基于结构方程模型的线上医疗咨询服务使用意愿研究

目的：结合信息系统成功模型和整合技术接受模型构建研究模型,研究线上医疗咨询服务的使用意愿及其影响因素。方法：以问卷调查的方式采集数据,利用偏最小二乘结构方程模型探究公众使用线上医疗咨询服务的影响因素。 结果：成功构建了用于线上医疗咨询服务使用意愿的偏最小二乘结构方程模型,其中促进条件、社会影响、绩效期望和个人创新性对线上医疗咨询服务使用意愿的正向影响路径得到验证。结论：促进条件、社会影响、绩效期望和个人创新性对线上医疗咨询服务的使用意愿有显著正向影响,对线上医疗咨询服务的运营和改进提供了参考。     

Risk Factors for Hospital Death of Patients with End-Stage Renal Disease Without Previous Diagnosis of Severe Chronic Renal Failure Arriving in an Emergency Situation at the Hospital

Objectives.?Many end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients get their first nephrologic care under critical clinical conditions and without previous diagnosis of chronic renal failure (CRF), a situation even worse than the late referral of CRF patients for nephrologic treatment. Data on these “nonreferred” patients are scarce. The objectives of this study were to assess clinical and laboratory features, the reasons for coming to the hospital and the factors associated with death in nonreferred ESRD patients first seen by a nephrologist in an emergency situation. Methods.?Retrospective study (04 1996–03 2000) using the medical records of patients diagnosed with ESRD at the nephrologic emergency visit in a university tertiary hospital. Clinical and laboratory parameters were reviewed. Patients were divided into two groups according to hospital outcome: survivors or nonsurvivors. Results.?There were 414 patients (12% of all nephrologic emergency visits), aged 49 ± 17 years, 266 males (64%) and 208 (55%) hypertensive. Mortality rate was 13.7% (54/393). When compared to survivors, nonsurvivors were older, used mechanical ventilation and vasoactive drugs more frequently, presented higher infection rate, and showed lower plasma creatinine. Multivariate logistic regression showed as factors independently associated with death: first nephrologic visit at intensive care unit, infection as cause for seeking medical care, and increasing age. Plasma creatinine above 10 mg/dL was a protective factor for death. Conclusions.?ESRD patients reaching dialysis in a nephrologic emergency situation presented high hospital mortality, which was mostly associated with their poor clinical condition at admission.     

Primary sleep disorders seen at a Neurology service-based sleep clinic in India: Patterns over an 8-year period

There is an increasing awareness for recognition of sleep disorders in India; however, there is still a huge gap in the number of people suffering from various sleep disorders, in the community versus those visiting hospital clinics for the same. Ours is a neurology services-based sleep disorders clinic, which has evolved successfully over the last decade. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the changes in referral patterns and distribution of various sleep disorders in the patients presenting to the clinic.

Materials and Methods:

This is a retrospective chart review-based study on all patients seen over an 8-year period, divided into 2 groups comprising of patients seen during the first 4 years versus those seen over the next 4 years. Only those patients who had the sleep disorder as their presenting manifestation and those who had been formally interviewed with a pre-structured questionnaire detailing about the main features of the common sleep disorders according to the ICSD-R were included. Patients, in whom the sleep disorder could be clearly attributable to another neurological or systemic disorder, were excluded. Statistical analysis was carried out to identify the differences between the two groups as regards the distribution of various sleep disorders and other clinical data.

Results:

Among 710 patients registered in the clinic, 469 were included for analysis and 222 patients formed group 1 while 247 formed group 2. The main differences observed were in the form of a clear increase in the percentage of patients with sleep-related breathing disorders, sleep-related movement disorder, and the hypersomnias on comparison of distribution over the first 4 years versus the last 4 years; while a clear decline was seen in the number of patients with insomnia and parasomnias. A 3-fold increase was observed in the number of patients in whom polysomnography was obtained.

Conclusion:

The distribution of various sleep disorders as seen in a neurology service-based sleep clinic is demonstrated in this study. Increasing referrals for sleep-disordered breathing, restless legs syndrome, and fewer referrals for insomnia and parasomnias might reflect on changing physician and patient awareness in our community.     

Referrals to dietitians/nutritionists: A cross‐sectional analysis of Australian GP registrars’ clinical practice

Aim

The present study aimed to describe referral patterns of general practitioner (GP) registrars to dietitians/nutritionists. There is a paucity of research regarding GP referral patterns to dietitians/nutritionists. Limited data show increasing referrals from established GPs to dietitians/nutritionists. There are no data on GP registrar (trainee) referrals.

Methods

This was a cross‐sectional analysis of data from the Registrar Clinical Encounters in Training (ReCEnT) study. ReCEnT is an ongoing, multicentre, prospective cohort study of registrars, which documents 60 consecutive consultations of each registrar in each of the three six‐month GP training terms. The outcome factor in this analysis was a problem/diagnosis resulting in dietitian/nutritionist referral (2010–2015). Independent variables were related to registrar, patient, practice and consultation.

Results

A total of 1124 registrars contributed data from 145 708 consultations. Of 227 190 problems/diagnoses, 587 (0.26% (confidence interval: 0.23–0.29)) resulted in dietitian/nutritionist referral. The most common problems/diagnoses referred related to overweight/obesity (27.1%) and type 2 diabetes (21.1%). Of referrals to a dietitian/nutritionist, 60.8% were for a chronic disease, and 38.8% were related to a Chronic Disease Management plan. Dietitian/nutritionist referral was significantly associated with a number of independent variables reflecting continuity of care, patient complexity, chronic disease, health equity and registrar engagement.

Conclusions

Established patients with chronic disease and complex care needs are more likely than other patients to be referred by registrars to dietitians/nutritionists. Nutrition behaviours are a major risk factor in chronic disease, and we have found evidence for dietitian/nutritionist referrals representing one facet of engagement by registrars with patients’ complex care needs.     

Exploring the roles and factors influencing community health workers’ performance in managing and referring severe acute malnutrition cases in two subdistricts in South Africa

As primary providers of preventive and curative community case management services in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs), community health workers (CHWs) have emerged as a formalised part of the health system (HS). However, discourses on their practices as formalised cadres of the HS are limited. Therefore, we examined their role in care, referral (to clinics) and rehabilitation of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) cases. Focusing on SAM was essential since it is a global public health problem associated with 30% of all South Africa's (SA's) child deaths in 2015. Guided by a policy analysis framework, a qualitative case study was conducted in two rural subdistricts of North West province. From April to August 2016, data collected from CHW's training manuals and guideline reviews, 20 patient record reviews and 15 in‐depth interviews with four CHW leaders and 11 CHWs. Using thematic content analysis which was guided by the Walt and Gilson policy triangle, data was manually analysed to derive emerging themes on case management and administrative structures. The study found that although CHWs were responsible for identifying, referring, and rehabilitating SAM cases, they neglected curative roles of stabilisation before referral and treatment of uncomplicated cases. Such limitations resulted from restrictive CHW policies, inadequate training, lack of supportive supervision and essential resources. Concurrently, the CHW program was based on weak operational and administrative structures which challenged CHWs practices. Poor curative components and weak operational structures in this context compromised the use of CHWs in LMICs to strengthen primary healthcare. If CHWs are to contribute to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 by reducing SAM mortality, strategies on community management of acute malnutrition coupled with thorough training, supportive supervision, firm operational structures, adequate resources and providers’ motivation should be adopted by governments.     

Family physician remuneration schemes and specialist referrals: Quasi‐experimental evidence from Ontario,Canada

Understanding how family physicians respond to incentives from remuneration schemes is a central theme in the literature. One understudied aspect is referrals to specialists. Although the theoretical literature has suggested that capitation increases referrals to specialists, the empirical evidence is mixed. We push forward the empirical research on this question by studying family physicians who switched from blended fee‐for‐service to blended capitation in Ontario, Canada. Using several health administrative databases from 2005 to 2013, we rely on inverse probability weighting with fixed‐effects regression models to account for observed and unobserved differences between the switchers and nonswitchers. Switching from blended fee‐for‐service to blended capitation increases referrals to specialists by about 5% to 7% per annum. The cost of specialist referrals is about 7 to 9% higher in the blended capitation model relative to the blended fee‐for‐service. These results are generally robust to a variety of alternative model specifications and matching techniques, suggesting that they are driven partly by the incentive effect of remuneration. Policy makers need to consider the benefits of capitation payment scheme against the unintended consequences of higher referrals to specialists.     

Does hospital ownership influence hospital referral region health rankings in the United States

Extensive evidence demonstrates that a hospital's organizational ownership structure impacts its overall performance, but little is known concerning the influence of hospital structure on the health of its community. This paper explores the association between US hospital referral region (HRR) health rankings and hospital ownership and performance. Data from the 2016 Commonwealth Fund Scorecard on Local Health System Performance, the American Hospital Association dataset, and the Hospital Value‐Based Purchasing dataset are utilized to conduct a cross‐sectional analysis of 36 quality measures across 306 HRRs. Multivariate regression analysis was used to estimate the association among hospital ownership, system performance measures—access and affordability, prevention and treatment, avoidable hospital use and cost, and healthy lives—and performance as measured by value‐based purchasing total performance scores. We found that indicators of access and affordability, as well as prevention and treatment, were significantly associated across all 3 hospitals' organizational structures. Hospital referral regions with a greater number of not‐for‐profit hospitals demonstrated greater indications of access and affordability, as well as better prevention and treatment rankings than for‐profit and government hospitals. Hospital referral regions with a greater number of government, nonfederal hospitals had worse scores for healthy lives. Furthermore, the greater the total performance scores score, the better the HRR score on prevention and treatment rankings. The greater the per capita income, the better the score across all 4 dimensions. As such, this inquiry supports the assertion that performance of a local health system is dependent on its community's resources of health care delivery entities and their structure.