• Psychiatry investigation
• /
• v.15 no.11
• /
• pp.1064-1070
• /
• 2018

Objective Several cell line studies have demonstrated thioridazine's anticancer, multidrug resistance-reversing and apoptosis-inducing properties in various tumors. We conducted this nationwide population-based study to investigate the association between thioridazine use and cancer risk among adult patients with schizophrenia. Methods Based on the Psychiatric Inpatient Medical Claim of the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan, a total of 185,689 insured psychiatric patients during 2000 to 2005 were identified. After excluding patients with prior history of schizophrenia, only 42,273 newly diagnosed patients were included. Among them, 1,631 patients ever receiving thioridazine for more than 30 days within 6 months were selected and paired with 6,256 randomly selected non-thioridazine controls. These patients were traced till 2012/12/31 to see if they have any malignancy. Results The incidence rates of hypertension and cerebrovascular disease were higher among cases than among matched controls. The incidence of hyperlipidemia, coronary artery disease and chronic pulmonary disease did not differ between the two groups. By using Cox proportional hazard model for cancer incidence, the crude hazard ratio was significantly higher in age, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, cerebrovascular disease, coronary artery disease and chronic pulmornary disease. However, after adjusting for other covariates, only age and hypertension remained significant. Thioridazine use in adult patients with schizophrenia had no significant association with cancer. Conclusion Despite our finding that thioridazine use had no prevention in cancer in adult patients with schizophrenia. Based on the biological activity, thioridazine is a potential anticancer drug and further investigation in human with cancer is warranted.

• The Korean Nurse
• /
• v.36 no.3
• /
• pp.49-69
• /
• 1997

The urgent needs to establish hospice care systems in Korea arise from the following reasons: 0) a drastic increase in chronically ill patients with the increase of aged population: (2) rapid changes in living environment from the traditional habitation (e. g., Many Koreans living in apartment complexes, which is the most popular form of modern residence in recent years, prefer to die in the hospital.): the overall increase in patients with advanced cancer: (4) recent trends in early discharge of terminally ill patients from the limited hospital facilities to accomodate other medical insurance beneficiaries; (5) easy acceptance of euthanasia owing to the recent social atmosphere that belittles the dignity of human life; (6) medical and nursing care of AIDS patient in terminal stage; (7) and the problem associated with inhumane medical care system, overtreatment, and groundless fears against narcotics. Terminally ill patients were used to be treated in the hospital in the past. In these days, however, they are forced to have home cares with little assistance from the qualified medical personnel because of insufficient hospital facilities, which are even short for the need of emergency patients and provide priority cares to medical insurance beneficiaries with other acute problems. And yet, neither are there any administrative organizations nor systematic medical studies that deal with the level of terminally ill patient's need, their family's problems and resources of hospice care systems in Korea. Thus, most patients are not able to get appropriate medical care at the terminal stage of their lives. The objective of this study is to make comprehensive database for various hospice care organization currently in operation, link them through medical information system, and develop an easily accessible hospice care model that meets the need of most Korean people. Our survey results may be summarized as follows: Nationally there are 40 organizations that provide partial or full hospice care. However, these organizations are not linked to any formal medical service network. Furthermore, the objective of hospice care, care principles, personnel with appropriate training, educational programs, standard for care, costs, consulting service to patients' family members, the extent of medical care from professional staff members, status of hospice facility, and management of those institutions are neither clearly defined nor organized compared to the international hospice care standards. The surveys on patients of terminal stage. grouped in hospice and non-hospice care patients. reveal what they want visiting nursing care to help their pain control. psychological. social and spiritual demands. While the more than 90% of hospice care patients want to reduce their pains. the non-hospice care patients. in addition to their desire for pain control. demanded more psychological. social and spiritual helps as well. The results of this research could be utilized to 0) define the standard of hospice care. (2) provide the guidance for hospice medical care costs. (3) establish the database of hospice care systems. (4) develop softwares. (5) build communication network through Medinet. and (6) provide an organized visiting home nursing care system. These information should be a valuable resource to many medical staffs who are involved in cancer therapy. nursing care. and social welfare programs.

• Health Policy and Management
• /
• v.26 no.2
• /
• pp.135-147
• /
• 2016

Background: The voluntary diagnosis-related groups (DRG)-based payment system was introduced in 2002 and the government mandated participation in the DRG for all hospitals from July 2013. The main purpose of this study is to examine the independent effect of mandatory participation in DRG on various outcomes of patients. Methods: This study collected 1,809,948 inpatient DRG data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment database which contains medical information for all patients for the period 2007 to 2014 and examined patient outcomes such as length of stay (LOS), total medical cost, spillover, and readmission rate according to hospital size. Results: LOS of patients decreased after DRGs (large hospitals: adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.87; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.78-0.97; small hospitals: aOR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.91-0.92). The total medical cost of patients increased after DRGs (large hospitals: aOR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.14-1.30; small hospitals: aOR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.21-1.23). The results reveals that spillover of patients increased after DRGs (large hospitals: aOR, 1.27; 95% CI, 0.70-2.33; small hospitals: aOR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.16-1.20). Finally, we found that readmission rates of patients decreased significantly after DRGs (large hospitals: aOR, 0.28; 95% CI, 0.26-0.29; small hospitals: aOR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.56-0.63). Conclusion: The DRG payment system compared to fee-for-service payment in South Korea may be an alternative medical price policy which can reduce the LOS. However, government need to monitor inappropriate changes such as spillover increase. Since this study also is the results based on relatively simple surgery, insurer needs to compare or review bundled payment like new DRG for expansion of various inpatient-related diseases including internal medicine.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
• /
• v.23 no.3
• /
• pp.28-38
• /
• 2018

Purpose: To evaluate the medical expenditures for prostate cancer patients, including out-of-pocket costs, and compared the costs between androgen deprivation therapy and radical prostatectomy treatment. Methodology: This study combined clinical data from 357 prostate cancer patients from the Smart Prostate Cancer Database and the medical expenditure data from the claims and cost databases. We used the independent two-sample t-tests to compare androgen deprivation therapy and radical prostatectomy. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify determining factors for androgen deprivation therapy and radical prostatectomy treatments. Findings: The medical costs of androgen deprivation therapy treatment were much lower than radical prostatectomy treatment at the one year and remained lower until the fourth-year. However, after four years, the accumulated medical expenditures of androgen deprivation therapy become significantly higher than radical prostatectomy treatment. Patients with a higher cancer stage and older age had higher chances of being treated using androgen deprivation therapy treatment than radical prostatectomy treatment. Practical Implications: Our results show that early detection of cancer reduces the treatment cost for both patients and insurance payers. It also demonstrates that cost comparisons should be conducted over long periods of time in order to most accurately assess the costs.

• Korean Circulation Journal
• /
• v.52 no.11
• /
• pp.814-825
• /
• 2022

Background and Objectives: Real-world trends in the utility and type of gatekeeping studies in invasive coronary angiography (ICA) requires further investigation. Methods: We identified outpatients who underwent noninvasive cardiac tests or directly ICA for suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) from the nationwide Korea Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service-National Patient Sample database between 2012 and 2018. Results: Among 71,401 patients, the percentage of patients who were evaluated for suspected CAD was 34.7% for treadmill test (TMT), 4.2% for single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), 24.2% for coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA), 1.6% for multiple gatekeepers, and 32.3% for directly ICA without noninvasive studies. The proportion of CCTA as a gatekeeper showed linear increase, (18.6% in 2012 and 28.8% in 2018; p<0.001), while those of TMT, SPECT, and direct ICA have decreased (p<0.001, p=0.03, and p<0.001, respectively). The overall incidence of downstream ICA after gatekeeper was 13.8% (6,662/48,346), and SPECT showed higher ICA rate in pairwise comparison with TMT and CCTA (p<0.001). Patients who performed gatekeepers before ICA showed higher rate of subsequent PCI (34.7% vs. 32.3%; p<0.001) and CABG (3.5% vs. 1.0%; p<0.001), compared to those who directly underwent ICA, and CCTA was associated with higher revascularization rate after ICA in pairwise comparison with TMT and SPECT (p<0.001). Conclusions: Nationwide database demonstrated that CCTA is utilized increasingly as a gatekeeper for ICA and is associated with high revascularization rate after ICA in outpatients with suspected CAD.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.32 no.4
• /
• pp.513-525
• /
• 1999

Objectives : High-normal blood pressure' is a factor influencing decision to initiate targeted intensive intervention strategy in westernized populations. JNC-VI offered the vigorous lifestyle modification for persons with 'high-normal blood pressure', who could be early detected. As a hypertension seems to be the result of multiple genetic factors operating in concert with associated environmental factors, it will be necessary to identify the high-normal blood pressure as a risk factor of hypertension for applying primary prevention strategy in Korean people. Methods : Although cohort study design might be adequate to recruit incidence cases, to keep time sequence of events, and to prevent information bias, nested case-control study was chosen for avoiding measurement errors because hypertension is a benign disease. Source population was the 'Seoul Cohort' participants and follow-up was done by using Korea Medical Insurance Corporation's database on the utilization of health services from 1 Jan93 to 30Jun97. Incidence cases were ascertained through the chart review, telephone contacts, and direct blood pressure measurements. Controls included the pairing of 4 individuals to each case on the basis of age. Results : As 75% of 247 incident cases had high-normal blood pressure, the crude odds ratio for hypertension was 2.04 (95% CI 1.47-2.83). Another statistically significant risk factors of hypertension were body mass index, dietary fiber, alcohol consumption, weekly activity and history of quitting smoking. The multivariate odds ratio of high-normal blood pressure adjusted for all risk factors was 1.84 (95% CI 1.31-2.56). Among high-normal blood pressure group, body mass index, weekly ethanol amounts, weekly physical activity, and dietary fiber except history of quitting smoking were still risk factors of hypertension. Conclusion : 'High-normal blood pressure' is a risk factor for hypertension in Korean middle-aged men, which represents that the vigorous lifestyle modification for persons with 'high-normal blood pressure' is need.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.37 no.2
• /
• pp.150-156
• /
• 2004

Objectives : To investigate the utilization patterns of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) among the elderly with osteoarthritis (OA) undergoing primary ambulatory care in Busan metropolitan city, Korea. Methods : OA patients, aged 65 years and over, were identified from the Korean National Health Insurance Review Agency drug prescription database. The subjects had at least one episode of claim for OA (ICD-10-CM: M15-M19) between August 1, 2000 and February 28, 2002. Trends in the determinations of NSAIDs utilization were identified using chi-squared tests for trend. Results : There were 47,711 osteoarthritic patients. The total number of visits by these patients was 177,443, with a total frequency for NSAID prescriptions of 214,952. Seventy-nine percent of the OA patients were female. NSAIDs were prescribed on 133,284 visits (75.1%) and the proportion of prescriptions was significantly increased with age. Only the proportion of visit when NSAIDs were prescribed decreased, from 65.1 to 43.5%, during the study period (p<0.001). However, the proportion of combined treatments with anti-ulcer drugs was increased. The use of NSAIDs injections was decreased. Of the individual NSAIDs, diclofenac (28.7% of total frequency of NSAID prescriptions), piroxicam (15.0%) and talniflumate (8.7%), were the most frequently prescribed. Among the NSAIDs prescribed OA visits, 45.7% used two or more NSAIDs. Conclusion : The total proportion of NSAIDs prescribed to the osteoarthritic patients was higher than in other studies. The decline in the use of NSAIDs during the study period, and the frequent selection of safer medications, such as combination therapy with anti-ulcer drug, may reflect the risk awareness of the use of NSAIDs.

• Journal of Computing Science and Engineering
• /
• v.11 no.4
• /
• pp.142-151
• /
• 2017

Spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH) has a high mortality rate. Research has demonstrated that sICH occurrence is related to weather conditions; therefore, this study used the decision tree method to explore the impact of climatic risk factors on sICH at different ages. The Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) and other open-access data were used in this study. The inclusion criterion was a first-attack sICH. The decision tree algorithm and random forest were implemented in R programming language. We defined a high risk of sICH as more than the average number of cases daily, and the younger, middle-aged and older groups were calculated as having 0.77, 2.26 and 2.60 cases per day, respectively. In total, 22,684 sICH cases were included in this study; 3,102 patients were younger (<44 years, younger group), 9,089 were middle-aged (45-64 years, middle group), and 10,457 were older (>65 years, older group). The risk of sICH in the younger group was not correlated with temperature, wind speed or humidity. The middle group had two decision nodes: a higher risk if the maximum temperature was >$19^{\circ}C$ (probability = 63.7%), and if the maximum temperature was <$19^{\circ}C$ in addition to a wind speed <2.788 (m/s) (probability = 60.9%). The older group had a higher risk if the average temperature was >$23.933^{\circ}C$ (probability = 60.7%). This study demonstrated that the sICH incidence in the younger patients was not significantly correlated with weather factors; that in the middle-aged sICH patients was highly-correlated with the apparent temperature; and that in the older sICH patients was highly-correlated with the mean ambient temperature. "Warm" cold ambient temperatures resulted in a higher risk of sICH, especially in the older patients.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
• /
• v.11 no.6
• /
• pp.221-233
• /
• 2013

This study aims to develop the severity-adjusted length of stay(LOS) model for acute stroke patients using data from the hospital discharge survey and propose management of length of stay(LOS) for acute stroke patients and using for Hospital management. The dataset was taken from 23,134 database of the hospital discharge survey from 2004 to 2009. The severity-adjusted LOS model for the acute stroke patients was developed by data mining analysis. From decision making tree model, the main reasons for LOS of acute stroke patients were acute stroke type. The difference between severity-adjusted LOS from the decision making tree model and real LOS was compared and it was confirmed that insurance type and bed number of hospital, location of hospital were statistically associated with LOS. And to conclude, hospitals should manage the LOS of acute stroke patients applying it into the medical information system.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
• /
• v.29 no.4
• /
• pp.278-285
• /
• 2019

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis is highly prevalent in overweight patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and can be reduced by physical activity via altered proinflammatory parameters. However, the association between the frequency of physical activity and the prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis in prediabetic patients remains unclear and was evaluated in this study. Methods: Utilizing the Korean National Health Insurance Sharing Service database, 58,391 adults, who met the research criteria and underwent a general medical check-up between 2009 and 2013, were selected for this study. To analyze the data, a logistic regression with a proc survey logistic procedure was used. Results: The study revealed that the cumulative rheumatoid arthritis prevalence was lower in prediabetic patients compared to that in the control group (OR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.483-0.840; p=0.001). More frequent physical activity (≥3 days/week) was significantly associated with a reduced rheumatoid arthritis prevalence in both groups (OR, 0.28; 95% CI, 0.039-0.521; p=0.044 vs. OR, 0.15; 95% CI, 0.063-0.237; p=0.007). Additionally, a 3.8-fold higher risk of rheumatoid arthritis development was observed in prediabetic adults with less frequent baseline physical activity (≤2 days/week). Overall, in prediabetes, the prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis was associated with the frequency of physical activity and not with the fasting plasma glucose levels. Conclusion: More frequent physical activity is associated with a low risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis in prediabetic patients. Thus, further studies are needed to confirm the clinical outcomes of frequent physical activity in rheumatoid arthritis prevention and control.