An Analysis of Asthma Patients’ Health Services Utilization—Using Panel Claims Data of National Health Insurance Beneficiaries,1996-2001
Date Issued
2004
Date
2004
Author(s)
Lin, Ku-Feng
DOI
zh-TW
Abstract
As the prevalence rate of asthma increases, medical resource utilization also becoming huge. The objective of this study was to explore asthma patients’ health services utilization and the related factors that affects health services utilization. This study used Panel Claims Data of National Health Insurance Beneficiaries from 1996-2001. This study included two parts: one was based on single visit to verify the relationship among personal characteristics, season, and visiting place. Another was based on episodes that included all visit information in the three-months period after an acute attack. The results of this study are as follow:
In terms of single visit, sex had no influences for health services utilization. Those who were the elderly, children or had major illness had higher medical expenses. District hospital had the most visit times, and Medical center had the highest medical expenses. In visit places, Taipei Branch had the most visit times and Eastern Branch had least visit times. In terms of season, summer and winter were related to expenses significantly. The average medical expenses per outpatient visit was NT$864.73, consultation and treatment and medical supply was NT$102.02, and average drug expenses was NT$519.60. In terms of expenses of hospitalization, the average medical expenses was NT$18,506.64, average medical expenses excluding ward fees was NT$12,977.15, consultation and treatment and medical supply was NT$7,192.09, average drug expenses was NT$3,843.49. In terms of expenses of emergency, the average medical expense was NT$1,499.59, consultation and treatment and medical supply was NT$786.66, and average drug expenses was NT$326.13.
In terms of asthma episode, the older the age, the more the medical expenses. The enrollment payroll category at “24000-28000” had significantly higher amount of total medical expenses, total medical expenses excluding ward fees, total drug expenses, total days of prescription and total number of visits had higher expenses then the 0-15840 category. The asthma patients with cardiovascular or other complication also had higher total medical expenses then patients with respiratory complication. And the patients with no complication had higher drug expenses then those with respiratory complication. In terms of season, summer had more total number of visits then spring. The average medical expenses per asthma episode, average medical expenses excluding ward fees per episode, average drug expenses, and the total average consultation and treatment and medical supply were NT$4,143.81, NT$3,724.56, NT$1,226.84, and NT$1,641.24, respectively. The average visit was 2.31 times per episode, the average days of prescription were 14.58 days, and the average length of stay was 6.22 days.
In conclusion, asthma patients’ health services utilization was significantly related to selected variables of the personal characteristics, season, and visiting places. According to the results of this study, this study suggest that public health organizations should pay more attention to children and the elderly, and promote the importance of primary clinics. Public health organizations also can re-allocate medical resources by analyzing health services utilization. For example, public health organizations can enhance the relationship between primary clinics and community, or to follow up patients’ health conditions regularly, or to add in asthma education qualified practitioner etc. to provide better medical care for the patients.
Key words: Asthma, Health service utilization, National Health Insurance,
Secondary data analysis
Subjects
全民健康保險
次級資料分析
醫療利用
氣喘
Secondary data analysis
Asthma
Health service utilization
National Health Insurance
SDGs
Type
thesis
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