Objective To investigate the disease constitution of Yaqian Township Health Center (YQT) in Xiaoshan District of Zhejiang Province from 2008 to 2010, so as to provide baseline data for further study. Methods Questionnaire and focus interview were carried out to collect inpatients’ case records from 2008 to 2010. The first diagnoses were classified according to ICD-10, and the data of discharge diagnoses were rearranged and analyzed by using Excel 2003 and SPSS 13.0 software. Results a) The total numbers of inpatients were 182, 195 and 248 from 2008 to 2010, respectively; b) The disease spectrum included 9-14 categories, which accounted for 47.6%-66.7% of ICD-10; c) The top 6 systematic diseases accounted for 37.37%-75.39%, which included the circulatory, injury, digestive, respiratory, neoplasms and urinary and reproductive systematic diseases; d) A total of 8 of the top 15 single diseases were the same, including hypertension, great saphenous vein varices, redundant prepuce, lung cancer, fracture, superficial injuries, acute appendicitis, and inguinal hernia; and e) The constitution ratio of the chronic diseases, compared with the acute ones, was higher in 2008, but lower in 2009 and 2010. Conclusion a) In recent three years, the main systematic diseases seen in YQT have been circulatory, injury, digestive, respiratory, neoplasms, and urinary and reproductive systematic diseases. The newly increased diseases in 2010 were pregnancy, childbirth and puerperium. The acute diseases mainly are fracture and injure, while the chronic diseases mostly are hypertension; b) A total of 8 of the top 15 single diseases are the same, indicating the stability of the common inpatients’ diseases; and c) Attention should be paid in future to the chronic diseases management, women’s health and specialized subject construction.
Objective To understand the situation of commonly-used drugs, medical device and their storages in rural households among model well-off township hospitals in eastern, central and western China, and to provide the basis for the guidance of reasonably using and scientifically storing drugs. Methods The methods of combining simple random sampling and cluster sampling were used to investigate and analyze the situation of commonly-used drugs, medical device and their storages in 162 households from three well-off township hospitals in Shanghai, Zhejiang, and Sichuan provinces, respectively. Results The storage rates of commonly-used drugs of rural households in well-off towns were cold medicine (72.2%), wound paste (51.9%), cooling oil (39.5%), essential balm (36.4%), antihypertensive (27.8%), iodine tincture (14.2%), anti-diabetic drugs (13.0%) and other drugs (17.3%). The storage rates of medical devices were thermometer (50.0%), cotton swab (47.5%), sphygmomanometer (9.3%), injector (1.2%) and other devices (22.2%). A total of 66% of respondent families stored drugs and medical devices in a fixed drawer. Only 3.1% families stored drugs and medical devices in the special portable medical kit. Conclusion Rural families have a higher rate of household drugs among model well-off township hospitals in eastern, central and western China, and most drugs are OTC drugs. The storage rates of medical devices are not high. Many rural family-owned medical devices are linked with special chronic diseases in the family. A lot of rural families place drugs and medical devices randomly. There are many security risks, and it may affect the rational utilization of drugs.
Objective To understand the demands on portable medicine kit of rural residents in well-off township hospitals, and to provide the basis for scientifically designing portable medicine kit for rural residents. Methods The methods of combining simple random sampling and cluster sampling were used to investigate and analyze the demands on portable medicine kit for 162 households from three well-off township hospitals in Shanghai, Zhejiang, and Sichuan province, respectively. Results The demand rate of 162 rural households on portable medicine kit was 75.3% (122/162). The main drugs that demanders expected in the portable medicine kit were cold medicine (86.1%), wound paste (82.0%), cooling oil (61.5%), essential balm (54.9%) and antihypertensive (34.4%); and the main medical devices that demanders expected were thermometer (82%), cotton swab (73%) and sphygmomanometer (32.8%). The sizes of portable medicine kit that demanders expected were 23.7±8.5 cm in length, 17.1±6.4 cm in width, and 14.1±6.5 cm in height. The main function characteristics of portable medicine kit that demanders expected were applicability (74.6%), safety (60.7%), light weight (68.0%), economics (60.7%), and waterproof (46.7%). A total of 72.1% of demanders expected the price of less than 15 yuan, and 91.8% expected kit made of hard materials as plastic as the first choice. Conclusion The demand rate of rural residents on portable medicine kit is higher in well-off township hospital. The design and production of portable medicine kit should fully meet the demands of rural residents. Only when sufficiant respect for the market demand is paid, can the promotion and application of portable kits will be ensured.
Objective To understand the current situation of medical service and management in Luxi township health center (LxC) in Yongxin county of Jiangxi province, so as to provide baseline data about drug allocation, logistic key techniques research and products development for township health centers. Methods By means of questionnaire and focus interview, the LxC was investigated from the following aspects: general information, human resources, medicine list, basic device configuration, medical service and management, as well as service efficiency. Results a) Yongxin county including 13 village committees covers an area of 86 km2, with the population of 22 300 in 2009, and it pertains to a backward area with the annual per capita income of RMB 4 100 yuan; b) Among the total 28 staffs in LxC, 78.6% were health workers; the general practitioner (GP)/nurse ratio was about 1?0.58; the proportion of GP, nurses, medical technicians, other staffs was 54.55%, 31.82%, 9.09% and 4.54%, respectively; the proportion of bachelor degree, junior college graduation and secondary technical school graduation was 9.1%, 13.6%, and 77.3%, respectively; and the ratio of elementary, middle, and high professional title of health workers was 15?5?1; c) There were 625 species of drugs in LxC in 2009, and the hospital beds approved by government were 0.69 per thousand agricultural persons, which, however, were 1.15 in fact. The rate of 51 basic equipments shown in national regulation was actually 76.5%, and the readiness and utilization rate of existing 40 equipments was 92.5%; and d) In 2009, the outpatients were 12 150 person-time, with the average cost of RMB 29.39 yuan; the hospital discharge was 1 589 person-time, with the average stay of 12 days and the average cost of RMB 490.05 yuan; the vaccine inoculations were 5 053 person-time; among the total income, the medical service income accounted for 73.2%, while the drug income accounted for 53.7%; the personnel expenditure was 31.0% of the total, and the balance of income and expenditure was RMB –263 500 yuan. Conclusion The hardware condition of LxC is not so good owing to the financial difficulties of Yongxin county and Jiangxi provincial government. In comparison with the whole country, although the professional title structure is ok, health workers are still not enough, with unreasonable specialty structure and low educational background. The rate of basic equipments and the approved hospital beds per thousand agricultural persons are low. There are 625 species of drugs, containing 218 species shown in 2009 national essential medicine list. And the other conditions are as follows: no information system, lack of public health service, short of financial input, high ratio of “running hospital by selling drugs”, and low efficiency of medical service. So the top priority of LxC construction should be figuring out all of the above issues, and better serving the people.
Objective To Investigate the disease constitution and hospitalization expense in Luxi township health center (LxC) in Yongxi county of Jiangxi Province in 2010, to make clear about the local burden of diseases and to provide the baseline data for further study. Methods The inpatient records of LxC in 2010 were collected. Based on the primary diagnosis on hospital discharge record, the diseases were standardized and classified according to the International Classification of Disease, 10th Edition (ICD-10). Data including general information of the inpatients, discharge diagnosis, hospitalization expense and usage of essential medicine etc, were reorganized and analyzed by using Microsoft Excel 2003 and SPSS 13.0 software. Results a) The total number of inpatients were 925 in 2010, with male/female ratio of 0.8; b) The disease spectrum included 17 categories, accounting for 81% of the ICD-10; c) The top 5 diseases were in respiratory, digestive, injury, poisoning amp; external causes, circulatory and genitourinary system, totally accounting for 82.27%; d) The top 15 single diseases were upper respiratory infection, fracture, chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD), chronic gastroenteritis, cerebrovascular disease (CVD), calculi in urinary system, rheumatoid arthritis, intervertebral discs diseases, cholecyslithiasis accompanied with cholecystitis, cardiac disease, reproductive organ diseases, injury amp; poisoning, pneumonia, hypertension and peptic ulcer; e) The patients with upper respiratory infection and pneumonia were mostly older than 65 or younger than 5 years old. With the exception of calculi in urinary system and peptic ulcer, all the other 8 chronic diseases were mainly seen in patients over 65 years old; f) Among the 15 single diseases as listed above, the chronic diseases were associated with shorter average hospital stay and low average expense compared with the acute diseases (4.8 d vs. 11.6 d; ?439.1 vs. ?666.9); and g) The hospitalization expense of LxC, although increasing year by year, was still far below that of the national township health centers (?542.3 vs. ?1 004.6). Conclusion a) The top 3 in inpatients systematic diseases of LxC are respiratory system, digestive system, and injury and poisoning; the former 2 diseases attack more often in females, and the acute diseases are mainly infection and fracture; b) Except for rheumatoid arthritis, cholecyslithiasis accompanied cholecystitis, cardiac diseases, reproductive organ diseases and peptic ulcer, all the other 10 of the top 15 single diseases are similar to Yong’an township health center (YaC) in Sichuan Province in 2010; c) The acute diseases mainly focus on respiratory system, and injury and poisoning, and the chronic diseases mainly focus on digestive system, circulatory system, genitourinary system, the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue system; d) The number of patients who suffer from chronic diseases increases significantly when over of 35 years old, especially, often seen in female rather than male. The acute burden diseases is serious in patients less than 15 or more than 45 years old; e) The upper respiratory infection and pneumonia mainly affect the old and children; f) Compared with Xintian township health center (XtC) in Gansu Province, the average hospital stay of fracture patients is longer (43.7 d vs. 9.0 d), the hospitalization expense is higher (?1 948.0 vs. ?1 648.3), and the diseases is burden heavier (8.1% vs. 4.9%); and g) The average hospital stay of patients with acute diseases is longer than YaC and XtC (11.6 d vs. 3.7 d, 6.2 d), but the hospitalization expense is lower than both of them (?666.9 vs. ?850.4, ?906.9).
Objective To investigate the inpatient disease constitution of Jili Community Health Service Center (JCHSC) in Liuyang City of Hunan Province from 2008 to 2010, so as to learn about the local burden of diseases and to provide baseline data for further study. Methods Both questionnaire and focus interviews were applied to collect inpatients’ records in JCHSC between 2008 and 2010. Based on the primary diagnosis on hospital discharge record, the diseases were standardized and classified according to the International Classification of Disease, 10th Edition (ICD-10). Data including general information of the inpatients and discharge diagnosis were rearranged and analyzed by using Microsoft Excel 2003 and SPSS 13.0 software. Results a) The total numbers of inpatients were 4 804, 6 011 and 6 552 in 2008, 2009 and 2010, respectively, and males were less than famales (37.89% vs. 62.11%, 37.68% vs. 62.32%, 41.09% vs. 58.91%); b)The disease spectrum included 19 to 21 categories, accounting for 90.5% to 100% of ICD-10; c) The top 5 systematic diseases accounted for 78.91%-83.61%, including circulate, digestive, pregnancy, parturition and puerperium, genitourinary, and respiratory system diseases; d) The top 15 single diseases were coronary heart disease, urinary calculi, cholecyslithiasis or accompanied with cholecystitis, chronic gastritis, hypertension, diabetes, chronic bronchitis, pulmonary infection and inguinal hernia; and e) In these 3 years, most of the inpatients suffered from chronic diseases rather than acute diseases, mostly over 35 years old; while the acute diseases were commonly seen in patients younger than 15 years old. Conclusion a) In recent 3 years, the major inpatient systematic diseases are circulate, digestive, pregnancy, parturition and puerperium, genitourinary, and respiratory system diseases. The chronic diseases are more than the acute, and mainly focus on coronary heart disease, urinary calculi and chronic bronchitis; b) Nine common inpatient disease spectrum of the top 15 single diseases keep same in recent 3 years; and c) Further attention should be paid to the chronic patients over 35 years old and the acute patients less than 15 years old.
Objective To investigate current situation of medical service and management in Gaozha Central Township Health Center (GzC), so as to provide baseline data for township health centers in both key techniques research and product development of drugs allocation and delivery. Methods A questionnaire combined with a special interview was carried out, which included the general information, human resources, medical service and management, and the practice of essential medicine list. Results a) The hardware condition of GzC was not good enough, and the economic status of the service recipients was lower than the average level of both Wuzhong City and China mainland; b) The constituent ratio of general practitioner (GP) and nurse, and GP and laboratorian were all lower than those of national level, while, the constituent ratio of GP and technician was a little bit higher. GzC was in short of medical technical personnel and, especially, the professional pharmacists. The logistics technical workers were as the same proportion as the nurses. The medical technical personnel without professional education background accounted for 3.4%, and about 38% of the staff members had no college degree, about 86.2% had at most primary profession titles. There was no personnel turnover of GzC in recently years; c) The bed utilization ratio was lower than national level (46.4% vs. 60.7%), while the average duration of stay and the in-patient and out-patient service workload of GP were longer or heavier than national level (8 vs. 4.8, 9 vs. 8.3, 4 vs. 1.3); d) The out-patient service in 2010 decreased 26.9% compared to 2009; and the in-patient service in 2010 decreased 42.4%; e) The average medical expense per outpatient and per inpatient increased 127.3% and 56.2%, respectively in 2010 compared to 2009; and f) Essential medicine list was put into practice in April 1st of 2010 and there was only 195 species available in GzC, which has not met the requirements of the national essential medicine list. Conclusion In order to meet the standards of general rural township health center in western China, GzC needs to cope with challenges of insufficient hardware conditions, short of staff, unreasonable personnel structure, low educational background and professional title of the staff, none human resources flow and low technical level of medical service. GzC dose well in drug expenses control, and the hospitalization costs are lower than those of the national level. However, it increases rapidly in 2010. The management of GzC may be influenced by zero-profit sale of the essential drugs, and appropriate subsidy and policy support are necessary to maintain its service quality. And it is required to complement the medicine based on the evidences, to carry out staff training and usage guidance of essential medicine, and to finally guarantee the safe and reasonable use of medicines.
Objective To understand current situation of medical service and management in Yong’an Central Township Health Center (YaC) through on-the-spot investigation, in order to provide references for personal employment and essential medicines list implement in township health centers. Methods Questionnaire and focus interview were carried out, which included the general information, human resources, medical service and management, and the practice of essential medicines list. Results The hardware equipments of YaC were fine, and the target population had fairly good health and economy status. The ratio of General Practitioner (GP)/ nurse and GP/ pharmacist were all above the national average level. The members with college degree and above accounted for 61.6%, and about 88% staffs were with or below primary profession titles. There was a balance between personnel flow out and in. The drug income accounted for 53.6% of the whole in 2009 and the medical expenses increased compared to 2008. Essential medicines list was put into practice in April 1st of 2010 with no relevant technical documents as correspondence. Conclusion YaC, as a good representative of fairly well-off rural Township Health Center in western China, needs to cope with challenges of irrational personnel structure, low educational background and professional title of the staff and human resources flow, and requires developing policy and adopting measures step by step. The management of YaC may be influenced by zero-profit price of the essential medicine, and appropriate subsidy and policy support are necessary to maintain current service quality.
Abstract Objective To investigate the disease constitution and hospitalization expenses in Songqiao Central Township Health Center (SqC) in Gaoyou City of Jiangsu Province in 2010, so as to provide the baseline data of disease burden for further study. Methods The inpatient records of SqC in 2010 were collected. The first discharge diagnoses were classified according to the International Classification of Disease 10 (ICD-10). The general information of the inpatients, discharge diagnosis, hospitalization expenses, disease category, age, gender, and reimbursement of expenses were described and analyzed by using Microsoft Excel 2003 and SPSS 13.0 software. Results a) The total number of inpatients was 1036 in 2010, and the gender ratio was about 1.0 (50.7% vs. 49.3%); b) The disease spectrum included 17 categories. The cumulative percents of the top 5 systematic diseases were 81.2%, including the respiratory, digestive, neoplasm, circulatory diseases, and injury, poisoning amp; external causes; c) The top 15 diseases were pneumonia, fracture, malignant neoplasm, benign neoplasm, acute bronchitis, cerebral infarction, hypertension, acute appendicitis, emphysema, cholecystolithias accompanied with cholecystitis, inguinal hernia, coronary heart disease, diabetes mellitus, chronic bronchitis and superficial injury; d) The patients suffering from pneumonia and acute bronchitis were mainly over 65 years old and younger than 5; e) The number of chronic diseases significantly increased with age, especially after the age of 35 years old, and reached the peak at the age over 65 years old; while the acute diseases were mainly distributed at the age younger than 15 yeas old and older than 65 years old. The average length of stay, the total hospitalization and out-of-pocket expenses per capita of the chronic diseases were more than those of the acute ones (13.8 days vs. 9.9 days, ? 3 082 vs. ? 2 615; ? 417 vs. ? 371, respectively); f)The length of stay and total hospitalization per capita were quite higher than the other township health centers (11.6 days vs. 5.2 days, ? 3 001.4 vs. ? 1 004.6); and g) Both of the total reimbursement and out-of-pocket expenses per capita accounted for 44%-57% of the total hospitalization expenses. Among the total reimbursement, the payment from New Cooperative Medical Scheme (NCMS) accounted for over 99%, while that from Medical Aid Scheme only accounted for less than 2%. Conclusion a) The top 3 systematic diseases of SqC are seen in respiratory system, digestive system and neoplasm. The acute diseases are mainly pneumonia and fracture; b) The number of acute or chronic diseases increases significantly with age, especially after 35 years old. Both adolescents and the aged suffer from the heaviest burden of diseases; c) The average length of stay and hospitalization expenses pre capita of SqC are much higher than those of the other township health centers; and d) NCMS is the major source of reimbursement. However, the proportion of out-of-pocket expenses and the burden of diseases are still very high and heavy. Thus the policy of NCMS needs to be adjusted step by step in future.
Objective To understand the current situation of medical service and management in Xintian Central Township Health Center (XtC) through on-the-spot investigation, and to provide references for development of key techniques and products for township health centers in medicine allocation and delivery. Methods The questionnaire and the focus interview were carried out, which included the general information, human resources, medical service and management, as well as the practice of essential medicine list. Results a) The hardware conditions of XtC were not good enough, and the income of Lintao county and Gansu provincial government fell short of their needs; b) The General Practitioner (GP)/nurse ratio was higher than that of the national level, the GP/pharmacist ratio was a little bit lower, and the GP/laboratorian ratio reached the national level. There was only one medical technician. There was about 27.5% staff members having no college degree, and about 81% having at most primary profession titles. There were 26 medical workers allocated to XtC in recent two years and only one GP left; c) In 2009, the bed utilization ratio was a little bit higher than the national level (109% vs. 60.7%), while the average length of stay was longer than the national level (6 vs. 4.8); d) The outpatient service in 2010 increased by 17.6% compared to 2009 and the inpatient service in 2010 decreased by 17%; e) The average medical expense per outpatient and per inpatient increased by 23.5% and 14.9%, respectively, in 2010 compared to 2009; f) The essential medicine list (EML) was put into practice in June, 2010. The current count of medicine in hospital was 767, far beyond the EML demand. Conclusion XtC, as a basic rural Township Health Center in Western China, overtakes the burden of healthcare service for local population. The policy of “selecting graduates to work in Township Health Center” made by Gansu government ensures sufficient personnel reserve for rural Township Health Center. XtC needs to cope with challenges of insufficient hardware conditions, unreasonable personnel structure, low educational background and profession title of the staff, and low technical level of medical service. XtC has a big ratio of medicine income and the expense of outpatient is lower than that of the national level. The management of XtC may be influenced by zero-profit price of the essential medicine, and appropriate subsidy and policy support are needed to maintain its service quality. And it is necessary to carry out evidence-based selection of the essential medicine account and develop staff training and essential medicine usage guidance, so as to support the medicine used safely and rationally.