Behavioral analysis on the care of patients with diseases categorized in the hierarchical medical system at medical institutions at county and township levels

Abstract

Objective To learn the behaviorist changes of county and township hospitals in their care of the diseases categorized in the hierarchical system before and after the system was in place. Methods Descriptive statistics and correlation analysis were used to analyze the changes of the diseases categorized in the hierarchical system which were cared at both county and township levels. Results The inpatients coverage of such diseases in county W in the western region at county and township hospitals was 44.97% and 59.28% respectively. These data were higher than that in county F in the eastern region, which were 18.32% and 15.58% respectively. As discovered in the Spearmen rank correlation analysis, the inpatients growth of diseases under the hierarchical system of counties F and W in 2015 was positively correlated to the difference between the pricing for the disease in question and the average hospitalization fee for the same disease in 2014 (r=0.462, P<0.001; r=0.304, P=0.018 ). In county W where the quota payment of specific diseases was in place, the increase of the average cost per hospitalization in 2015 was positively correlated to the above mentioned difference in 2014 and 2015(r=0.447, P<0.001). Conclusions The coverage of such diseases should be expanded. Changes in the pricing for such diseases will influence inpatients flow, while quota payment per disease can curb the increase of costs per hospitalization. Key words: Diseases; Hierarchical medical system; Medical institutions; Correlation analysis