Lu-shan earthquake occurred at 8:02 am, on April 20th, 2013. The epicenter of earthquake was located in Lu-shan county, Ya’an city, Sichuan province, about 100 km from Chengdu along the Longmenshan fault zone in the same province heavily impacted by the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. The earthquake has resulted in 196 people dead, 24 missing, at least 11,470 injured as of 14:30, April 24th, 2013. After Lu-shan earthquake, medical rescue teams were dispatched from the West China Hospital, Sichuan University to the stricken area. This article written by a member of the rescue team reported the difficult and dangerous rescue work and the performance of rescue members in the stricken area.
It is one of the priorities of the new round of healthcare reform to develop regional healthcare alliances through vertically integrating resources. This paper reviews the framework and characteristics of Shanghai’s healthcare system, and then analyzes its strengths and weaknesses, underscoring Shanghai’s exploration in the vertical integration of medical resources as a response to the pressing issues in healthcare. The paper outlines the main tasks and groundwork of the Shanghai healthcare alliance initiative and gives an outlook on the expected outcomes. It ends with some thoughts on the problems and challenges confronting regional healthcare alliances in Shanghai.
The health status, health needs and demands as well as the concept of health itself have changes dramatically in the last one hundred years, the organizational and institutional evolutions of health system took place accordingly. To adapt the changes of health system, medical education has experienced three generations of major reform in the last century: the science-based curricula, problem-based instruction, system-based and competence-oriented education. At the same time the organization of medical education evolved from academic medicine to academic health center to academic health system. This article briefly describes the process of this evolution and presents author’s personal views on academic health system.
Objective To explore the impact of community healthcare workers’ (CHWs) knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) on the influenza vaccination among elderly people. Methods By means of simple random sampling, 1 residential quarter of each communities, 2 communities of each districts, 5 districts of Chengdu city were randomly selected, and the elderly equal to or more than 60-year-old were on-site investigated. Meanwhile, the questionnaire survey was conducted among healthcare workers in the selected communities. Results There were 4 KAP factors played a positive role in influenza vaccination among elderly people: CHWs’ affirmation of the effectiveness of influenza vaccine, explicitly knowing the focus groups for influenza vaccination, recommendation of vaccination in flu season when the elderly visits, and participation in flu-related education activities. When the accuracy rate of each factor got improved by 1%, the influenza vaccination rate would improve by 2.747%, 1.299%, 0.864%, 0.602%, respectively. Conclusion The knowledge, attitude and practice of HCWs have impacts on the influenza vaccination rates of elderly people. They are significant to improve the influenza vaccination rates of the elderly.
General practice is a new discipline, and it is in common with evidence-based medicine for the features of “patient-centered” and “evidence-based”. Evidence-based medicine has spread in all fields of clinical practice, and it has been applied to different extents in many medical health and medical education fields including general practice. This paper aims to discuss and analyze the significance, modes and attentions of evidence-based general practice, so as to provide further references for promoting the practice of evidence-based general practice in China.
Objective To analyze the injury and dysfunction as well as the rehabilitation status and demand of the 188 Lushan earthquake victims admitted in the hospitals in and around Ya’an city and the West China Hospital of Sichuan University, so as to provide guidance for the rehabilitation work in the following step. Methods By means of the onsite investigation, 122 victims admitted in 7 hospitals and 2 health centers in and around Ya’an city within 1-9 days after Lushan earthquake, and the other 66 victims treated in the West China Hospital of Sichuan University were analyzed. Results The injury categorization of 122 victims in and around Ya’an city was as follows: upper limb fracture (12.30%), lower limb fracture (42.62%), spine fracture (16.39%) (25.00% treated by surgery and 75.00% treated by non-surgery treatment), pelvis fracture (1.64%), rib fracture (4.10%), traumatic brain injury (10.66%), soft tissue contusion (8.20%), and others (4.09%). At the corresponding period, the injury categorization of 66 victims treated in the department of rehabilitation medicine of the West China Hospital of Sichuan University was as follows: fracture (77.27%), traumatic brain injury (3.03%), spinal cord injury (4.55%), and others, including soft tissue injury (15.15%). At the ninth day after earthquake, among the 122 victims in and around Ya’an city, 8 victims (6.56%) were recovered with self-care ability of daily living, and the other 144 (93.44%) still needed the strengthened rehabilitation treatment. At the corresponding period, among the 66 victims in the West China Hospital, one victim (1.52%) was recovered with self-care ability of daily living, and the other 65 (98.48%) still needed the strengthened rehabilitation treatment. Conclusion Early rehabilitation treatment such as active exercise, elevating injured limbs, physical therapy, turning over at regular time, and psychological intervention can help the earthquake victims to return to home and society early.
Objective To explore the medical insurance quota payment of dialysis treatment for outpatients with end-stage renal disease in Chengdu from following aspects, evaluation indexes and reasonable amount, so as to provide scientific basis for the payment of single disease. Methods A questionnaire survey was conducted to collect the cost information of patients, and to formulate the assignment of evaluation indexes according to the therapeutic principles and statistical results; Delphi method was adopted to determine the assignment and the standard of quota payment. Results A total of 17 dialysis organizations approved by Chengdu municipal medical insurance were involved in this study. Of 700 questionnaires distributed, 686 were retrieved. After excluding 26 questionnaires for incomplete filling and incorrect treatment information, a total of 660 questionnaires were included actually, accounted for 94.28% of all informants. The results of survey showed that, the hemodialysis treatment rate accounted for 84% (555/660) of all informants, while the peritoneal dialysis treatment rate accounted for 16% (105/660). By assessing the project assignment of outpatient dialysis treatment, the minimum annual payment of hemodialysis was RMB 118 242.75 yuan, while that of peritoneal dialysis was RMB 96 498.00 yuan. Conclusion The quota payment of outpatient dialysis shows b evidence after adopting the treatment project assignment. The grading quota payment of outpatient dialysis enables the medical insurance fund to be more reasonably used.
Objective To review published literature on telemedicine in China using qualitative analysis. Methods Such databases as CBM, VIP, CNKI, and CSSCI were electronically and comprehensively searched for clinical studies related to telemedicine from inception to March 2013. References of the included studies were also retrieved. Two reviewers independently identified the literature according to inclusion and exclusion criteria, extracted data, and assessed the quality of the included studies. Then, qualitative analysis was performed in aspects of the application fields, range, and effects of the included studies. Result Finally, 19 studies were eligible for the analysis, including 16 quasi-randomized controlled trials and 3 observational studies. According to methodological evaluation standards (JBI, 2005), among 16 quasi-randomized controlled trials, 12 were of medium quality and four were of low quality; and 3 observational studies were all of low quality. The results of qualitative analysis showed that, literature on telemedicine had increased by year since 1995. However, the literature on relevant research of telemedicine had been published since 2002. The number of literature increased evenly and sporadically in journals. According to the classification of the application fields of telemedicine, 15 (80%) related to remote monitoring, especially related to remote fetal monitoring, 4 (21%) were remote consultation, and 3 (16%) were remote treatment. The results of 19 studies showed that, telemedicine had better effects than traditional medicine. Conclusion In China, literature related to telemedicine increases by year but the quality of them are low. High quality studies are further needed. The distribution of the application fields of telemedicine is uneven, most of which focuses on remote monitoring. The quality of research is low and need high-quality research in future. The therapeutic effects of telemedicine are better with accurate monitoring data and convenience to patients..
Objective To explore the traumatic situation and transfer methods of the in-patients injured in Lushan Earthquake, and to provide evidence for treating injured mass in future. Methods The information of the patients injured in Lushan Earthquake who were admitted in Chengdu Military General Hospital were collected by “No. 1 Military Medical Project” hospital information system and a self-edited “Questionnaire for Hospitalized Patients Injured in 4.20 Lushan Earthquake”. Results A total of 65 patients were admitted in this hospital: 63 (96.92%) patients were injured in the main shock; 28 (43.08%) patients were injured by building collapse; 23 (35.38%) patients got injured due to falls or got bruised when escaping; and 14 (21.54%) patients were accidentally injured. Rescue methods: 32 (49.23%) patients were saved by themselves; 23 (35.38%) patients were mutually helped; 10 (15.38%) patients were rescued by local non-military rescue team; 34 (52.31%) patients were rescued by military rescue teams; and 26 (44.83%) patients were transferred by air transport. Conclusion In order to cope with emergencies and major disasters (e.g. earthquake) and to treat injured mass scientifically in the future, we should set up emergency wards scientifically and reasonably, carry out education on earthquake prevention and disaster mitigation widely, reinforce self-care and mutual aid in the stricken area, quickly send rescue and medical teams, and organize training for air transportation of patients.
Objective To investigate the variation of total hospitalization cost for single-diagnosed disease of different types of acute appendicitis in a three-A hospital, so as to provide evidence for the reimbursement amount of social medical insurance. Methods All patients with acute appendicitis who had surgery treatment during January-April 2011 (before implementing the fee system for single-diagnosed disease) and January-April 2012 (after implementing the fee system for single-diagnosed disease) were collected in this study for analysis. According to the types of acute appendicitis, the patients were stratified into the low risk group (simple, suppurative and gangrenous) and the high risk group (perforative, abscess-formed and pregnancy-combined). The correlation between total hospitalization cost and types of acute appendicitis, as well as the changes of total hospitalization cost after implementing the fee system for single-diagnosed disease were analyzed. Results A total of 90 eligible patients were included. The disease types were positively correlated with hospital stays and total hospitalization cost. All three types in the low risk group could control the average total hospitalization cost within RMB 10 000 yuan. The results of sensitivity analysis showed that, before implementing the fee system for single-diagnosed disease, the total hospitalization cost up to RMB 6 000 yuan could be positively correlated with the above risk stratification (r=0.442, P=0.003). After implementing the fee system for single-diagnosed disease from January to April 2012, the constituent ratio of hospital stays, compared with that in the same period of 2011, had no significant difference (P=0.108) between the two groups; but the ratio of hospital stays (less than 5 days) increased from 45% to 64%, and the ratio of hospital stays (greater than or equal to 10 days) decreased from 17% to 4%, indicating a tendency of shortening hospital stays. Also, the constituent ratio of total hospitalization cost had no significant difference (P=0.114) between the two groups; but the ratio of total hospitalization cost (greater than or equal to RMB 9 000 yuan) decreased from 32% to 13%, indicating a tendency of lowering total hospitalization cost. Conclusion The low risk group of acute appendicitis, RMB 6 000 yuan should be rated as the rational reimbursement amount of social medical insurance. The total hospitalization cost for the high risk group is quite various, so the further studies are needed to investigate the feasibility of the fee system for single-diagnosed disease as well as the rating amount of total hospitalization cost. The implementation of the fee system for single-diagnosed disease is helpful to shorten hospital stays and reduce total hospitalization cost.