The Affordable Care Act's “community first choice” option: Effect on long-term care expenditures

Objective

To empirically assess the effect of adopting Affordable Care Act's Community First Choice (CFC) option on overall state home and community-based services (HCBS) expenditures as well as distribution of HCBS expenditures across different HCBS mechanisms. We also explore the heterogeneous effect of CFC across adopting states.

Data Source

We used data from the Medicaid Long Term Services and Support (LTSS) expenditure reports prepared by Truven Analytics and Mathematica for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services from 2008–2018 for all 48 states and the District of Columbia.

Study Design

An event-study difference-in-differences model was used to estimate the effect of CFC on HCBS expenditures using Medicaid LTSS expenditure reports from 2008–2018. We also employ the synthetic control method to unmask heterogeneity across CFC adopting states using data from 2008–2018.

Data Collection/Extraction Methods

Not applicable.

Principal Findings

Overall, CFC was not associated with a change in HCBS expenditures per capita or HCBS expenditures as a proportion of LTSS expenditures. However, there appears to be an increase in HCBS expenditures among states that were institutionally-oriented prior to CFC adoption. Additionally, CFC adoption was associated with an overall decrease in expenditures in alternative HCBS mechanisms (Personal Care Services State Plan Option and 1915(c) waivers), suggesting potential substitution across overlapping programs.

Conclusion

Results indicate heterogeneity across states adopting CFC. More institutionally-oriented states appear to use CFC to expand HCBS. In contrast, more HCBS-oriented states appear to employ CFC to strategically restructure their overall portfolio and processes.     

腹腔镜精准肝切除术治疗原发性肝癌的临床效果

目的探究腹腔镜精准肝切除术治疗原发性肝癌的临床效果。方法选择2019年1月—2020年6月期间在医院接受腹腔镜肝切除术治疗的80例原发性肝癌患者作为实验分析对象,依据手术治疗方案的不同将患者分为腹腔镜常规肝切除组(对照组)40例和腹腔镜精准肝切除组(观察组)40例,对两组患者手术各项指标、手术前后肝功能指标改善情况及术后并发症发生率进行对比分析。结果观察组患者手术时间明显长于对照组,组间比较进行t检验,差异具有统计学意义(P<0.05);观察组患者术中出血量及术中输血量均少于对照组患者,术后恢复时间明显短于对照组患者,组间比较进行t检验,差异具有统计学意义(P<0.05);术后,两组患者ALT、AST、ALB及TBIL水平均显著降低,组内比较进行t检验,差异具有统计学意义(P<0.05),观察组患者ALT、AST、ALB及TBIL水平降低幅度显著大于对照组患者,组间比较进行t检验,差异具有统计学意义(P<0.05);观察组患者术后并发症发生率为10.00%,对照组患者术后并发症发生率为27.50%,组间比较进行χ2检验,差异具有统计学意义(χ2=4.021;P=0.045)。结论与腹腔镜常规肝切除术比较,腹腔镜精准肝切除术操作精细,手术时间相对较长,患者术中出血量更少,术后恢复时间更短,能够最大限度保护患者的肝脏,减低患者术后并发症发生率,提高手术治疗效果,改善患者预后。     

辐射事故应急演习准备与实施的规范化

通过回顾2014年以来全国各省辐射事故应急演习工作的成果和经验，结合国际原子能机构（IAEA）、生态环境部关于辐射事故应急演习的相关指导文件，总结了综合性辐射事故应急演习的开展流程。此外，基于演习实战化的要求，详细介绍演习规划、准备、实施、评估等环节的技术要求和规范方法，为开展辐射事故应急演习提供参考和借鉴。     

各地区中医药预防新型冠状病毒肺炎(COVID-19)方案分析

分析湖北省武汉市新型冠状病毒肺炎(COVID-19)疫情蔓延后各地区发布的中医药预防方案,探究其规律,更好地指导临床用药。收集互联网上发布的新闻和通报,自2019年12月8日官方通报的武汉首例不明原因肺炎发病病例至2020年2月1日北京、天津等地区的13项含中药处方的中医药预防COVID-19的方案。13项预防方案中多用黄芪、玉屏风散等中药和方剂补"正气";由于疫情发于冬季,预防方案体现因时制宜的原则;北方8个地区多使用麦冬、玄参等滋阴润燥中药,南方5个地区多用苍术、藿香等芳香除湿中药,预防方案体现因地制宜的原则;根据人群体质不同采用不同处方,体现因人制宜的原则。此外,还应重视隔离病原、起居有节、调节情志、饮食营养、适当运动等预防措施。COVID-19的中医药预防应注重补正气,根据不同气候、不同地区、不同人群辨证用药,重视综合预防,灵活运用各种措施,达到最佳预防效果。     

路径式营养管理在食管癌患者围术期的应用研究

目的 探讨路径式营养管理在食管癌围术期患者中的应用效果。方法 选取2018年1月至2018年7月在四川省肿瘤医院胸外科接受食管癌根治手术治疗的患者156例，随机分为干预组（n=78）和对照组（n=78），干预组采用路径式营养管理，对照组采用常规营养管理，比较两组患者在术后7d血红蛋白、前白蛋白、体质指数（BMI）、预后营养指数（PNI）等营养指标、术后并发症发生率及术后住院时间。结果 干预组患者术后7d血红蛋白（126.09±16.69）g/L、前白蛋白（208.74±38.51）mg/L、BMI（22.28±2.05）kg/m2、PNI（46.62±4.03）优于对照组，差异有统计学意义（P<0.05）；干预组患者胸腔积液发生率低于对照组，差异有统计学意义（t=4.02，P=0.04）；干预组患者住院时间短于对照组，差异有统计学意义（t=6.53，P=0.03）。结论 路径式营养管理能有效改善食管癌围术期患者营养状况、降低并发症发生率、缩短术后住院时间。     

Fear of cancer recurrence in lymphoma survivors: A descriptive study

Abstract

Objectives: Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) is a common experience among cancer survivors and often persists after the termination of cancer treatments. The purpose of this paper was to evaluate FCR in survivors of Hodgkin’s and diffuse large B-cell lymphomas, given a high rate of survivorship in this patient population.

Research Approach: The parent study was a multi-site, cluster-randomized trial to assess a communication skills intervention: survivorship planning consultation (versus a time-attention control - wellness rehabilitation intervention) to promote transition to survivorship.

Participants & Methodological Approach: 199 patients enrolled in the study and completed a survivorship (or control) consultation one-month after receiving the news of their survivorship status; 141 of those patients (n?=?92 experimental arm, n?=?49 control arm) completed an interview at their 6-month follow-up consultation. In the interview, participants described frequency of FCR, causes of FCR, coping mechanisms, and specific things oncologists said to reduce FCR. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were utilized for analyzing participant responses.

Findings: The majority (88%) of participants reported experiencing FCR, with a higher number of participants in the experimental arm significantly more likely to endorse FCR compared to the control group participants. The main causes of FCR were having medical appointments and concerns about potential relapse and secondary cancers. Participants endorsed utilizing self-sufficient coping mechanisms. As well, participants reported that oncologists most frequently cited specific cure rates of lymphoma to reduce patients’ FCR.

Interpretation & Implications for Psychosocial Providers: Communication skills training programs should emphasize FCR in survivorship consultations.     

Psychiatric Advance Directives and their relevance to improving psychiatric care in Asian countries

People with mental illness may be unable to provide critical input about the care they wish to receive during a psychiatric crisis because of altered mental states. It is therefore imperative that clinicians seek to understand service users' wishes for care while they are well and able to provide meaningful input into the discussion. Achieving such an end may be done by discussing and completing a psychiatric advance directive. However, very few Asian countries have legislation that supports such advance directives. The present article seeks to give physicians more information about advance psychiatric directives and the potential role they could play to improve the healthcare provided in Asia to people at risk of losing capacity due to a mental illness. The degree to which mental health legislation supports psychiatric advance directives is documented for each country of South East Asia and Eastern Asia.     

新型冠状病毒(2019-nCoV)感染的肺炎的影像学检查与感染防控的工作方案

2019新型冠状病毒(2019 novel coronavirus,2019-nCoV)感染的肺炎,自2019年12月发现以来,目前正呈蔓延之势,疫情就是命令,防控就是责任。为进一步做好2019-nCoV感染的肺炎的预防与控制工作,有效预防交叉感染,保护患者和医务人员,笔者结合相关重要国家文件、国家标准和参考文献以及本单位在防控新型冠状病毒(2019-nCoV)感染的肺炎工作中的体会,制定了新型冠状病毒(2019-nCoV)感染的肺炎的影像学检查与感染防控的工作方案,本研究重点介绍影像学检查的质控方案,包括影像学检查技术和CT诊断要点;以及感染防控的质控方案,包括科室环境和布局防控要求,登记人员、技师、医师和护师岗位防控要求,设备和环境防控要求,"感染防控防护级别"和"医务人员穿脱防护用品流程"两个附录。