National Health Insurance Coverage Research Articles

Improved FMEA Methods for Proactive Health Care Risk Assessment of the Effectiveness and Efficiency of COVID-19 Remote Patient Telemonitoring.

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the need to more effectively harness and leverage digital tools and technology for remote patient monitoring (RPM). RPM gained great popularity given the need to provide effective, safe, efficient, and remote patient care. RPM is based on noninvasive digital technologies aimed at improving the safety and efficiency of health care delivery. We report on an RPM program in which 200 COVID-19 patients were followed remotely to evaluate the effectiveness in treating and monitoring patients in home settings. We analyzed the inherent risks using mixed methods, including failure mode and effect analysis, a prospective, team-based risk management methodology structured to identify high-risk process system failures before they occur in telemonitoring of remote patients. The RPM saved lives and improved decision-making during the pandemic and helped prevent the health system's collapse. The failure mode and effect analysis-based assessment offers important insights and considerations for evaluating future RPM implementation and direction. RPM solutions are technically feasible, staff friendly, and can achieve high adherence rates. Rigorous and ongoing evaluation of devices and platforms is essential to clarifying their value and guiding national health and insurance health coverage decisions and adoption programs.

Factors Associated with National Health Insurance Coverage in Indonesia

Background:The National Health Insurance (NHI) program is the Indonesian government's national health program. However, health insurance coverage has not been maximized. This study aims to analyze the factors associated with health insurance coverage in Indonesia. Methods:Retrospective cross-sectional data were obtained from the Indonesian Demographic and Health Survey 2017. A total of 39,580 respondents were selected using two-stage stratified cluster sampling. The data come from the DHS Questionnaire Phase 7. In this study, we explored age, education level, wealth quintiles, residence, the number of children who are alive, maritalstatus, current employment status, earnings,and health insurance status in relation to health insurance coverage. Then, we analyzed the data using chi-squared and binary logistic analyses. Results:The prevalence of health insurancecoverageintheIndonesian populationis 62.3%. Respondent aged 15-24 years [AOR=0.88; 95% CI=0.77-1.00], secondary education level [AOR=0.44; 95% CI=0.41-0.47], poorer wealth index [AOR=0.76; 95% CI=0.71-0.82], live in rural area [AOR=0.78; 95% CI=0.75-0.82], divorced [AOR=0.72; 95% CI=0.63-0.83] were less likelihood to have health insurance. Conversely, the respondent who received earnings [AOR=1.25; 95% CI=1.18-1.32] was more likely to have health insurance. Conclusion:This finding pointed to education level, economic status, and demographic area such as respondents who lived in rural areas should more pay attention to NHI. Intervention through the provision of appropriate information about NHI should be promoted.

Strategic Business Development Plan for a New Cardiovascular Clinic (Case Study: PT Hasna Medika, Expansion in Bali Area)

PT Hasna Medika is a company managing multiple cardiovascular health facilities such as clinics and hospitals in Indonesia. As of the writing of this research, the company has 5 cardiovascular clinics and 2 cardiovascular hospitals in Java. As a strategic partner of the BPJS Kesehatan or the national health coverage in Indonesia, Hasna Medika seeks to contribute to the improvement of heart health facilities in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities throughout Indonesia, where they have a huge gap between the number of secondary healthcare facilities providing heart health services with the population needing it. Thus, the company is now looking to expand its business operation to the island province of Bali, where they have received support from the local cardiologists. Several locations have been proposed and Kabupaten Karangasem in the east of Bali has been chosen as the location for the newly planned heart clinic. The weighted score has shown that Karangasem has yielded the highest score of 3.05 after analysing several factors such as the chance to establish cooperation with BPJS, the ratio of secondary health facilities to the number of populations, the demography and availability of cardiologists in the area. Subsequently, the financial projections are supported by data based on the other existing Hasna Medika branches have shown a feasible project. NPV which is greater than 0 and IRR above the WACC are also obtained as indicators of project viability. That said, The US Index of 1.94 has also been calculated, which signifies a desirable and maximised loan financing. Lastly, a funding composition of 80 % loan and 20% equity has yielded maximum profit. The clinic is targeted to start construction next year in April 2023 and will take approximately 9 months until completion.

Trends in anti-HER2 drugs consumption and influencing factors.

BackgroundHuman epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) inhibitors have been approved to treat various cancers with HER2 amplification. The Chinese government has made great efforts to improve the availability and affordability of these drugs. This study aimed to analyze the trends in anti-HER2 drug consumptions in Nanjing from 2012 to 2021, and explore influencing factors.MethodsData about use of anti-HER2 drugs in 2012–2021 were extracted from Jiangsu Medicine Information Institute. Six types of anti-HER2 drugs were included. Drug consumption was expressed as defined daily doses (DDDs) and expenditure. Time series analysis was adopted to find trends in consumption, while interrupted time series was used in analyzing the impact of policy on consumption. The correlation between DDDs and defined daily cost (DDC) was analyzed by Pearson's correlation test.ResultsThe DDC, DDDs, and expenditure of anti-HER2 drugs changed little from 2012 to 2016. The DDC decreased intermittently, while the DDDs and expenditure of these drugs grew continuously from 2017 to 2021. The anti-HER2 monoclonal antibodies contributed to the majority of total consumption in 2012–2019. The DDDs of anti-HER2 tyrosine kinase inhibitors surpassed the DDDs of monoclonal antibodies in 2020–2021. Trastuzumab was the predominantly prescribed drug in 2012–2019, but the DDDs of pyrotinib surpassed the DDDs of trastuzumab in 2020–2021. The ln value of DDC or self-paid DDC of trastuzumab was negatively correlated with the ln value of its DDDs. The national health insurance coverage (NHIC) and national drug price negotiation policy about anti-HER2 drugs were initiated in 2017. Low-price generics and biosimilar of trastuzumab came into the market in 2020 and 2021, separately. Interrupted time series analysis showed that the DDDs increased significantly after the implementation of NHIC, price negotiation or generic drug replacement.ConclusionThe consumption of anti-HER2 drugs has significantly increased and their DDC has decreased after the implementation of NHIC, price negotiation, or low-price generic drug replacement since 2017. Further efforts are needed to translate the high consumption into clinical benefits.

Factors Associated with National Health Insurance Coverage in Indonesia

Background: The National Health Insurance (NHI) program is the Indonesian government's national health program. However, health insurance coverage has not been maximized. This study aims to analyze the factors associated with health insurance coverage in Indonesia. Methods: Retrospective cross-sectional data were obtained from the Indonesian Demographic and Health Survey 2017. A total of 39,580 respondents were selected using two-stage stratified cluster sampling. The data come from the DHS Questionnaire Phase 7. In this study, we explored age, education level, wealth quintiles, residence, the number of children who are alive, marital status, current employment status, earnings, and health insurance status in relation to health insurance coverage. Then, we analyzed the data using chi-squared and binary logistic analyses. Results: The prevalence of health insurance coverage in the Indonesian population is 62.3%. Respondent aged 15-24 years [AOR=0.88; 95% CI=0.77-1.00], secondary education level [AOR=0.44; 95% CI=0.41-0.47], poorer wealth index [AOR=0.76; 95% CI=0.71-0.82], live in rural area [AOR=0.78; 95% CI=0.75-0.82], divorced [AOR=0.72; 95% CI=0.63-0.83] were less likelihood to have health insurance. Conversely, the respondent who received earnings [AOR=1.25; 95% CI=1.18-1.32] was more likely to have health insurance. Conclusion: This finding pointed to education level, economic status, and demographic area such as respondents who lived in rural areas should more pay attention to NHI. Intervention through the provision of appropriate information about NHI should be promoted.

폐쇄성 수면무호흡증 환자에서 양압기 치료에 대한 1년 이상 순응군과 비순응군의 비교

Background and Objectives: The use of positive airway pressure (PAP) is the treatment of choice for patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), however, poor adherence remains a major cause of treatment failure. The objective of this retrospective study was to compare the differences between adherent and non-adherent groups to auto-titration PAP (APAP) therapy for more than one year in patients with OSA. Materials and Methods: Total 111 patients with OSA who had completed the 3 months compliance assessment for Korean national health insurance coverage were enrolled. They were allocated to adherent (using APAP for more than 12 months) or non-adherent group. Patients’ medical records, polysomnographic data, and APAP use data at the time of passing adaptation period were analyzed, and the differences between the two groups were compared. Results: The number of patients in the adherent group was 66 (59.5%), and the non-adherent group was 45 (40.5%). There were no significant between-group differences in body mass index, Epworth sleepiness scale, apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), and APAP device data by binary logistic regression analysis. However, patients with severe OSA (AHI≥30) were more likely to be compliant with PAP therapy than patients with mild to moderate OSA (odds ratio 3.433, 95% confidence interval 1.329–8.870, p=0.011). Conclusion: The percentage of patients who used APAP devices for more than 12 months was 59.5% in this study. Disease severity (AHI≥30) seems to be a predictor for APAP compliance for more than one year in patients with OSA.

How public and private health insurance coverage mitigates catastrophic health expenditures in Republic of Korea

BackgroundThe private health insurance (PHI) market in Republic of Korea has instituted indemnity insurance plans that provide partial reimbursements for some medical services or costs that are not covered by the National Health Insurance (NHI). To date, no study has estimated the extent to which PHI coverage lowers the economic burden of households’ access to health care. The current study aims to evaluate the design of Korea’s PHI system in terms of coverage using a catastrophic health expenditure (CHE) indicator and compare it with NHI.MethodsThis study determined the difference between the number of households that were subscribed to PHI and those that received reimbursements from PHI. Additionally, it compared the effects of reduced CHE by NHI benefits with PHI reimbursements. Furthermore, it compared PHI reimbursements based on income class. Finally, it analyzed the contribution of NHI and PHI to CHE reduction through a two-part model with hierarchical regression.ResultsThe results indicated that of the 5644 households examined, 3769 subscribed to PHI, but only 246 households received reimbursements. Notably, NHI reduced CHE incidence by 15.17%, whereas PHI only reduced CHE by 1.22%. The NHI scheme indicated reduced inequality as it provided more benefits to the low-income class for their used medical services, whereas PHI paid more reimbursements to the high-income class. Accordingly, NHI coverage has protected households from CHE and improved equality to some extent; however, PHI coverage has had a relatively low effect on relieving CHE and has increased inequality.ConclusionsThe indemnity health insurance plans of PHI companies in Korea only cover partial medical costs or services, and so, most patients do not receive reimbursements. Thus, Korea’s PHI system needs to improve to provide benefits to patients more generously and alleviate their financial burden.

Changes in Patients Who Receive Coverage for Positive Airway Pressure Therapy According to Alterations in National Health Insurance Benefit Standards for Mild Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Background and Objectives The aim of this study was to identify the frequency of indicators of National Health Insurance (NHI) coverage for positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy and to investigate the changes in patients receiving coverage for PAP therapy after the alterations were made in the insurance benefit standards for mild obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).Subjects and Method We divided the mild OSA patients into two groups according to altered categorization in insurance benefit standards (Mild1: 5≤AHI<10; Mild2: 10≤AHI<15). Eight indicators related to the NHI coverage were identified: four symptoms, three complications, and the minimal blood oxygen saturation during polysomnography (min SpO2) of ≤85% during polysomnography. We also investigated the change in the number of patients receiving insurance benefits under the altered insurance benefit standards.Results Of the 233 OSA patients, 66, 57, and 110 patients were diagnosed as mild, moderate and severe OSA, respectively. For all of them, the most common indicator related to NHI coverage for PAP therapy was the minimum SpO2 of less than 85% during polysomnography, and the second most common indicator was daytime sleepiness. In the mild OSA group, however, daytime sleepiness was found to be the most common indicator, found in 46 (70%) patients, followed by 38 (58%) patients with min SpO2 of less than 85%. In this group, 59 (89.4%) would have been benefited before the change in the insurance benefit standards whereas 51 patients (77.3%) would now be benefited under the changed insurance benefit standards.Conclusion Daytime sleepiness was the most commonly observed indicator in the mild OSA patients. The number of patients receiving insurance benefits for PAP therapy significantly decreased after the change was made in the NHI benefit standards for mild OSA

Situational Analysis of the Extending National Health Insurance Coverage to Informal Sector in Indonesia: A Case Study among Palms Sugar farmers

Background: To explore the situation of national health insurance coverage among informal workers and to identify the enrollment strategy for such workers.

Trends in accessibility of negotiated targeted anti-cancer medicines in Nanjing, China: An interrupted time series analysis.

BackgroundIn order to establish a long-term strategy for bearing the costs of anti-cancer drugs, the state had organized five rounds of national-level pricing negotiations and introduced the National Health Insurance Coverage (NHIC) policy since 2016. In addition, the National Healthcare Security Administration (NHSA) introduced the volume-based purchasing (VBP) pilot program to Nanjing in September 2019. Taking non-small cell lung cancer as an example, the aim of the study was to verify whether national pricing negotiations, the NHIC policy and the VBP pilot program had a positive impact on the accessibility of three targeted anti-cancer drugs.MethodsBased on the hospital procurement data, interrupted time series (ITS) design was used to analyze the effect of the health policy on the accessibility and affordability of gefitinib, bevacizumab and recombinant human endostatin from January 2013 to December 2020 in Nanjing, China.ResultsThe DDDs of the three drugs increased significantly after the policy implementation (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, P = 0.008). The trend of DDDc showed a significant decrease (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, P < 0.001). The mean availability of these drugs before the national pricing negotiation was <30% in the surveyed hospitals, and increased significantly to 60.33% after 2020 (P < 0.001, P = 0.001, P < 0.001). The affordability of these drugs has also increased every year after the implementation of the insurance coverage policy. The financial burden is higher for the rural patients compared with the urban patients, although the gap is narrowing.ConclusionThe accessibility of targeted anti-cancer drugs has increased significantly after the implementation of centralized prices, the NHIC policy and the VBP pilot program, and has shown sustained long-term growth. Multi-pronged supplementary measures and policy approaches by multiple stakeholders will facilitate equitable access to effective and affordable anti-cancer drugs.

Non-Communicable Disease In Children In Ghana: Health And Social Burden Of Care On Households

Background: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are on the increase among children. This paper determines the health and social burden of care imposed on households by NCDs among children in Ghana.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study in three hospitals in Ghana, Ashanti, Greater Accra and Volta Regions. Interviewer administered structured questionnaire was used for data collection. Data was analyzed by proportions, ratios and chi square forassociation between categorical outcome measures (at 95% confidence level) using SPSS version 21.Discusion: Burden of caregiving for children with NCDs rested heavily on women (169; 75.1%) and immediate family (176; 78.3%). Managing child’s condition was expensive and created financial difficulties for households. In all 87.4% of households depended on the national health insurance scheme (NHIS) and 45.8% indicated NCDs in children was a burden. In addition, 47% of the caregivers said life was much better before they found out about child’s ailment. Families had no financial support from extended families or communities/employers. Despite enormous challenges faced by households, there was no indication families suffered isolation ordiscrimination. Conclusion: National Health Insurance coverage of NCDs especially childhood cancers will reduce the burden of care on households. Improving access to care at regional/district levels for children with NCDs is imperative.

Management of Acute Coronary Syndrome Indonesia : Insight from One ACS Multicenter Registry

Background&#x0D; Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is a life-threatening disorder which contributes to high morbidity and mortality in the world. Registry of ACS offers a great guidance for improvement and research. We collated a multicentre registry to gain information about demographic, management, and outcomes of ACS in Indonesia.&#x0D; Methods&#x0D; IndONEsia Acute Coronary Syndrome Registry (One ACS Registry) was a prospective nationwide multicenter registry with 14 hospitals participating in submitting data of ACS via standardized electronic case report form (eCRF). Between July 2018 and June 2019, 7634 patients with ACS were registered. This registry recorded baseline characteristics; onset, awareness, and transfer time; physical examination and additional test; diagnosis; in-hospital medications and intervention; complications; and in-hospital outcomes.&#x0D; Results&#x0D; Nearly half of patients (48.8%) were diagnosed with STE-ACS. Most prevalent risk factors were male gender, smoking, hypertension. Patients with NSTE-ACS tended to have more concomitant diseases including diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, prior AMI, HF, PCI, and CABG. Majority of ACS patients in our registry (89.4%) were funded by national health coverage. Antiplatelet, anticoagulant, antihypertensive, and statins were prescribed as 24-hours therapy and discharge therapy; however presription of potent P2Y12 inhibitor was low. More STE-ACS patients underwent reperfusion therapy than non-reperfusion (65.2% vs. 34.8%), and primary PCI was the most common method (45.7%). Only 21.8% STE-ACS patients underwent reperfusion strategy within 0-3 hours of onset. Invasive strategy performed in 17.6% of NSTE-ACS patients, and only 6.7% performed early (within &lt;24 hours). Patients underwent early invasive strategy had a shorter median LoS than late invasive strategy (P&lt;0.001). A shorter median LoS also found in intermediate and low risk patients. Mortality rate in our ACS patients was 8.9%; STE-ACS patients showed higher mortality than NSTE-ACS (11.7 vs. 6.2%).&#x0D; Conclusion&#x0D; Our registry showed a comparable proportion between STE- and NSTE-ACS patients, with male gender predominant in middle age. Both STE- and NSTE-ACS sharing the same risk factors. We need an improvement in referral time, especially in patients with STE-ACS. Evidence from our registry showed that there are two issues that need to be addressed in order to improve ACS outcomes: optimal and adequate medical treatment and invasive strategy.

EE386 Cost-of-Illness Analysis of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Treatment in the Philippine General Hospital

EE386 Cost-of-Illness Analysis of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Treatment in the Philippine General Hospital

Burden and pattern of acute diarrhea in Thai children under 5 years of age: a 5-year descriptive analysis based on Thailand National Health Coverage (NHC) data

BackgroundThe incidence of acute diarrhea in Thai children under five years of age has increased over the last three decades. Even though mortality has significantly declined, the burden and cost of medical treatment are still high. Our objectives are to describe the burden and pattern of acute diarrhea cases that required admissions by Thai children under five years of age from 2015 to 2019.MethodsData regarding the admission of acute diarrhea cases of Thai children with Thailand National Health Coverage (NHC) under five years of age from 2015 to 2019, recorded as International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, tenth Revision, Thai Modification (ICD-10-TM), were analyzed.ResultsThe incidence trend of yearly acute diarrhea in children 0–5 years of age slightly increased from 33.36 cases per 1,000 population in 2010 to an average of 33.79 cases per 1,000 population/ year from 2015 to 2019 or approximately 0.43 cases per 1,000 population over the last decade while diarrhea-related mortality had a low, constant rate of 0.71 to 1.16 per 100,000 population per year. Two thirds of the mortality rate was observed in children under 1 year of age or 4.1 cases per 100,000 person-years in 5-year period (P < 0.01). The high cost of performing the medical treatment of approximately four hundred million baht per year. Seasonal variations demonstrated consistency with similar patterns during the cold and rainy seasons throughout the 5-year period. Regional distribution of the causative agent was also observed in Cholera, Typhoid, and Amoebiasis cases. A08: viral and other specified intestinal infections and A09: other gastroenteritis and colitis of infectious and unspecified origin were the two most common causes of diarrheal diseases.ConclusionsThe incidence rate of acute diarrhea in Thai children under five years of age was higher while the mortality rate of acute diarrhea was lower than those in the past decade. A similar seasonal outbreak of acute diarrhea was seen during each examined year. The causative agent was not significant and was mainly unspecific.Trial registrationNumber TCTR20220117002, date of registration: 17/01/2022, site: Thai Clinical Trials Registry, URL http://www.thaiclinicaltrials.org/show/TCTR20220117002

New challenges of fetal therapy in Japan.

AimTo review new challenges of fetal therapy in Japan after the establishment of four existing fetal therapies as standard prenatal care with National Health Insurance coverage over the past 20 years.MethodsReported studies and our current research activities related to four fetal therapies newly performed in Japan were reviewed.ResultsFetoscopic endoluminal tracheal occlusion (FETO) for congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) aims to occlude the trachea using a detachable balloon to promote lung growth. Following the recent successful completion of an international randomized controlled trial for CDH, in which we participated, FETO is offered for severe left CDH to perform balloon insertion at 27–29 weeks and removal at 34 weeks of gestation. Fetal cystoscopy (FC) for low urinary tract obstruction was introduced to overcome the demerits of vesicoamniotic shunting. FC may provide a proper diagnosis by visual observation of the urethra and physiological treatment of the posterior urethral valve. The effectiveness of open fetal surgery for myelomeningocele (MMC), direct surgery with laparotomy and hysterotomy, for ameliorating hindbrain herniation and the motor function was demonstrated, but it was also associated with substantial maternal and fetal risks. Fetal aortic valvuloplasty (FAV), ultrasound‐guided fetal aortic balloon dilation for critical aortic stenosis with evolving hypoplastic left heart syndrome may improve left heart development and maintain biventricular circulation. Feasibility and safety studies for FC, MMC open fetal surgery, and FAV are currently ongoing.ConclusionsClinical research on FETO, FC, MMC open fetal surgery, and FAV has proceeded with careful preparations in Japan.

Active Surveillance Versus Immediate Surgery for Low-Risk Papillary Thyroid Microcarcinoma Patients in South Korea: A Cost-Minimization Analysis from the MAeSTro Study.

Background: Active surveillance (AS) has been established as an alternative to immediate surgery for low-risk papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC). Nonetheless, it remains difficult to decide between AS and immediate surgery, since limited objective evidence exists regarding risks and benefits. The aim of study is to compare the cumulative costs of AS and immediate surgery. Methods: To estimate cumulative costs, a hypothetical model is simulated based on the Multicenter Prospective Cohort Study of Active Surveillance on Papillary Thyroid Micro-Carcinoma (MAeSTro) study, a multicenter prospective cohort study of AS for PTMC. Direct and indirect costs are estimated from diagnosis to the treatment decision and follow-up for 10 years and a longer period. In the case of the scenarios, AS, AS to surgery due to changing their mind, and lobectomy (analyzed regardless of levothyroxine [LT4] treatment, as well as subdivided into lobectomy/LT4[-] and lobectomy/LT4[+]) are considered. A sensitivity analysis is performed using different discount rates to address uncertainties in future time costs. To compare the cumulative costs, we referred to previous research conducted in Hong Kong, the United States, and Japan. Results: The initial cost of AS is estimated to be 5.6 times lower than that of lobectomy (regardless of LT4 use), while the 10-year cumulative costs of AS ($2545) and lobectomy regardless of LT4 ($3045) are similar under a discount rate of 3%. However, in the long-term follow-up period, immediate surgery is going to be estimated more economical than AS. The costs of the two management approaches are similar in Hong Kong, but substantially different in the United States and Japan, implying that it could be affected by each country's national health insurance coverage and the thyroid ultrasound interval during follow-up. Conclusion: Considering both direct and indirect costs, the cumulative costs of AS and immediate surgery in low-risk PTMC patients are similar during 10 years, and surgery could be more economical for patients with a life expectancy in long-term follow-up. However, careful interpretation is needed for long-term follow-up and the country's health care system and environment. Nevertheless, considering the representative protocols and objective costs in South Korea, it is expected to be a key to suggest the appropriate treatment for PTMC patients.

Evaluating the comparative efficiency of medical centers in Taiwan: a dynamic data envelopment analysis application

BackgroundPeople in Taiwan enjoy comprehensive National Health Insurance coverage. However, under the global budget constraint, hospitals encounter enormous challenges. This study was designed to examine Taiwan medical centers' efficiency and factors that influence it.MethodsWe obtained data from open sources of government routine publications and hospitals disclosed by law to the National Health Insurance Administration, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taiwan. The dynamic data envelopment analysis (DDEA) model was adopted to estimate all medical centers' efficiencies during 2015–2018. Beta regression models were used to model the efficiency level obtained from the DDEA model. We applied an input-oriented approach under both the constant returns-to-scale (CRS) and variable returns-to-scale (VRS) assumptions to estimate efficiency.ResultsThe findings indicated that 68.4% (13 of 19) of medical centers were inefficient according to scale efficiency. The mean efficiency scores of all medical centers during 2015–2018 under the CRS, VRS, and Scale were 0.85, 0.930, and 0.95,respectively. Regression results showed that an increase in the population less than 14 years of age, assets, nurse-patient ratio and bed occupancy rate could increase medical centers' efficiency. The rate of emergency return within 3-day and patient self-pay revenues were associated significantly with reduced hospital efficiency (p < 0.05). The result also showed that the foundation owns medical center has the highest efficiency than other ownership hospitals.ConclusionsThe study results provide information for hospital managers to consider ways they could adjust available resources to achieve high efficiency.

Association between the National Health Insurance coverage benefit extension policy and clinical outcomes of ventilated patients: a retrospective study.

BackgroundThis study aimed to investigate the association between the Korean National Health Insurance coverage benefit extension policy and clinical outcomes of patients who were ventilated owing to various respiratory diseases.MethodsData from 515 patients (male, 69.7%; mean age, 69.8±12.1 years; in-hospital mortality rate, 28.3%) who were hospitalized in a respiratory intensive care unit were retrospectively analyzed over 5 years.ResultsOf total enrolled patients, 356 (69.1%) had one benefit items under this policy during their hospital stay. They had significantly higher medical expenditure (total: median, 23,683 vs. 12,742 U.S. dollars [USD], P<0.001), out-of-pocket (median, 5,932 vs. 4,081 USD; P<0.001), and a lower percentage of out-of-pocket medical expenditure relative to total medical expenditure (median, 26.0% vs. 32.2%; P<0.001). Patients without benefit items associated with higher in-hospital mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 2.794; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.980–3.941; P<0.001). In analysis of patients with benefit items, patients with three items (“cancer,” “tuberculosis,” and “disability”) had significantly lower out-of-pocket medical expenditure (3,441 vs. 6,517 USD, P<0.001), and a lower percentage of out-of-pocket medical expenditure relative to total medical expenditure (17.2% vs. 27.7%, P<0.001). They were associated with higher in-hospital mortality (HR, 3.904; 95% CI, 2.533–6.039; P<0.001).ConclusionsOur study showed patients with benefit items had more medical resources and associated improved in-hospital survival. Patients with the aforementioned three benefit items had lower out-of-pocket medical expenditure due to the implementation of this policy, but higher in-hospital mortality.

Modeling General Practitioners’ Total Drug Costs through GAMLSS and Collective Risk Models

Monitoring general practitioner prescribing costs is an important topic in order to efficiently allocate National Health Insurance resources. Using generalized additive models for location, scale, and shape with random effects, we investigate how second-order variables, related to patients, contribute to estimating the frequency, severity, and hence the total amount of costs. The total cost of prescriptions associated with a general practitioner is then derived following a collective risk theory approach by aggregating cumulants of patient cost distributions. By means of the fourth-order Cornish-Fisher expansion series of quantiles of the aggregate cost distribution of general practitioners, we construct a confidence interval for each doctor, which is used to select a subset of doctors that should be monitored to identify potential inefficiencies. A case study is developed by using structured data regarding the number and cost of prescriptions of about 900,000 patients linked to corresponding general practitioners. The prescription costs considered are only those paid fully by the national health coverage.

Global status of essential medicine selection: a systematic comparison of national essential medicine lists with recommendations by WHO

ObjectivesExamining the availability of essential medicines is a necessary step to monitor country-level progress towards universal health coverage. We compared the 2017 essential medicine lists (EML) of 137 countries to...