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Lin PY, Lee YH, Wang RS, Chen TY, Li YJ, Wu YH, Hsu TF, Chang YC. Correlates of the Veterans Visiting Emergency Departments in Taiwan: A Comparison Before and After the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic. Mil Med 2024; 189:e148-e156. [PMID: 37256764 DOI: 10.1093/milmed/usad198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Taiwan has a substantial number of veterans, but knowledge regarding their emergency department (ED) visits during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic remains limited. This study examined the characteristics of veterans' ED visits during Taiwan's COVID-19 epidemic. METHODS This was a cross-sectional study conducted at the ED of a large veteran medical center located in Taipei, Taiwan, from May 2018 to October 2021. We analyzed the numbers and features of visits in summer and autumn according to the first wave of the COVID-19 epidemic in Taiwan in 2021. RESULTS Medical institutions were positively associated with veteran status. Emergency department complaints of trauma (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.15, 95% CI: 1.06-1.25; summer P < .01) and chest pain/tightness (AOR = 1.65, 95% CI: 1.45-1.87; summer P < .01; AOR = 1.4, 95% CI: 1.26-1.55; P < .01) were associated with increased odds of being a veteran. Triage levels above 2 were positively associated with veteran status in the autumn model (AOR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.07-1.22; P < .01). Patients hospitalized after ED visits were associated with reduced odds of veteran status (P < .01). Those who spent a long time in the ED were more likely to be veterans than those who spent a shorter time in the ED (P < .01). Veterans were less likely to visit the ED regardless of the time frame of the study period (P < .01), except during the COVID-19 outbreak in the autumn (2019-2020). CONCLUSIONS The distinctions in ED visits highlighted the individuality of veterans' medical needs. Our findings suggest that the veteran medical system can add to the focus on improving senior-friendly care, fall prevention, quality of life of institutionalized veterans, access for homeless veterans, and care for ambulatory care-sensitive conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei-Ying Lin
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei 11217, Taiwan
- Institute of Public Health, School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 112, Taiwan
| | - Yen-Han Lee
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816, USA
| | - Ren-Siang Wang
- Department of Nursing, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei 11217, Taiwan
| | - Tze-Yin Chen
- Department of Nursing, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei 11217, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Jing Li
- Department of Nursing, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei 11217, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Hsuan Wu
- Department of Nursing, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei 11217, Taiwan
| | - Teh-Fu Hsu
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei 11217, Taiwan
- Institute of Clinical Nursing, School of Nursing, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 112, Taiwan
| | - Yen-Chang Chang
- Center for General Education, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
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Zhai C, Bai L, Xu Y, Liu Y, Sun H, Gong X, Yu G, Zong Q, Hu W, Wang F, Cheng J, Zou Y. Temperature variability associated with respiratory disease hospitalisations, hospital stays and hospital expenses the warm temperate sub-humid monsoon climate. Public Health 2023; 225:206-217. [PMID: 37939462 DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2023.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The abrupt change of climate has led to an increasing trend of hospitalised patients in recent years. This study aimed to analyse the temperature variability (TV) associated with respiratory disease (RD) hospitalisations, hospital stays and hospital expenses. STUDY DESIGN The generalized linear model combined with distributed lag non-linear model was used to investigate the association between TV and RD hospitalisations. METHODS TV was determined by measuring the standard deviation of maximum and minimum temperatures for the current day and the previous 7 days. RD hospitalisations data were obtained from three major tertiary hospitals in Huaibei City, namely, the Huaibei People's Hospital, the Huaibei Hospital Of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the Huaibei Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital. First, using a time series decomposition model, the seasonality and long-term trend of hospitalisations, hospital stays and hospital expenses for RD were explored in this warm temperate sub-humid monsoon climate. Second, robust models were used to analyse the association between TV and RD hospitalisations, hospital stays and hospital expenses. In addition, this study stratified results by sex, age and season. Third, using the attributable fraction (AF) and attributable number (AN), hospitalisations, hospital stays and hospital expenses for RD attributed to TV were quantified. RESULTS Overall, 0.013% of hospitalisations were attributed to TV0-1 (i.e. TV at the current day and previous 1 day), corresponding to 220 cases, 1603 days of hospital stays and 1,308,000 RMB of hospital expenses. Females were more susceptible to TV than males, and the risk increased with longer exposure (the highest risk was seen at TV0-7 [i.e. TV at the current day and previous 7 days] exposure). Higher AF and AN were observed at ages 0-5 years and ≥65 years. In addition, it was also found that TV was more strongly linked to RD in the cool season. The hot season was positively associated with hospital stays and hospital expenses at TV0-3 to TV0-7 exposure. CONCLUSIONS Exposure to TV increased the risk of hospitalisations, longer hospital stays and higher hospital expenses for RD. The findings suggested that more attention should be paid to unstable weather conditions in the future to protect the health of vulnerable populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunxia Zhai
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Liangliang Bai
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Ying Xu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Yuqi Liu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Hongyu Sun
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - XingYu Gong
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Guanghui Yu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Qiqun Zong
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Wanqin Hu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Fang Wang
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Jian Cheng
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Yanfeng Zou
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China.
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Vafeiadou A, Banissy MJ, Banissy JF, Higgins JP, Howard G. The influence of climate change on mental health in populations of the western Pacific region: An umbrella scoping review. Heliyon 2023; 9:e21457. [PMID: 38053883 PMCID: PMC10694052 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e21457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The Western Pacific Region (WPR) is on the front line of climate change challenges. Understanding how these challenges affect the WPR populations' mental health is essential to design effective prevention and care policies. Thus, the present study conducted an umbrella scoping review that examined the influence of climate change on mental health in the WPR, using review articles as a source of information. Ten review articles were selected according to eligibility criteria, and the findings were synthesized according to the socio-economic status of the countries identified: Australia, the Republic of Korea, the Philippines, Vietnam, the Pacific Islands (broadly), and China. The findings revealed that each country and sub-region has its own unique profile of climate change-related challenges and vulnerable populations, highlighting the need for specific approaches to mental health care. Specifically, the influence of climate-related challenges differed according to populations' region (e.g., rural populations), demographic characteristics (e.g., age and gender), culture (e.g., traditional tights to land), and employment (e.g., farmers and fishers). The most frequently reported mental health outcomes in response to climate change-related challenges such as droughts, floods, storms, tornadoes, typhoons, and climate-related migration were the decline in mental well-being and the increase in post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. In addition, using the GRADE framework for assessing the certainty of the findings, we identified that the number of articles discussing associations between a given climate change challenge and a mental health outcome was overall limited. Based on our findings and findings on a global scale, we identified several key research gaps in WPR and provided recommendations for future research and policy strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael J. Banissy
- Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London, London, UK
- School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | | | - Julian P.T. Higgins
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Guy Howard
- Cabot Institute, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
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