Data from L.W. Kuo and Colleagues Advance Knowledge in Information Technology (Inequality of trauma care under a single-payer universal coverage system in Taiwan: a nationwide cohort study from the National Health Insurance Research Database)

Health & Medicine Business Daily

2019 NOV 27 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Health & Medicine Business Daily -- Researchers detail new data in Information Technology. According to news originating from Taoyuan, Taiwan, by NewsRx correspondents, research stated, “To assess the impact of lower socioeconomic status on the outcome of major torso trauma patients under the single-payer system by the National Health Insurance (NHI) in Taiwan. A nationwide, retrospective cohort study.”

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research, “An observational study from the NHI Research Database (NHIRD), involving all the insurees in the NHI. Patients with major torso trauma (injury severity score 16) from 2003 to 2013 in Taiwan were included. International Classification of Disease, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes were used to identify trauma patients. A total of 64 721 patients were initially identified in the NHIRD. After applying the exclusion criteria, 20 009 patients were included in our statistical analysis. PRIMARY AND MEASURES: The primary outcome measure was in-hospital mortality, and we analysed patients with different income levels and geographic regions. Multiple logistic regression was used to control for confounding variables. In univariate analysis, geographic disparities and low-income level were both risk factors for in-hospital mortality for patients with major torso trauma (p=0.002 and <0.001, respectively). However, in multivariate analysis, only a low-income level remained an independent risk factor for increased in-hospital mortality (p <0.001). Even with the NHI, wealth inequity still led to different outcomes for major torso trauma in Taiwan.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “Health policies must focus on this vulnerable group to eliminate inequality in trauma care.”

For more information on this research see: Inequality of trauma care under a single-payer universal coverage system in Taiwan: a nationwide cohort study from the National Health Insurance Research Database. Bmj Open, 2019;9(11):e032062. (BMJ Publishing Group - http://group.bmj.com/; Bmj Open - http://bmjopen.bmj.com/)

The news correspondents report that additional information may be obtained from C.T. Cheng, Trauma and Critical Care Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital Linkou Main Branch, Taoyuan, Taiwan. Additional authors for this research include C.Y. Fu, C.A. Liao, C.H. Liao, C.H. Hsieh, S.Y. Wang, S.W. Chen and C.T Cheng.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2019-032062. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.