Diss. (sammanfattning) Linköping : Univ., 2006. / Härtill 7 uppsatser.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Pardee Rand Graduate School, 2006. / Title from PDF cover. Includes bibliographical references. Issued also in print.

The main aim of my dissertation Factors influencing the management of health insurance in 2004 2012 in the context of health insurance in The Czech Republic - was to identify and categorize the factors that affect the management of the chosen health insurance in 2004 2012 with the respect to existing system of health insurance. The first assessed year was 2007 because of unavailability of data in 2004 - 2007. My dissertation is divided into two parts, theoretical and practical. The theoretical part is devoted to the principles of health insurance, the legal relations of health insurance, the current system of public health insurance and the effects influencing the health insurance balance. The practical part deals with designated health insurance and its organizational structure, its management methods, the income side of the balance sheet, the expediture side of the balance and finally the ratings balance of the specific health insurance. The factors which affect this side of the balance were analysed in detail at the income side. Among these factors were included: trends in the number of policyholders, the development of receivables, the problems of "state policyholders", macroeconomic index and the redistribution system. The expediture balance was mainly focused on the cost of health care and preventive care. In conclusion the balance of one of the health insurance companies was evaluated in the selected years.

Na última década, houve uma significativa melhora nas taxas de resposta, sobrevida livre de progressão e sobrevida global no tratamento do câncer colorretal metastático, resultante do desenvolvimento de novas combinações de quimioterapia padrão e surgimento de drogas alvo-específicas. Considerando o alto custo das terapias e os recursos disponíveis cada vez mais limitados para a atenção à saúde, este estudo teve como objetivo realizar uma análise de custo-efetividade do protocolo XELOX isoladamente (estratégia 1) em comparação ao XELOX acrescido de bevacizumabe (estratégia 2) em tratamento de 1ª linha para pacientes com câncer colorretal metastático sob a perspectiva de um hospital público voltado para a assistência e o ensino. Trata-se de uma avaliação econômica completa do tipo custo-efetividade, empregando-se árvore de decisão simples associada a Modelo de Markov. Os custos foram expressos em unidade monetária local (R$) e os desfechos em meses de vida ganhos. Para a construção do modelo, foi utilizado o software TreeAge Pro 2013®. Foi elaborado um modelo de estados de transição de Markov, em horizonte temporal de 60 meses, sendo que cada ciclo do modelo correspondeu a três meses. Os dados de custos foram coletados retrospectivamente, por microcusteio, e obtidos por meio do sistema interno de dados eletrônico do Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto da Universidade de São Paulo. Os dados de efetividade e as probabilidades de transição entre os estados de saúde foram calculados utilizandose dados de estudos clínicos selecionados por revisão sistemática. A diferença incremental em meses de vida ganhos foi de 2,25 para um custo extra de R$47 833,57, o que resultou em uma razão de custo-efetividade incremental de R$21 231,43 por mês de vida ganho. Considerando-se um limiar de custo-efetividade de três vezes o valor do Produto Interno Bruto per capita, segundo recomendação da Organização Mundial de Saúde, a adição de bevacizumabe ao esquema XELOX não foi considerada custo-efetiva. Pela análise de sensibilidade, a variável que causou maior impacto foi a efetividade para o estado de saúde \"suporte clínico\" na estratégia 1. Quando este parâmetro foi inserido no modelo com o valor mínimo e o valor máximo, apresentou uma razão de custo-efetividade incremental de R$7 814,47 e R$- 29 614,12 respectivamente. Assim, a estratégia 2 tornou-se dominada pela estratégia 1 / In the last decade, significant improvements have been made in response rates, progression-free survival, and overall survival in the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer. These improvements are a result of the development of new combinations of standard chemotherapy and new specific targeting drugs. In light of cost of therapies and increasingly limited resources in health care, this study aimed to compare the costeffectiveness of first-line XELOX alone (strategy 1) with XELOX with bevacizumab (strategy 2) in metastatic colorectal cancer patients, in a public hospital which provides education and health care delivery. We conducted a comprehensive economic, costeffectiveness analysis, using the simple decision tree and the Markov model. The costs were expressed in local currency (BRL) and the outcomes in months of life gained. A Markov state transition model was developed over a 60-month time horizon, using a three-month cycle. The model was created using the TreeAge Pro 2013®. Data of costs were collected retrospectively, using the micro-costing method, from the electronic data system of the General Hospital of Ribeirão Preto Medical School of the University of São Paulo. Data of effectiveness and transition probabilities between health states were calculated using data of clinical trials selected in a systematic review. The incremental difference in months of life gained was 2.25 for an extra cost of BRL47,833.57, resulting in an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of BRL21,231.43 per month of life gained. Considering a cost-effectiveness threshold three times the gross domestic product per capita, following the World Health Organization\'s recommendations, the addition of bevacizumab to XELOX was not considered costeffective. By sensitivity analysis, the highest impact was caused by the variable effectiveness for the health state \"clinical support\" in strategy 1. When this parameter was inserted in the model using the minimum and maximal values, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio were R$7,814.47 and R$-29,614.12 respectively, indicating that strategy 2 was dominated by the strategy 1

Este estudo objetivou analisar a relação entre estilo de vida e absenteísmo e a relação entre estilo de vida e gastos com serviços de saúde em trabalhadores de uma empresa de viação aérea. Foi realizado um estudo longitudinal retrospectivo que avaliou 2201 trabalhadores de uma companhia aérea em São Paulo, SP. Os desfechos de interesse foram absenteísmo por doença e gastos com serviços de saúde. As variáveis independentes obtidas por entrevista foram sexo, idade, nível educacional, tipo de trabalho, estresse e fatores relacionados ao estilo de vida (índice de massa corporal, atividade física e tabagismo). Além disso, o risco para doenças coronarianas foi estimado com base nas medidas de pressão arterial, colesterol e níveis de glicemia. O número de dias de absenteísmo durante os 12 meses de seguimento foi obtido junto aos registros da companhia aérea e as informações sobre gastos com serviços de saúde foram obtidas junto à operadora de saúde responsável pelo plano de saúde dos funcionários da empresa. Foi realizada regressão logística para determinar a influência das variáveis sócio-demográficas, tipo de trabalho e estilo de vida no absenteísmo e regressão linear multivariada para estudar a associação das as variáveis independentes com gastos diretos com saúde e indiretos com absenteísmo. Durante os 12 meses de seguimento do estudo, 53.5% dos sujeitos tiveram pelo menos um episódio de afastamento por doença e entre esses, a média de absenteísmo foi de 8.3 dias de trabalho. A média de gastos por trabalhador com serviços de saúde foi de US$505. Tanto absenteísmo quanto gastos com saúde foram maiores em mulheres. Após ajuste pelas variáveis sócio demográficas, tabagismo foi associado a maior absenteísmo e excesso de peso foi associado a maiores gastos com saúde. Estes resultados reforçam a importância de ações de promoção de saúde que estimulem uma dieta saudável, atividade física e cessação do tabagismo na população estudada, a fim de controlar absenteísmo e reduzir gastos com serviços de saúde / This study aimed to analyze the relationships among lifestyle-related factors with sick leave and health care costs in workers of a Brazilian airline company. In this longitudinal study with one-year follow-up among 2201 employees of a Brazilian airline company, sick leave and health care costs were the primary outcomes of interest. Independent variables collected by interview at enrolment in the study were gender, age, educational level, type of work, stress, and lifestyle related factors (body mass index, physical activity and smoking). In addition, the risk for coronary heart disease was determined based on measurement of blood pressure, total cholesterol and glucose levels. Total number of days on sick leave during 12 months follow-up was available from the company register and information about health care costs was obtained from the health care insurance. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the influence of socio-demographic, type of work and lifestyle-related factors on sick leave, and multivariate linear regression analysis was performed to study the association of health care costs with the independent variables. During the 12 month follow-up period, 53.5% of the subjects had at least one sickness absence episode and among them, the average sick leave was 8.3 workdays. The average expenditures per worker with health care was US$505. Both sick leave and health care costs were higher among women. After adjustment by socio-demographic variables, smoking was determinant for more days of sick leave and excess weight was determinant for higher health care costs. Physical inactivity was not associated with sick leave or health procedures total costs, but it was associated with higher odds for hospitalization. These results suggest that healthy diet, physical activity and anti-tobacco actions are important targets for health promotion in this study population, in order to reduce health care costs and productivity loss costs

Administradores de saúde estão preocupados com a persistente elevação dos gastos com saúde. Um problema econômico, social e médico. Objetivando estudar as características das pessoas que produzem gastos elevados com saúde, tomou-se a população de um plano de saúde, identificou-se 1% dos casos que mais gastaram com assistência médico-hospitalar e analisou-se a distribuição por idade, sexo, natureza dos gastos, diagnósticos e o impacto no custo do plano. Os resultados revelaram que a idade é importante fator associado ao gasto elevado, que materiais e medicamentos constituíram a maior fração do gasto e os diagnósticos associados mais freqüentes foram doenças do aparelho circulatório e neoplasias malignas. A fração selecionada de 1% foi responsável por 36,2% da despesa e gastaram em média 56,3 vezes mais que os demais / Healthcare managers are concerned with the persistent increasing of healthcare expenditure. An economics, social and medical problem. The objective of this study was to know the characteristics of the population that could predict high medical expenditure. It was selectec the 1% of customers (assisted by an healthcare plan) that generated the highest expenditures. The distribution by age, sex, kind of expenditure, diagnoses and the impact in insurance cost were analyzed. The results showed that the age is important associated factor, medical supplies and drugs were mainly responsible for expenditure. The main diagnose associated with high expenditure were circulatory diseases and cancer was the second. The 1% selected customers generated 36.2% of the total expenditure of their healthcare plan, and spent 56.3 times more than others customers, on average

O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar, a partir da revisão integrativa da literatura nacional, o conhecimento cientifico sobre a aferição de custos em unidades básicas de saúde. Para a coleta de dados realizou-se um levantamento bibliográfico, com busca online, nas bases de dados Portal de Evidências da Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde (BVS), LILACS, Banco de teses USP, Google. A amostra desta pesquisa foi constituída por 10 trabalhos. Os locais estudados foram compostos por municípios de todo o território nacional, com população de 5 mil a mais de 1 milhão de habitantes. Os resultados mostraram que o método mais utilizado (80%) foi a aferição de custos por absorção. Os resultados dos estudos não puderam ser comparados devido à aplicação de conceitos e métodos de aferição de custos com interpretações diversas pelos autores. No entanto, citamos alguns dados aferidos nesses trabalhos. O custo mensal per capita variou de R$ 3,27 a R$ 10,99. As equipes de saúde da família ampliadas com odontólogo podem ter custos até 77,7% maiores que as equipes básicas. Os municípios podem arcar com até 90% dos gastos totais em saúde. Dos custos totais, os gastos com recursos humanos representam em média 75%. Dos trabalhos que aferiram o custo por procedimento os valores variaram de R$ 8,35 a R$ 34,20. Este trabalho mostrou a importância da aplicação de um sistema de custeio na atenção básica, para identificar os principais custos e otimizá-los, buscando melhorar a eficiência e eficácia dos serviços de saúde. Recomenda-se para trabalhos futuros a utilização correta dos princípios dos sistemas de custeio pelos autores, buscando aprimorar a utilização de 9 ferramentas para o gerenciamento de custos na atenção primária à saúde e possibilitando comparações. / This study aimed to analyze, through an integrative review of the Brazilian literature, scientific knowledge about the measurement of costs in primary health care services. An online literature search was carried out for data collection, in the databases Evidence Portal of the Virtual Health Library (VHL), LILACS, University of São Paulo bank of theses and Google. The sample consisted of 10 studies. The study sites were various cities across Brazil, with populations ranging from 5 thousand to over 1 million inhabitants. Results showed that the most used method (80%) was absorption costing. The results of the studies could not be compared due to the use of concepts and methods for measuring costs with different interpretations by the authors. However, the study presents some data obtained in these studies. The monthly cost per capita ranged from R$ 3.27 to R$10.99. Family health teams with dentists may cost up to 77.7% more than the basic teams. Cities can afford up to 90% of total spending on health care. Expenses on human resources account for an average of 75% of the total costs. Of the studies which measured the cost per procedure, values ranged from R$ 8.35 to R$ 34.20. This study showed the importance of applying a costing system in primary health care, in order to identify the main costs and optimize them, seeking to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of health care services. The correct use of the principles of costing systems by the authors is recommended for future studies, as to enhance the use of tools for cost management in primary health care and to enable comparisons.

INTRODUÇÃO: A hipertensão é um importante problema de saúde pública e os estudos de Custo-Efetividade (C/E) do tratamento antihipertensivo são raros no Brasil. OBJETIVO: Realizar análise farmacoeconômica retrospectiva do tipo C/E do tratamento medicamentoso em hipertensos. MATERIAL E MÉTODOS: Foi analisado o custo (C) dos medicamentos anti-hipertensivos, do número de visitas médicas não programadas e do tratamento dos efeitos adversos e a efetividade (E) medida pela redução média da pressão arterial em mm Hg ao término de estudo sobre eficácia do tratamento Tradicional iniciado com hidroclorotiazida e atenolol comparado ao tratamento Atual iniciado com losartan e anlodipino, administrados aleatoriamente durante 12 meses a hipertensos sem outras doenças concomitantes pertencentes ao estágios 1 e 2 (grupo HT1-2 = 140 menor ou igual PAS < 180 e 90 menor ou igual PAD < 110 mm Hg) e ao estágio 3 (grupo HT3 = PAS > 180 e PAD > 110 mm Hg). RESULTADOS: A razão C/E (R$/mm Hg) no grupo HT1-2 (n = 231) para PAS/PAD dos tratamentos Atual e Tradicional foi de 112,52 ± 395,28 / 181,26 ± 358,91 e 43,05 ± 50,73 / 80,51 ± 108,31 (p < 0,05) ao passo que no grupo HT3 (n = 132) foi de 115,12 ± 254,87 / 108,14 ± 82,56 e 218,59 ± 891,93 / 173,97 ± 447,23 (p > 0,05). CONCLUSÃO: O tratamento Tradicional foi custo-efetivo em relação ao Atual nos hipertensos estágios 1 e 2. Por outro lado, nos hipertensos estágio 3 não houve diferença na razão C/E entre os tratamentos. Estes resultados foram confirmados quando foi utilizado o menor preço de aquisição dos medicamentos e quando foram considerados somente os pacientes que atingiram o controle da pressão arterial ao final do estudo. / INTRODUCTION: Hypertension is an important public health problem and Cost-Effectiveness (C/E) studies of antihypertensive drug treatment are uncommon in Brazil. OBJECTIVE: To perform a cost-effectiveness (C/E) ratio retrospective pharmacoeconomic analysis of drug treatment in hypertensive patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Antihypertensive medication cost (C) was analysed, along with the number of non-scheduled medical visits, treatment of adverse effects, and effectiveness (E) based on the average reduction of arterial blood pressure measured in mm Hg at the end of the study comparing the efficacy of a Traditional Treatment with hydrochlorothiazide and atenolol versus Current Treatment using losartan and amlodipine, administered at random for 12 months to hypertensive patients with no other simultaneous diseases and presenting disease stage 1 and 2 (HT1-2 Group = 140 < or = SBP < 180 and < or = 90 DBP < 110mmHg) and stage 3 (HT3 Group = SBP maior or = 180 and DBP > or = 110mmHg). RESULTS: The C/E ratio (R$/mmHg) in the HT1-2 Group (n=231), based on SBP/DBP, for Current and Traditional Treatments was 112.52 ± 395.28 / 181.26 ± 358.91 and 43.05 ± 50.73 / 80.51 ± 18.31 (p < 0.05), while in the HT3 Group (n=132), 115.12 ± 254.87 / 108.14 ± 82.56 and 218.59 ± 891.93 / 173.97 ± 447.23 (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: Traditional treatment was more cost-effective compared to the Current therapy in hypertensive patients with disease stages 1 and 2. On the other hand, in hypertensive patients with disease stage 3 there was no difference in C/E ratio between the treatment regimens. These results were confirmed by using the lowest purchase price of medication and by considering only patients that reached control of their blood pressures at the end of the study.

Abstract The research focus for smoking and public health has typically been on serious smoking diseases such as cancer and coronary thrombosis, which typically require treatment in a hospital setting at an older age. In this thesis, primary health care utilisation and cardiovascular risk factors according to smoking status were studied in a younger cohort: at age 46 in the Northern Finland Birth Cohort of 1966. Primary health care costs of smokers vs. never-smokers were 28% higher for men and 21% higher for women. Signs of elevated risk of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease were visible: smokers had 20% higher triglycerides, slightly larger waist-to-hip ratio, and type 2 diabetes prevalence was twice as high among smokers than never-smokers after adjustment for covariates. The calculated ten-year risk of a cardiovascular event was twice as high for smokers vs. either never-smokers, former smokers or recent quitters. These results should be seen as early warning signals in primary health care, and cost-effective actions should be taken to prevent later multimorbidity – smoking cessation aid by a physician is very cost effective. Only a minority of smokers receive cessation support from a physician, even though the majority of them wish to quit. In order to understand this discrepancy, a survey was conducted on physicians and smoking cessation. Physicians thought it was their responsibility to try to get the patient to quit, but practical measures to treat smoking dependence were rare. The most commonly reported restrictions for smoking cessation work – lack of time and functional treatment paths – could be addressed by administration and management. The attitudes and experiences of Finnish physicians were in line with the WHO recommendation to improve smoking cessation services and integrate them into health care: 80% were in favour of more resources being directed to smoking cessation services, and less than one third thought that smoking cessation was even somewhat well organised in the Finnish health care system. / Tiivistelmä Tupakoinnin terveys- ja talousvaikutusten tarkastelu keskittyy usein myöhemmällä iällä sairaalahoitoa vaativiin tupakkasairauksiin kuten syöpään ja sepelvaltimotautiin. Tässä väitöskirjassa tarkastellaan tupakoinnin ja perusterveydenhuollon käytön sekä sydän- ja verisuonitautien riskitekijöiden yhteyttä nuoremmassa otoksessa: 46 vuoden iässä Pohjois-Suomen vuoden 1966 syntymäkohortissa. Perusterveydenhuollon vuosittaiset kustannukset olivat tupakoivilla korkeammat kuin tupakoimattomilla: miehillä 28% ja naisilla 21%. Merkkejä kohonneesta metabolisen oireyhtymän ja sydän- ja verisuonitautien riskistä oli havaittavissa: tupakoivien triglyseridit olivat 20% korkeammat, heidän lantio-vyötärösuhteensa oli hieman suurempi kuin tupakoimattomilla, ja tyypin 2 diabetes oli heillä kaksi kertaa yleisempää taustamuuttujien vakioinnin jälkeen. Arvioitu riski saada vakava sydän- tai verisuonitapahtuma seuraavan kymmenen vuoden kuluessa oli tupakoivilla kaksi kertaa suurempi kuin heillä, jotka joko eivät olleet ikinä tupakoineet, olivat aiemmin tupakoineet, tai jotka olivat hiljattain lopettaneet. Perusterveydenhuollon tulisi nähdä nämä ilmiöt varhaisina varoitussignaaleina ja ryhtyä kustannusvaikuttaviin toimenpiteisiin myöhemmän multimorbiditeetin ehkäisemiseksi – lääkärin antama tuki tupakoinnin lopettamisessa on erittäin kustannusvaikuttavaa. Vaikka suurin osa tupakoitsijoista haluaa lopettaa, vain vähemmistö saa siihen tukea lääkäriltä. Tämän epäsuhdan ymmärtämiseksi tehtiin kyselytutkimus lääkäreille tupakastavieroituksesta. Lääkärit näkivät velvollisuudekseen yrittää saada tupakoiva potilas lopettamaan, mutta käytännön toimet tupakkariippuvuuden hoitamiseksi olivat harvinaisia. Yleisimmin raportoidut esteet vieroitustyölle – aikapula ja puutteelliset hoitopolut – olivat hallinnon ja johdon ratkaistavissa. WHO:n mukaan Suomella on parantamisen varaa lopettamisen tukipalveluissa ja tupakkariippuvuuden hoidon integroimisessa terveydenhuoltojärjestelmään. Tästä väitöskirjasta käy ilmi, että suomalaisten lääkäreiden asenteet ja kokemukset ovat linjassa WHO:n ohjeistuksen kanssa: 80% kannatti lisäresurssien ohjaamista lopettamispalveluihin ja alle kolmanneksen mielestä tupakastavieroitus toteutui edes jokseenkin hyvin suomalaisessa terveydenhuoltojärjestelmässä.

Background: Following passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010, 30-day hospital readmissions have come under greater scrutiny. Excess readmissions for certain medical conditions and procedures now result in penalizations on all Medicare reimbursements. We examined the risk factors, outcomes, and costs of 30-day readmissions after colorectal surgery (CRS). Methods: The University HealthSystem Consortium database was queried for adults (≥ 18 years) who underwent colorectal resection for cancer, diverticular disease, inflammatory bowel disease, or benign tumors between January 2008 and December 2011. Our outcomes of interest were readmission within 30-days of the patient’s index discharge, hospital readmission outcomes, and total direct hospital costs. Results: A total of 70,484 patients survived the index hospitalization after CRS during the years under study, 13.7% (9,632) of which were readmitted within 30 days of discharge. The strongest independent predictors of readmission were: LOS ≥4 days (OR 1.44; 95% CI 1.32-1.57), stoma (OR 1.53; 95% CI 1.45-1.61), and discharge to skilled nursing (OR 1.63; 95% CI 1.49-1.76) or rehabilitation facility (OR 2.93; 95% CI 2.54-3.40). Of those readmitted, half occurred within 7 days of the index admission, 13% required ICU care, 6% had a reoperation, and 2% died during the readmission stay. The median combined total direct hospital cost was over twice as high ($26,917 v. $13,817) for readmitted than for nonreadmitted patients. Conclusions: Readmissions following colorectal resection occur frequently and incur a significant financial burden on the healthcare system. Future studies aimed at targeted interventions for high-risk patients may reduce readmissions and curb escalating healthcare costs. Categorization: Outcomes research; Cost analysis; Colon and Rectal Surgery