Health Care Procedures Research Articles

Exploring young adults' fears related to healthcare and dental procedures.

Fear and anxiety related to dental and healthcare procedures are common among young adults and can negatively impact dental and healthcare consumership, resulting in poor health outcomes. This cross-sectional study aimed to examine young adults' experiences of fear related to dental and healthcare procedures and the potential relationships between the two forms of fear experiences and demographic factors. Young adults (252) were recruited from a large public university and completed a survey about their dental and healthcare fear/anxiety as well as their confidence in healthcare professionals. Descriptive and correlational analyses were completed to describe the experiences of young adults and the relationships between variables. Ten types of fear/anxiety were identified related to healthcare procedures, with the most common being needles and pain. Nine fears/anxieties were identified for dental visits, of which pain and sensory experiences other than pain were most common. Female participants were significantly more likely to report fear/anxiety related to dental procedures, and there was a statistically significant relationship between fear/anxiety related to healthcare procedures and that related to dental procedures. There was also a significant negative relationship found between confidence in healthcare providers and fear/anxiety related to healthcare procedures. Young adults experience fear/anxiety related to healthcare and dentist visits, and this fear/anxiety can impact their confidence in healthcare providers, such as primary physicians. The findings of the current study suggest primary care providers should be aware of potential fears/anxieties and offer patients appropriate supports.

Survey of Oral Health Perception of Staff in Enderly Care Facility

Proportion of the elderly is steadily increasing, and accordingly, number of elderly care facilities for elderly support is also rising up. However, number of nursing caregivers for welfare services is not following the increasing tendency of elderly care facilities. In this study, we surveyed the oral care work fatigue and satisfaction of the nursing caregivers in elderly care facilities, and what the nursing caregivers think to improve quality of welfare services. Also, we analyzed the factors that have relation with self-care ability of the elderly patients in elderly care facilities to help patients care of nursing caregivers.</br>The above can be summarized as results and proposals as follows.</br>1. Most of the nursing caregivers were engaged in oral healthcare. Satisfaction of oral healthcare work tended to be high, but fatigue of work and need to improve oral healthcare procedure were also high.</br>2. To make improvement, nursing caregivers argued that regular oral checkup by dental specialists in the facility is needed, followed by regular education of oral health care to nursing caregivers. This was contrary to the opinions of administrators, who rated regular education of oral health management to administrators as the most important one.</br>3. Nursing caregivers in elderly care facilities were actively performing oral healthcare, but they felt fatigue of work and argued needs to improve working environment. To achieve this, muti-disciplinary approach should be considered, including improvement of oral healthcare speciality, systemic improvement to ease the healthcare burden on nursing caregivers, and to bridge the gap of opinion between nursing caregivers and administrators in elderly care facilities.

Haemodialysis Patients' Experiences on Complementary and Alternative Therapies: A Qualitative Study

Background: The term complementary and alternative therapies refers to a broad range of medical and healthcare procedures that are outside the purview of traditional medicine. Despite gaps in the scientific evidence to support its use and difficulties in regulating and integrating it into traditional healthcare procedures, the use of complementary and alternative therapies is constantly rising. Aim: This study aims to explore the experiences of complementary and alternative therapies among haemodialysis patients. Material and Methods: The study was carried out by adopting the qualitative descriptive research method. Semistructured qualitative interviews, with 17 haemodialysis patients, were analyzed with qualitative content analysis. Data saturation was reached during interviews, and audio recordings were verbatim transcribed. Both researchers independently identified key topics, which were subsequently discussed and evaluated simultaneously. Results: We identified 4 overarching main themes in this setting: (1) Seeking Control over Health (to have control over their health status); (2) Relief from negative symptoms (to get rid of the negative symptoms they experience; (3) Hope (in the hope of feeling healthy again); and (4) Fear (in which they are afraid to tell health professionals and are afraid of not receiving support). Conclusion: This study showed that haemodialysis patients seek complementary and alternative therapies because of having control over their health, relief from negative symptoms, hope to feel healthy again, and fear of telling health professionals and receiving support. It is recommended that health professionals should provide information about the safety and possible side effects of these therapies and practice patient-centered treatment through active communication during the treatment process.

Healthcare Resource Allocation Optimization

Assuring high-quality patient care and making the best use of the resources at hand requires the efficient allocation of healthcare resources. This study uses a thorough examination of patient admission data, treatment plans, and staff availability to tackle the complex problem of optimizing healthcare resource allocation. We want to reduce wait times, optimize resource use, and eventually improve patient outcomes in healthcare facilities by integrating these essential elements. Our strategy makes use of cutting-edge data analytics tools, such as optimization algorithms and predictive modelling, to find underlying patterns and trends in patient demand, treatment regimens, and staffing needs. Our goal is to create prediction models that anticipate patient admissions, treatment requirements, and staffing levels by analysing historical data and real-time inputs. This will allow for proactive resource allocation techniques. The study's conclusions have important ramifications for healthcare administration since they provide practical advice on how to improve patient care delivery, cut wait times, and make the most use of the resources at hand. Healthcare institutions can enhance resource allocation procedures to meet the changing demands of patient care while guaranteeing the optimal use of resources by integrating technology, data-driven decision-making, and evidence-based practices. In summary, this study lays the groundwork for future investigations and innovations in hospital administration and operations while also supporting current initiatives to enhance healthcare resource allocation procedures. Healthcare organizations can improve patient outcomes and achieve operational excellence while providing high-quality, patient-centred care by adopting data-driven approaches and utilizing technology.

Chapare virus infection and current perspectives on dentistry.

This narrative review addresses relevant points about Chapare virus (CHAV) entry in oral cells, CHAV transmission, and preventive strategies in dental clinical settings. It is critical in dentistry due to the frequent presence of gingival hemorrhage occurred in CHAV-infected patients. Studies related to CHAV were searched in MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, and Web-of-Science databases without language restriction or year of publication. Recently, the PAHO/WHO and CDC indicate a presence of human-to-human transmission of CHAV associated with direct contact with saliva, blood, or urine, and also through droplets or aerosols created in healthcare procedures. CHAV was detected in human oropharyngeal saliva and gingival bleeding was confirmed in all cases of CHAV hemorrhagic fever, including evidence of nosocomial CHAV transmission in healthcare workers. We revisited the human transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1) expression in oral, nasal, and salivary glands tissues, as well as, we firstly identified the critical residues in the pre-glycoprotein (GP) complex of CHAV that interacts with human TfR1 using cutting-edge in silico bioinformatics platforms associated with molecular dynamic analysis. In this multidisciplinary view, we also point out critical elements to provide perspectives on the preventive strategies for dentists and frontline healthcare workers against CHAV, and in the implementation of salivary diagnostic platforms for virus detection, which can be critical to an urgent plan to prevent human-to-human transmission based on current evidence. The preventive strategies in dental clinical settings are pivotal due to the aerosol-generating procedures in dentistry with infected patients or suspected cases of CHAV infection.

A Scoping Review of the Mechanisms Underlying Developmental Anesthetic Neurotoxicity.

Although anesthesia makes painful or uncomfortable diagnostic and interventional health care procedures tolerable, it may also disrupt key cellular processes in neurons and glia, harm the developing brain, and thereby impair cognition and behavior in children. Many years of studies using in vitro, animal behavioral, retrospective database studies in humans, and several prospective clinical trials in humans have been invaluable in discerning the potential toxicity of anesthetics. The objective of this scoping review was to synthetize the evidence from preclinical studies for various mechanisms of toxicity across diverse experimental designs and relate their findings to those of recent clinical trials in real-world settings.

SUD records and the machinery of care denial in the new era of relaxed privacy rights

As noted by this recent opinion piece published by The New York Times, “Denying Your Health Care Is Big Business in America,” the process of prior authorization has been around for decades, but has only recently been weaponized by insurers to maximize profits and reduce the provision of health care services. The piece documents people going blind, becoming paralyzed or dying when necessary health care procedures are denied. Around 80% of the time, patients simply give up. Medical care offices have hired huge staffs to battle prior authorization denials. One of the focuses of the piece is on efforts to make prior authorization for medical care by for‐profit companies illegal. It is stalled in Congress.

Assessing the Impact of AI Education on Hispanic Healthcare Professionals' Perceptions and Knowledge.

This study investigates the awareness and perceptions of artificial intelligence (AI) among Hispanic healthcare-related professionals, focusing on integrating AI in healthcare. The study participants were recruited from an asynchronous course offered twice within a year at the University of Puerto Rico Medical Science Campus, titled "Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Applied to Health Disparities Research", which aimed to bridge the gaps in AI knowledge among participants. The participants were divided into Experimental (n = 32; data-illiterate) and Control (n = 18; data-literate) groups, and pre-test and post-test surveys were administered to assess knowledge and attitudes toward AI. Descriptive statistics, power analysis, and the Mann-Whitney U test were employed to determine the influence of the course on participants' comprehension and perspectives regarding AI. Results indicate significant improvements in knowledge and attitudes among participants, emphasizing the effectiveness of the course in enhancing understanding and fostering positive attitudes toward AI. Findings also reveal limited practical exposure to AI applications, highlighting the need for improved integration into education. This research highlights the significance of educating healthcare professionals about AI to enable its advantageous incorporation into healthcare procedures. The study provides valuable perspectives from a broad spectrum of healthcare workers, serving as a basis for future investigations and educational endeavors aimed at AI implementation in healthcare.

Two-Year Trajectories of Dental Anxiety in Parents and Their Association with Parents' and Children's Oral Healthcare Procedures in FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study.

We aimed to identify parents' dental anxiety trajectories and the association of the trajectories with the number of parents' and their children's oral healthcare procedures in the FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study. Dental anxiety was measured with the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale at gestational weeks (gw) 14 and 34, as well as 3 and 24 months (mo) after childbirth. Oral healthcare procedures from gw14 to 24 mo were obtained from the national patient data register and categorized as preventive and treatment. Trajectories were identified with latent growth mixture modelling for 2068 fathers and 3201 mothers. Associations between trajectories and procedures adjusted for education were analyzed using unordered multinomial logit models. Fathers' trajectories were stable low (80.1%), stable high (3.4%), stable moderate (11.0%), moderate increasing (3.9%) and high decreasing (1.6%). Mothers' trajectories were stable low (80.7%), stable high (11.2%), moderate increasing (5.3%) and high decreasing (2.8%). Mothers with decreasing dental anxiety had a higher number of preventive and treatment procedures. Fathers with decreasing dental anxiety had a higher number of preventive and treatment procedures, while fathers with increasing dental anxiety had fewer procedures. Children of mothers with stable low dental anxiety had higher number of preventive procedures. There seems to be a two-way association between dental anxiety trajectories and oral healthcare procedures.

The Nigerian Health System and mHealth Philosophy: Weighing the Balance

The appalling state of the Nigerian healthcare system has drawn a lot of attention from scholars, medical experts, and free thinkers. To these people, it is baffling why despite Nigeria’s political and economic relevance in Africa; the country suffers a great deal of health insecurity. It is against this backdrop that this paper sought to examine and ascertain the balance between the Nigerian healthcare system and the mobile health philosophy (the process whereby mobile health devices and applications are used to carry out healthcare services delivery). Relying on the descriptive survey research design and method of analysis, the study examined healthcare procedures that provide prompt mobile health services to Nigerians. It finds that although the concept of mHealth is new to Nigerians, nonetheless, both medical experts and end users have taken advantage of it to maintain good health by seeking and providing solutions to health concerns and challenges. Other outstanding challenges that hamper the mHealth philosophy in Nigeria are epileptic power supply, poor internet coverage, lack of finance to acquire mobile health devices, security of peoples’ private information and many others. The paper condemned the lack of sustainable government (Federal, State and Local) support for primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare systems in the country. It is the conclusion of the paper that despite these challenges, the benefits of mHealth remain overwhelming especially as it makes healthcare service delivery proactive and easily accessible by everyone anywhere and anytime. Therefore, it should be integrated into the policy and health care delivery system in Nigeria.

Evaluating Nursing Students' Venipuncture and Peripheral Intravenous Cannulation Knowledge, Attitude, and Performance: A Two-Phase Evaluation Study.

Peripheral intravenous cannulation and venipuncture are among the most common invasive procedures in health care and are not without risks or complications. The aim of this study was to evaluate the current training provided to nursing and midwifery undergraduate students. Student knowledge, attitude, practice, and performance regarding these procedural skills were assessed. A knowledge, attitude, and practices survey was disseminated to final year nursing and midwifery students as the first phase of this study. For the second phase of the study, nursing students were video recorded and then observed performing the skill of peripheral intravenous cannulation in a simulated environment. Thirty-eight nursing and midwifery students completed the survey, and 66 nursing students participated in the observation study. Descriptive statistics were performed. The mean knowledge score was 7.2 out of 15.0, (standard deviation [SD] = 2.4), and the mean attitude score was 10.20 out of 18.00 (SD = 4.79). Qualitative data from the survey were categorized to demonstrate specific areas of focus for improving the training. The mean performance score was 16.20 out of 28.00 (SD = 2.98). This study provides valuable input to developing and enhancing evidence-based curricula. It can help educators and supervisors, in both academic and clinical settings, identify areas where clinical performance and education could be enhanced.

What are the mechanisms underlying the delivery of survivorship care information in Australia? A realist review.

Quality survivorship information is an essential component of cancer care. However, survivors often report not receiving this information and healthcare professionals report limited practical guidance on how to effectively deliver survivorship information. Therefore, this study used realist review methods to identify mechanisms reported within the published literature for communicating survivorship information and to understand the contextual factors that make these mechanisms effective. Full-text papers published in CINAHL, PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and Academic Search Ultimate were included. Studies included in this review were conducted in Australia between January 2006 and December 2023, and reported on how information regarding survivorship care was communicated to adult cancer survivors living in the community. This review utilized realist methodologies: text extracts were converted to if-then statements used to generate context-mechanism-outcome theories. Fifty-one studies were included and six theories for mechanisms that underpin the effective delivery of survivorship information were formed. These include: (1) tailoring information based on the survivors' background, (2) enhancing communication among providers, (3) employing dedicated survivorship staff, (4) providing survivorship training, (5) reducing the burden on survivors to navigate their care, and (6) using multiple modalities to provide information. Findings can inform practical guidance for how survivorship care information is best delivered in practice. Clinicians can apply this guidance to improve their individual interactions with cancer survivors, as can policymakers to develop healthcare systems and procedures that support effective communication of cancer survivorship information.

Validating an Assessment Tool for Oral Health and Oral Care Procedures Performed by Healthcare Workers for Older Residents in Long-Term Care Institutions.

Poor oral health is a growing concern among older populations. It is often caused by a failure to maintain proper oral hygiene and inaccessible dental care. Poor oral health in older individuals in long-term care institutions (LTCIs) can be attributed to the fact that healthcare workers might be poorly trained in oral care assessment and practice. To address this issue, an assessment tool has been developed and validated to guide and evaluate healthcare workers' oral care practices, ensuring the delivery of adequate care and early detection of dental diseases in LTCIs. The tool includes an oral health assessment and an assessment of oral care procedures. It was developed following a robust literature review, two stages of expert reviews, content validity checks, and a pilot study. A total of twenty-three items were developed and validated, with seven items related to oral health assessment and sixteen related to oral care procedures. The items were assessed for content validity and relevance, with high values of 1 obtained for all Item-level Content Validity Index (I-CVI), Scale-level Content Validity Index (S-CVI), and S-CVI/Universal Agreement (UA) scores. This indicates a high level of agreement among the experts (n = 12) regarding the relevance and importance of the items. A pilot study involving 20 nursing students confirmed the tool's reliability, applicability, and feasibility, demonstrating its high appropriateness and applicability. The newly developed and validated assessment tool can effectively guide and evaluate healthcare workers' oral care practices, enhancing their competence and improving the oral health of older residents.

Exploring the emotions and decision-making of consumers for elective healthcare and hedonic adaptation

PurposeThe paper aims to empirically test a framework to predict the desire and intention to engage with an elective health-care procedure and implement a methodology to test the anticipated positive and negative emotions in hedonic adaptation to an elective procedure.Design/methodology/approachTwo studies in USA and Australia (N = 1,200) confirmed the psychometric properties of the key constructs under the chemical peel condition. Two further studies in the USA and Australia (N = 1,100) explored the research question and hypotheses in the adapted model of goal-directed behaviour under the Botox condition. A survey was self-administered to online panels who had previously engaged in such elective procedures.FindingsThe findings highlighted the pragmatic implications for communication and activation strategies to safeguard consumer interests and retain their loyalty.Originality/valueFrom the authors’ best understanding, neither a methodology nor a theoretical framework exists to explore hedonic adaptation to recurring engagement with elective health care. A methodology and theoretical framework will highlight the mood states and factors that predict desire and intention to engage. This can advance the research on hedonic adaptation and decision-making and offer pragmatic suggestions for communication and activation strategies to safeguard consumer interests and retain their loyalty.

Knowledge, Attitude, Practice, and Perceived Barriers Regarding Colorectal Cancer Screening Practices Among Healthcare Practitioners: A Systematic Review.

The recommendations of medical professionals play a significant role in colorectal cancer (CRC) screening. This study aims to systematically review knowledge, attitude, practice, and perceived barriers regarding CRC screening practices among healthcare practitioners (HCPs). From January 2023 to December 2023, a comprehensive literature search was conducted using online databases, including Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and Research Gate, by using the following keywords in combination: "knowledge," "attitude," "practice," "perceived barriers," "colorectal cancer," and "health practitioners." The researchers screened and examined the retrieved literature. A total of 21 studies were considered relevant for the current review. Among these studies, eight assessed the level of knowledge, attitude, practices, and perceived barriers toward CRC screening among various health practitioners. Three studies assessed knowledge and attitudes toward CRC screening among health practitioners. The remaining ten studies assessed awareness, perceived barriers, or only knowledge of CRC screening among HCPs. In addition, all the included studies employed a cross-sectional design. The review shows that many healthcare providers need more fundamental knowledge of CRC screening. Healthcare procedures must be improved to enhance the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of healthcare professionals regarding CRC screening and their understanding of the associated barriers.

THE IMPACT OF HEALTH INSURANCE ON THE QUALITY OF HEALTHCARE SERVICES IN GOVERNMENT HOSPITALS IN DAMMAM CITY

This study aimed to investigate the impact of health insurance on healthcare services in Ministry of Health hospitals in Dammam City from the perspective of health insurance beneficiaries. The study examined various aspects, including the integration of healthcare services, the reliability of healthcare services, responsiveness to healthcare services, the treatment by healthcare service providers, healthcare service procedures and systems, and healthcare service awareness. The study also aimed to determine the significance of differences in the impact of health insurance on the quality of healthcare services related to variables such as gender, age, income level, and educational qualifications. The study employed a descriptive-analytical approach, with a sample consisting of 250 individuals selected through convenient sampling from health insurance beneficiaries in Ministry of Health hospitals in Dammam City.The study found statistically significant (p ≤ 0.05) positive impacts of health insurance on healthcare services in Ministry of Health hospitals in Dammam City in terms of integration of healthcare services, reliability of healthcare services, responsiveness to healthcare services, treatment by healthcare service providers, healthcare service procedures and systems, and healthcare service awareness. There were also statistically significant differences (α≤ 0.05) in the impact of health insurance on the quality of healthcare services related to gender (favoring males), monthly income (favoring those with monthly income less than 5000 Saudi Riyals), age (favoring individuals under 30 years old), and educational qualifications (favoring individuals with a high school diploma or lower).

Review on Evaluation of Phytochemical Analysis of Kalmegh (Andrographis Paniculata) Leaf Extract

Andrographis paniculata is an herbaceous plant which is commonly known as “King of Bitters” and belongs to the family Acanthaceae. Andrographis paniculata is one of the commonly used herbal medicines worldwide.It is an erect plant which grows mainly as under shrub in tropical moist deciduous forests. It grows erect to a height of 32-100cm in moist shady places with glabrous leaves and white flowers with rose-purple spots on the petals. This plant is the richest source of bioactive constituents. Andrographolide is generally considered an essential bioactive component of plant A. Paniculata. Andrographolide is colorless, crystalline in appearance and has a very bitter taste. the andrographolide are multifarious and include: analgesic, antipyretic, antiretroviral, antimalarial, anti-hyperglycaemic, hepatoprotective, immunemodulatory, protective against alcohol induced toxicity and cardio protective activity and anticancer activity Its phyto extract can protect human against a number of diseases.Kalmegh is used both in Ayurvedic and Unani System of medicines for possess immunological, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antithrombotic and hepatoprotective properties. Andrographolide is an interesting pharmacophore with anticancer and immunomodulatory activities and hence has the potential to be developed as an anticancer chemotherapeutic agent as well.. The A. paniculata treats a wide range of diseases in traditional medicinal systems, and its intended benefits must be evaluatedThe present communication deals with the anti-diarrhoeal properties of the alcoholic extract, its fractions and pure compounds isolated from A. paniculata.In the ayurvedic system of medicine currently widely practiced in Indian, Andrographis paniculata is often used in combination with other herbs and health care procedures for helping patients suffering from diverse spectrums of organ pathologies and mental health problems

Perspectives on early insights: pediatric cancer caregiving amidst natural calamities - A call for future preparedness.

Natural disasters cause immense damage and disruption to the environment, human lives, and property, posing a threat to safety and well-being. These disasters annually affect individuals and communities, severely impacting mental health. Research indicates a significant link between catastrophic events and an increased risk of mental disorders, including anxiety, depression, substance use, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Individuals with chronic conditions, like cancer patients, are particularly vulnerable post-disaster due to disrupted healthcare services. The recent earthquake in Morocco highlighted the urgent need for continued care, especially for vulnerable populations living in poverty. Soleterre Foundation's interventions focus on supporting young cancer patients and their families, emphasizing psychological support following the earthquake. Effective disaster response needs coordinated efforts, clear roles, communication, and standardized healthcare procedures, especially for vulnerable groups like cancer patients. Education programs for patients and clinicians are vital for disaster preparedness. Communication challenges and lack of medical history further emphasize the need for well-defined disaster preparedness plans and continued care guidelines for cancer patients.

THE EXPERIENCE UNDERWENT BY FAMILIES OF PEOPLE SUBJECTED TO BARIATRIC SURGERY: A QUALITATIVE STUDY

INTRODUCTION: Obesity is considered a non-communicable disease. Surgical procedures and patient care are some of the aspects of caring for people who endure obesity, and it is often forgotten that they have a family that accompanies them in all related health care procedures. As the family is present throughout life's processes, it is important to have a greater knowledge of all the factors that influence family care during such procedures. OBJECTIVE: To describe the meaning of the experience underwent by relatives of patients who have been subjected to bariatric surgery during the first year. METHODS: An exploratory, descriptive and qualitative study with 11 female and 9 male participants who participated in semi-structured interviews. Data analysis used tools from the Grounded Theory. RESULTS: The family members acknowledged that bariatric surgery meant a change in health, the experiencing of surgery itself, and changing eating habits. CONCLUSIONS: The family of a person subjected to bariatric surgery lives through the changes together with the member who undergoes the procedure. Family members accompany their relative during the processes associated with the surgery and must assume adjustments in their everyday life to accommodate the changes implied by the surgery to improve the health of their relative.INTRODUCTION: Obesity is considered a non-communicable disease. Surgical procedures and patient care are some of the aspects of caring for people who endure obesity, and it is often forgotten that they have a family that accompanies them in all related health care procedures. As the family is present throughout life's processes, it is important to have a greater knowledge of all the factors that influence family care during such procedures. OBJECTIVE: To describe the meaning of the experience underwent by relatives of patients who have been subjected to bariatric surgery during the first year. METHODS: An exploratory, descriptive and qualitative study with 11 female and 9 male participants who participated in semi-structured interviews. Data analysis used tools from the Grounded Theory. RESULTS: The family members acknowledged that bariatric surgery meant a change in health, the experiencing of surgery itself, and changing eating habits. CONCLUSIONS: The family of a person subjected to bariatric surgery lives through the changes together with the member who undergoes the procedure. Family members accompany their relative during the processes associated with the surgery and must assume adjustments in their everyday life to accommodate the changes implied by the surgery to improve the health of their relative.

Understanding Factors Influencing Geographic Variation in Healthcare Expenditures: A Small Areas Analysis Study.

Dramatic geographic variations in healthcare expenditures were documented by developed countries, but little is known about such variations under China's context, and what causes such variations. This study aims to examine variations of healthcare expenditures among small areas and to determine the associations between demand-, supply-factors, and per capita inpatient expenditures. This cross-sectional study utilized hospital discharge data aggregated within delineated hospital service areas (HSAs) using the small-area analysis approach. Linear multivariate regression modeling with robust standard errors was used to estimate the sources of variation of per capita inpatient expenditures across HSAs covering the years 2017 to 2019; the Shapley value decomposition method was used to measure the respective contributions of demand-, supply-side to such variations. Among 149 HSAs, demand factors explained most of the (87.4%) overall geographic variation among HSAs. With each 1% increase in GDP per capita and urbanization rate was associated with 0.099% and 0.9% increase in inpatient expenditure per capita, respectively, while each 1% increase in the share of females and the unemployment rate was associated with a 0.7% and 0.4% reduction in the per capita inpatient expenditures, respectively. In supply-side, for every 1 increase in hospital beds per 1000 population, the per capita inpatient expenditures rose by 2.9%, while with every 1% increase in the share of private hospitals, the per capita inpatient expenditures would decrease by 0.4%. With Herfindahl-Hirschman Index decrease 10%, the per capita inpatient expenditures would increase 1.06%. This study suggests demand-side factors are associated with large geographic variation in per capita inpatient expenditures among HSAs, while supply-side factors played an important role. The evaluation of geographic variations in per capita inpatient expenditures as well as its associated factors have great potential to provide an indirect approach to identify possibly existing underutilized or overutilized healthcare procedures.