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.
Through reviewing the regulations on the right of emergency treatment of hospitals, we analyzed reasons of emergency treatment of hospitals, including uninformed patients and informed patients without consent in emergency situations, as well as the risk of emergency rescue of hospitals. We put forward how to consider the judgment of emergency situations, justification of emergency treatment of hospitals, and risk attribution. We suggested improving the related legislation and regulations, developing compulsory medical insurance and a medical rescue system on emergency treatment.
ObjectiveTo explore effective evaluation tools as well as systems of medical service capability related to total payment control of medical insurance. MethodsCombining references and using the Delphi method, the evaluation indicators of total payment control of medical insurance were screened and identified. Then, based on analytic hierarchy process, a weight questionnaire was designed and weighted coefficients of all-level indicators were also calculated. ResultsWe proposed a mathematical model to evaluate medical service capability related to total payment control of medical insurance using three types of primary evaluation indicators and seventeen types of secondary evaluation indicators with their weighted coefficients. ConclusionThe establishment of the evaluation systems of medical service capability in medical institutions could objectively reflect medical service capability to some extent, and provide references on total payment control of medical insurance for medical insurance agencies.
Objectives To evaluate the clinical outcomes and identify its associated factors in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) in Tianjin city. Methods Data were obtained from Tianjin urban employee basic medical insurance database. Adult patients who were discharged alive after the first ACS-related hospitalization (the index hospitalization) during January, 2012 to December, 2014 and without malignant tumor were included. Clinical outcomes were measured by subsequent major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) including hospitalization for myocardial infarction (MI) or stroke, all-cause death, or their composite endpoint. Cox model was used to explore the factors associated with MACE. Results 22 041 patients were identified, in which 9.5% experienced MACE during follow-up with a mean number of 1.3 MACEs. 3.1% of patients had MI, 5.7% had stroke and 1.4% had all-cause death. Among patients who experienced MACEs, the average time from index discharge to the 1st MACE was 143.2 days. Patients being older, male or had higher Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) were more likely to experience MACE. Patients who had prior stroke and prior all-cause hospitalization were also more likely to experience MACE, whereas patients who had prior angina, prior β-blockers utilization and received percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) during index event were less likely to experience MACE. Conclusion Stroke is the most common type of MACE among ACS patients in Tianjin, China. Almost half of the 1st MACE occur within the 3 months after ACS. Patients who are older, male, have higher CCI or have prior stroke are at higher risk of MACE.
With the continuous progress and development of the medical and health industry, drug procurement has gradually attracted more attention, and the drug bidding and procurement model in China is in a stage of gradual improvement. In this article, the historical evolution of drug centralized bidding and procurement policy in China is briefly introduced. By analyzing the current drug centralized bidding and procurement policy implemented in China, issues such as difficulty reasonably determining “quantity” in quantity procurement, lack of drug effective supervision of procurement policy, incomplete drug catalog procurement, and out-of-network procurement were found. Some possible feasible suggestions are also put forward, aiming at providing reference and ideas for further improvement of drug centralized bidding and procurement policy under the new situation, so as to ensure safety of drugs and benefit the people.
Judging from the latest policies related to the medical insurance payment reform of the state and Sichuan province, the reform of medical insurance diagnosis-related group (DRG)/diagnosis-intervention packet (DIP) payment methods is imperative. The impact of DRG/DIP payment method reform on public hospitals is mainly analyzed from the aspects of hospital cost accounting and control, quality of filling in the first page of medical cases, coding accuracy, standard of medical practice, development of diagnosis and treatment technology innovation business, multi-departmental linkage mechanism, competition between hospitals, performance appraisal mechanism, and negotiation and communication mechanism. We should put forward hospital improvement strategies from the top-level design of the whole hospital and from the aspects of improving the quality of the first page of the cases and the quality of the coding, strengthening the cost accounting and control of the disease, carrying out in-hospital and out-of-hospital training, establishing a liaison model, finding gaps with benchmark hospitals, enhancing the core competitiveness of innovative technologies, and improving internal performance appraisal, etc., to promote the high-quality development of hospitals.
Value-based healthcare (VBHC) is an important guideline for current and future healthcare services. In practice, VBHC should be the best goal of public welfare of healthcare service. Meanwhile, VBHC and cost-effectiveness analysis together provide scientific evidence for healthcare decision-making. Pay by value is inevitable in the next stage of the reform of the payment system of medical insurance, and the health service system should be reconstructed based on VBHC. Finally, the challenges of VBHC implementation are discussed.
ObjectiveTo preliminary investigate the impact of the diagnosis-related groups (DRG) payment method reform on the diagnosis and treatment of inpatient medical insurance patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD), and to propose potential improvement strategies. MethodsA single-center, retrospective study. From October 1, 2020, to September 30, 2022, 44 hospitalized medical insurance patients with acute-phase NMOSD diagnosed and treated at the First Affiliated Hospital of Northwest University (Xi'an First Hospital) were included in the study. Among them, there were 11 males and 33 females, with an average age of (40.8±20.2) years. According to the implementation time of DRG payment, patients were divided into two groups: group A, which consists of cases one year before the implementation of DRG payment from October 1, 2020 to September 30, 2021, and group B, which consists of cases one year after the implementation of DRG payment from October 1, 2021 to September 30, 2022, with 20 and 24 cases, respectively. Detailed information such as hospitalization duration, treatment methods, and hospitalization costs of the two groups of patients was collected. Comparative analysis was conducted on hospitalization costs and treatment methods between the two groups. For intergroup comparison, t-test was used for normally distributed data, and Mann-Whitney U test was used for skewed distributed data. ResultsAmong the 44 patients, 5 cases (5/24, 20.8%) received plasma exchange (PE) treatment, all of whom were in group B. The numbers of patients who received and did not receive intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) treatment were 9 and 11 in group A, respectively, and 7 and 12 in group B (except for 5 cases who received PE treatment), respectively. Compared with group A, there was no significant decrease in hospitalization duration (t=0.004) and total hospitalization costs (Z=0.036), as well as costs for western medicine (Z=0.036), examinations (Z=0.011), laboratory tests (Z=0.040), treatments (Z=0.017), and nursing (Z=3.131) in group B, and the differences were not statistically significant (P＞0.05). For patients receiving PE treatment, except for the cost of western medicine (Z=0.062, P=0.804), the other costs (Z=8.288, 5.013, 11.400, 10.925, 9.126) were significantly higher than those of patients not receiving PE treatment, and the hospitalization duration (t=20.474) was significantly prolonged, with statistically significant differences (P＜0.05). The total hospitalization costs of patients receiving IVIG treatment were significantly higher than those not receiving IVIG treatment in both group A and group B, with statistically significant differences (Z=7.690, 10.314; P＜0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the comparison of total hospitalization costs between patients receiving IVIG treatment in group A and group B (Z=0.137, P＞0.05). ConclusionsThere is no significant decrease in various hospitalization costs of NMOSD medical insurance patients in Xi'an after the implementation of DRG payment, especially for patients receiving PE treatment. It is suggested to optimize the rate stratification of NMOSD patients when implementing DRG payment methods.