primary Care Paediatricians (PCP) in Spain and the material and human resources available for diagnosis and follow-up. METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive study using an on-line survey, sent to PCP regarding the availability of diagnostic resources, carrying out programmed and educational activities, collaboration of nursing staff and their relationship with existing institutional plans to care for children with asthma. A latent class model (LCM) was used to describe the differences among paediatricians based on the variables studied. RESULTS: Of the 708 answers, 675 were considered valid; 76% of the paediatricians had a spirometer, 75% specific IgE, 17% prick-test, 95% had placebo inhalers and 97% inhalation chambers. 57% performed programmed activities with their patients, while 56% shared their care of asthmatic patients with their nursing staff, but only 25% of the nurses were involved in the follow-up and 12% in education. LCM identified four patterns. The two groups with greater access to diagnostic resources counted on institutional plans/guidelines. However, the only variable differentiating the groups with more programmed and educational activities was the participation of nurses. CONCLUSIONS: The availability of asthma plans/guidelines and resources for diagnosis and follow-up is not sufficient to improve important aspects of primary care for children with asthma. Organisational changes are necessary to include programmed asthma-related visits and paediatric teams with greater involvement of the nurses when caring for these patients.

Panoramic radiography can be an effective diagnostic tool adjunctive to oral examinations in the national health checkup program

PURPOSE: We investigated correlations between the findings of oral examinations and panoramic radiography in order to determine the efficacy of using panoramic radiographs in screening examinations. METHODS: This study included patients who visited dental clinics at National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) Ilsan Hospital for checkups during 2009–2015 and underwent panoramic radiographic examinations within 1 year prior to the oral examinations. Among the 48,006 patients who received checkups, 1,091 were included in this study. The data were evaluated using the Cohen kappa and interrater agreement coefficients. Accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were calculated using data from the panoramic radiographs as true positive diagnoses. RESULTS: The interrater agreement coefficient for occlusal caries was 28.8%, and the Cohen kappa coefficient was 0.043 between the oral and panoramic radiographic examinations. Root caries and subgingival calculus were only found on the radiographs, while gingival inflammation was found only by the oral examinations. The oral examinations had a specificity for detecting occlusal dental caries of 100%, while their sensitivity for proximal dental caries and supragingival calculus was extremely low (14.0% and 18.3%, respectively) compared to the panoramic radiographic examinations. The oral examinations showed a relatively low sensitivity of 66.2% and a specificity of 43.7% in detecting tooth loss compared with panoramic radiography. CONCLUSIONS: Panoramic radiography can provide information that is difficult to obtain in oral examinations, such as root caries, furcation involvement, and subgingival calculus, which are factors that can directly affect the survival rate of teeth. It therefore seems reasonable and necessary to add panoramic radiography to large-scale health checkup programs such as that provided by the NHIS.

Emergency Department Crowding Disparity: a Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study.

In this study, we evaluated national differences in emergency department (ED) crowding to identify factors significantly associated with crowding in institutes and communities across Korea. This was a cross-sectional nationwide observational study using data abstracted from the National Emergency Department Information System (NEDIS). We calculated mean occupancy rates to quantify ED crowding status and divided EDs into three groups according to their occupancy rates (cutoffs: 0.5 and 1.0). Factors potentially related to ED crowding were collected from the NEDIS. We performed a multivariate regression analysis to identify variables significantly associated with ED crowding. A total of 120 EDs were included in the final analysis. Of these, 73 were categorized as 'low crowded' (LC, occupancy rate < 0.50), 37 as 'middle crowded' (MC, 0.50 ≤ occupancy rate < 1.00), 10 EDs as 'high crowded' (HC, 1.00 ≤ occupancy rate). The mean ED occupancy rate varied widely, from 0.06 to 2.33. The median value was 0.39 with interquartile ranges (IQRs) from 0.20 to 0.71. Multivariate analysis revealed that after adjustment, ED crowding was significantly associated with the number of visits, percentage of patients referred, number of nurses, and ED disposition. This nationwide study observed significant variety in ED crowding. Several input, throughput, and output factors were associated with crowding.

Emergency Department Crowding Disparity: a Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study

In this study, we evaluated national differences in emergency department (ED) crowding to identify factors significantly associated with crowding in institutes and communities across Korea. This was a cross-sectional nationwide observational study using data abstracted from the National Emergency Department Information System (NEDIS). We calculated mean occupancy rates to quantify ED crowding status and divided EDs into three groups according to their occupancy rates (cutoffs: 0.5 and 1.0). Factors potentially related to ED crowding were collected from the NEDIS. We performed a multivariate regression analysis to identify variables significantly associated with ED crowding. A total of 120 EDs were included in the final analysis. Of these, 73 were categorized as 'low crowded' (LC, occupancy rate < 0.50), 37 as 'middle crowded' (MC, 0.50 ≤ occupancy rate < 1.00), 10 EDs as 'high crowded' (HC, 1.00 ≤ occupancy rate). The mean ED occupancy rate varied widely, from 0.06 to 2.33. The median value was 0.39 with interquartile ranges (IQRs) from 0.20 to 0.71. Multivariate analysis revealed that after adjustment, ED crowding was significantly associated with the number of visits, percentage of patients referred, number of nurses, and ED disposition. This nationwide study observed significant variety in ED crowding. Several input, throughput, and output factors were associated with crowding.

Emergency Department Crowding Disparity: a Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study

In this study, we evaluated national differences in emergency department (ED) crowding to identify factors significantly associated with crowding in institutes and communities across Korea. This was a cross-sectional nationwide observational study using data abstracted from the National Emergency Department Information System (NEDIS). We calculated mean occupancy rates to quantify ED crowding status and divided EDs into three groups according to their occupancy rates (cutoffs: 0.5 and 1.0). Factors potentially related to ED crowding were collected from the NEDIS. We performed a multivariate regression analysis to identify variables significantly associated with ED crowding. A total of 120 EDs were included in the final analysis. Of these, 73 were categorized as 'low crowded' (LC, occupancy rate < 0.50), 37 as 'middle crowded' (MC, 0.50 ≤ occupancy rate < 1.00), 10 EDs as 'high crowded' (HC, 1.00 ≤ occupancy rate). The mean ED occupancy rate varied widely, from 0.06 to 2.33. The median value was 0.39 with interquartile ranges (IQRs) from 0.20 to 0.71. Multivariate analysis revealed that after adjustment, ED crowding was significantly associated with the number of visits, percentage of patients referred, number of nurses, and ED disposition. This nationwide study observed significant variety in ED crowding. Several input, throughput, and output factors were associated with crowding.

A methodology for a minimum data set for rare diseases to support national centers of excellence for healthcare and research.

BACKGROUND: Although rare disease patients make up approximately 6-8% of all patients in Europe, it is often difficult to find the necessary expertise for diagnosis and care and the patient numbers needed for rare disease research. The second French National Plan for Rare Diseases highlighted the necessity for better care coordination and epidemiology for rare diseases. A clinical data standard for normalization and exchange of rare disease patient data was proposed. The original methodology used to build the French national minimum data set (F-MDS-RD) common to the 131 expert rare disease centers is presented. METHODS: To encourage consensus at a national level for homogeneous data collection at the point of care for rare disease patients, we first identified four national expert groups. We reviewed the scientific literature for rare disease common data elements (CDEs) in order to build the first version of the F-MDS-RD. The French rare disease expert centers validated the data elements (DEs). The resulting F-MDS-RD was reviewed and approved by the National Plan Strategic Committee. It was then represented in an HL7 electronic format to maximize interoperability with electronic health records. RESULTS: The F-MDS-RD is composed of 58 DEs in six categories: patient, family history, encounter, condition, medication, and questionnaire. It is HL7 compatible and can use various ontologies for diagnosis or sign encoding. The F-MDS-RD was aligned with other CDE initiatives for rare diseases, thus facilitating potential interconnections between rare disease registries. CONCLUSIONS: The French F-MDS-RD was defined through national consensus. It can foster better care coordination and facilitate determining rare disease patients' eligibility for research studies, trials, or cohorts. Since other countries will need to develop their own standards for rare disease data collection, they might benefit from the methods presented here.

Insured persons dilemma about other family members: a perspective on the national health insurance scheme in Nigeria.

The need for health care reforms and alternative financing mechanism in many low and middle-income countries has been advocated. This led to the introduction of the national health insurance scheme (NHIS) in Nigeria, at first with the enrollment of formal sector employees. A qualitative study was conducted to assess enrollee's perception on the quality of health care before and after enrollment. Initial results revealed that respondents (heads of households) have generally viewed the NHIS favorably, but consistently expressed dissatisfaction over the terms of coverage. Specifically, because the NHIS enrollment covers only the primary insured person, their spouse and only up to four biological children (child defined as <18 years of age), in a setting where extended family is common. Dissatisfaction of enrollees could affect their willingness to participate in the insurance scheme, which may potentially affect the success and future extension of the scheme.