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Jensen A, Pirouzifard M, Lindström M. Arts and culture engagement and mortality: A population-based prospective cohort study. Scand J Public Health 2024; 52:511-520. [PMID: 37086102 PMCID: PMC11179309 DOI: 10.1177/14034948231165853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 04/23/2023]
Abstract
AIMS The aim of this study was to investigate associations between having visited the theatre/cinema and an arts exhibition during the past year and all-cause, cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer and other-cause mortality. METHODS The 2008 public health postal survey in Scania, Sweden, was distributed to a stratified random sample of the adult population (18-80 years old). The participation rate was 54.1%, and 25,420 participants were included in the present study. The baseline 2008 survey data were linked to cause-of-death register data to create a prospective cohort with 8.3-year follow-up. Associations between visit to the theatre/cinema, visit to an arts exhibition and mortality were investigated in survival (Cox) regression models. RESULTS Just over a quarter (26.5%) had visited both the theatre/cinema and an arts exhibition during the past year, 36.6% only the theatre/cinema, 4.9% only an arts exhibition and 32% neither of the two. Not visiting the theatre/cinema during the past year was associated with higher all-cause and CVD mortality. Not visiting an arts exhibition was associated with higher all-cause and other-cause mortality. The combination of having visited neither the theatre/cinema nor an arts exhibition during the past year was associated with higher all-cause, CVD and other-cause mortality. CONCLUSIONS There is an association between attending arts and culture activities and a reduced risk of CVD and other-cause mortality but not cancer mortality, although model imperfections are possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anita Jensen
- Social Medicine and Health Policy, Department of Clinical Sciences and Centre for Primary Health Care Research, Lund University and Region Skåne, Sweden
| | - Mirnabi Pirouzifard
- Social Medicine and Health Policy, Department of Clinical Sciences and Centre for Primary Health Care Research, Lund University and Region Skåne, Sweden
| | - Martin Lindström
- Social Medicine and Health Policy, Department of Clinical Sciences and Centre for Primary Health Care Research, Lund University and Region Skåne, Sweden
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Wen R, Wang M, Bian W, Zhu H, Xiao Y, Zeng J, He Q, Wang Y, Liu X, Shi Y, Hong Z, Xu B. Effectiveness of the acute stroke care map program in reducing in-hospital delay for acute ischemic stroke in a Chinese urban area: an interrupted time series analysis. Front Neurol 2024; 15:1364952. [PMID: 38699054 PMCID: PMC11063247 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1364952] [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: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Timely intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) is crucial for improving outcomes in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients. This study evaluates the effectiveness of the Acute Stroke Care Map (ASCaM) initiative in Shenyang, aimed at reducing door-to-needle times (DNT) and thus improving the timeliness of care for AIS patients. Methods An retrospective cohort study was conducted from April 2019 to December 2021 in 30 hospitals participating in the ASCaM initiative in Shenyang. The ASCaM bundle included strategies such as EMS prenotification, rapid stroke triage, on-call stroke neurologists, immediate neuroimaging interpretation, and the innovative Pre-hospital Emergency Call and Location Identification feature. An interrupted time series analysis (ITSA) was used to assess the impact of ASCaM on DNT, comparing 9 months pre-intervention with 24 months post-intervention. Results Data from 9,680 IVT-treated ischemic stroke patients were analyzed, including 2,401 in the pre-intervention phase and 7,279 post-intervention. The ITSA revealed a significant reduction in monthly DNT by -1.12 min and a level change of -5.727 min post-ASCaM implementation. Conclusion The ASCaM initiative significantly reduced in-hospital delays for AIS patients, demonstrating its effectiveness as a comprehensive stroke care improvement strategy in urban settings. These findings highlight the potential of coordinated care interventions to enhance timely access to reperfusion therapies and overall stroke prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Wen
- Shenyang Tenth People’s Hospital, Shenyang, China
| | - Miaoran Wang
- Affiliated Central Hospital of Shenyang Medical College, Shenyang Medical College, Shenyang, China
| | - Wei Bian
- Shenyang First People’s Hospital, Shenyang Medical College, Shenyang, China
| | - Haoyue Zhu
- Shenyang First People’s Hospital, Shenyang Medical College, Shenyang, China
| | - Ying Xiao
- Shenyang First People’s Hospital, Shenyang Medical College, Shenyang, China
| | - Jing Zeng
- ChongQing Medical University, ChongQing, China
| | - Qian He
- Shenyang Tenth People’s Hospital, Shenyang, China
| | - Yu Wang
- Shenyang Tenth People’s Hospital, Shenyang, China
| | - Xiaoqing Liu
- Shenyang Tenth People’s Hospital, Shenyang, China
| | - Yangdi Shi
- Shenyang Tenth People’s Hospital, Shenyang, China
| | - Zhe Hong
- Shenyang First People’s Hospital, Shenyang Medical College, Shenyang, China
| | - Bing Xu
- Shenyang Tenth People’s Hospital, Shenyang, China
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Gustafsson PE, Fonseca-Rodríguez O, Castel Feced S, San Sebastián M, Bastos JL, Mosquera PA. A novel application of interrupted time series analysis to identify the impact of a primary health care reform on intersectional inequities in avoidable hospitalizations in the adult Swedish population. Soc Sci Med 2024; 343:116589. [PMID: 38237285 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.116589] [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: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
Primary health care (PHC) systems are a crucial instrument for achieving equitable population health, but there is little evidence of how PHC reforms impact equities in population health. In 2010, Sweden implemented a reform that promoted marketization and privatization of PHC. The present study uses a novel integration of intersectionality-informed and evaluative epidemiological analytical frameworks to disentangle the impact of the 2010 Swedish PHC reform on intersectional inequities in avoidable hospitalizations. The study population comprised the total Swedish population aged 18-85 years across 2001-2017, in total 129 million annual observations, for whom register data on sociodemographics and hospitalizations due to ambulatory care sensitive conditions were retrieved. Multilevel Analysis of Individual Heterogeneity and Discriminatory Analyses (MAIHDA) were run for the pre-reform (2001-2009) and post-reform (2010-2017) periods to provide a mapping of inequities. In addition, random effects estimates reflecting the discriminatory accuracy of intersectional strata were extracted from a series MAIHDAs run per year 2001-2017. The estimates were re-analyzed by Interrupted Time Series Analysis (ITSA), in order to identify the impact of the reform on measures of intersectional inequity in avoidable hospitalizations. The results point to a complex reconfiguration of social inequities following the reform. While the post-reform period showed a reduction in overall rates of avoidable hospitalizations and in age disparities, socioeconomic inequities in avoidable hospitalizations, as well as the importance of interactions between complex social positions, both increased. Socioeconomically disadvantaged groups born in the Nordic countries seem to have benefited the least from the reform. The study supports a greater attention to the potentially complex consequences that health reforms can have on inequities in health and health care, which may not be immediate apparent in conventional evaluations of either population-average outcomes, or by simple evaluations of equity impacts. Methodological approaches for evaluation of complex inequity impacts need further development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Per E Gustafsson
- Department of Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, Sweden.
| | | | - Sara Castel Feced
- Department of Microbiology, Pediatrics, Radiology, and Public Health, University of Zaragoza, Spain
| | | | | | - Paola A Mosquera
- Department of Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, Sweden
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Christoffersen NB, Nilou FE, Thilsing T, Larsen LB, Østergaard JN, Broholm-Jørgensen M. Exploring targeted preventive health check interventions - a realist synthesis. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:1928. [PMID: 37798691 PMCID: PMC10557298 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-16861-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Preventive health checks are assumed to reduce the risk of the development of cardio-metabolic disease in the long term. Although no solid evidence of effect is shown on health checks targeting the general population, studies suggest positive effects if health checks target people or groups identified at risk of disease. The aim of this study is to explore why and how targeted preventive health checks work, for whom they work, and under which circumstances they can be expected to work. METHODS The study is designed as a realist synthesis that consists of four phases, each including collection and analysis of empirical data: 1) Literature search of systematic reviews and meta-analysis, 2) Interviews with key-stakeholders, 3) Literature search of qualitative studies and grey literature, and 4) Workshops with key stakeholders and end-users. Through the iterative analysis we identified the interrelationship between contexts, mechanisms, and outcomes to develop a program theory encompassing hypotheses about targeted preventive health checks. RESULTS Based on an iterative analysis of the data material, we developed a final program theory consisting of seven themes; Target group; Recruitment and participation; The encounter between professional and participants; Follow-up activities; Implementation and operation; Shared understanding of the intervention; and Unintended side effects. Overall, the data material showed that targeted preventive health checks need to be accessible, recognizable, and relevant for the participants' everyday lives as well as meaningful to the professionals involved. The results showed that identifying a target group, that both benefit from attending and have the resources to participate pose a challenge for targeted preventive health check interventions. This challenge illustrates the importance of designing the recruitment and intervention activities according to the target groups particular life situation. CONCLUSION The results indicate that a one-size-fits-all model of targeted preventive health checks should be abandoned, and that intervention activities and implementation depend on for whom and under which circumstances the intervention is initiated. Based on the results we suggest that future initiatives conduct thorough needs assessment as the basis for decisions about where and how the preventive health checks are implemented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nanna Bjørnbak Christoffersen
- Research Program On Health and Social Conditions, National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Freja Ekstrøm Nilou
- Research Program On Health and Social Conditions, National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Trine Thilsing
- Research Unit of General Practice, University of Southern, Odense, Denmark
| | - Lars Bruun Larsen
- Research Unit of General Practice, University of Southern, Odense, Denmark
- Steno Diabetes Center Zealand, Holbæk, Denmark
| | | | - Marie Broholm-Jørgensen
- Research Program On Health and Social Conditions, National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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Sowe A, Namatovu F, Cham B, Gustafsson PE. Impact of a performance monitoring intervention on the timeliness of Hepatitis B birth dose vaccination in the Gambia: a controlled interrupted time series analysis. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:568. [PMID: 36973797 PMCID: PMC10041491 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-15499-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The Hepatitis B virus that can cause liver cancer is highly prevalent in the Gambia, with one in ten babies at risk of infection from their mothers. Timely hepatitis B birth dose administration to protect babies is very low in The Gambia. Our study assessed whether 1) a timeliness monitoring intervention resulted in hepatitis B birth dose timeliness improvements overall, and 2) the intervention impacted differentially among health facilities with different pre-intervention performances. METHODS We used a controlled interrupted time series design including 16 intervention health facilities and 13 matched controls monitored from February 2019 to December 2020. The intervention comprised a monthly hepatitis B timeliness performance indicator sent to health workers via SMS and subsequent performance plotting on a chart. Analysis was done on the total sample and stratified by pre-intervention performance trend. RESULTS Overall, birth dose timeliness improved in the intervention compared to control health facilities. This intervention impact was, however, dependent on pre-intervention health facility performance, with large impact among poorly performing facilities, and with uncertain moderate and weak impacts among moderately and strongly performing facilities, respectively. CONCLUSION The implementation of a novel hepatitis B vaccination timeliness monitoring system in health facilities led to overall improvements in both immediate timeliness rate and trend, and was especially helpful in poorly performing health facilities. These findings highlight the overall effectiveness of the intervention in a low-income setting, and also its usefulness to aid facilities in greatest need of improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alieu Sowe
- Department of Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
- Expanded Program On Immunization, Ministry of Health, Banjul, The Gambia.
| | - Fredinah Namatovu
- Department of Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Bai Cham
- Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at the London, School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Bakau, The Gambia
- School of Public Health, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Per E Gustafsson
- Department of Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
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Dhanasekara CS, Khan H, Rahman RL. Impact of Access to Breast Care For West Texas Program on Early Detection and Regional Breast Cancer Mortality. Cancer Control 2023; 30:10732748231167254. [PMID: 37158405 PMCID: PMC10176556 DOI: 10.1177/10732748231167254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION This study aimed to assess whether the Access to Breast Care for West Texas (ABC4WT) program impacted regional breast cancer detection and mortality in the Texas Council of Governments (COG)1 region. METHODS Interrupted time series analyses were utilized to evaluate the impact of the intervention. Spearman's rank correlation and cross-orrelation analyses were performed to assess the relationship between the total number of screenings and (i) the total number of breast cancer detected and (ii) the proportion of early-stage cancer detected and the (pre-whitened) residuals. A three-way interaction model compared pre-and post-intervention mortality in COG 1 with the COG 9 region (control). RESULTS Increased screening rate was associated with increased breast and early-stage cancer incidences (P = .001 and P = .002, respectively). There were significant positive cross-correlations between the total number of screenings and the total number of breast cancer detected (r = .996) and the proportion of early-stage cancer detected (r = .709) without a lag even after pre-whitening. Univariate analysis showed that regional mortality decreased with time (P < .001) and after intervention (P = .001). Multivariate analysis did not show any significant difference in time (P = .594), intervention (P = .453), and time and intervention interaction (P = .273). The three-way interaction model showed no difference in the baseline mortality and pre-intervention trend difference in COG 1 and COG 9 regions. However, there was a significant pre-post intervention trend difference in mortality COG 1 compared to the COG 9 region (P = .041). CONCLUSION Implementing the ABC4WT program was associated with the early detection of breast cancer and reducing regional mortality in the COG 1 region.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hafiz Khan
- Department of Public Health, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Rakhshanda L Rahman
- Department of Surgery, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
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Spege E, Ek K, Söderberg S, Eliasson M. The impact of community-based prevention on quality of life-The necessity to control for general health trends the Northern Sweden MONICA study in 2014. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0256872. [PMID: 34473736 PMCID: PMC8412322 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Västerbotten intervention program (VIP), is a public health promotion program in northern Sweden with the aim of preventing cardiovascular disease. Positive effects have been reported although the evidence is not unequivocal. Since only historical controls have been used, effects from other sources than the program have largely been uncontrolled for and health related quality of life (HRQoL) has not been evaluated. PURPOSE By using the neighbouring county of Norrbotten (NB) as the reference population, we compare HRQoL in Västerbotten (VB) and in NB. METHODS In 2014 the Northern Sweden survey, Monitoring of Trends and Determinants in Cardiovascular Disease (MONICA), examined a random sample from the two counties. HRQoL was measured with the EQ-5D-3L. In total, 1112 subjects aged 40-74 years participated, 516 in VB and 594 in NB. Differences in mean QoL between VB and NB were analysed via Student's t-test and the Pearson chi-square test. RESULTS Average HRQoL measured by the EQ-5D-index was 0.798 in VB and 0.811 in NB, a difference of 0.013 (p = 0.2, CI -0.009 to 0.036). For subjects aged 45-54 years, the HRQoL was lower in VB than in NB, a difference of 0.048 (p = 0.041; CI 0.002 to 0.0094). Men had higher HRQoL than women, and university educated had higher HRQoL than those without university education. EQ-VAS showed similar results. Subjects from NB and from VB did not differ regarding age, gender and level of education. In NB, HRQoL decrease with age, a pattern not seen in VB. CONCLUSIONS We found similar levels of HRQoL in VB and in NB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elin Spege
- Department of Business Administration, Technology and Social Sciences, Economics Unit, Luleå University of Technology, Luleå, Sweden
| | - Kristina Ek
- Department of Business Administration, Technology and Social Sciences, Economics Unit, Luleå University of Technology, Luleå, Sweden
- * E-mail:
| | - Stefan Söderberg
- Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Section of Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Mats Eliasson
- Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Sunderby Research Unit, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
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Törmä J, Lundqvist R, Eliasson M, Nilsson LM, Oskarsson V, Wennberg M. Comparison of dietary trends between two counties with and without a cardiovascular prevention programme: a population-based cross-sectional study in northern Sweden. Public Health Nutr 2021; 25:1-9. [PMID: 34296666 PMCID: PMC9991627 DOI: 10.1017/s1368980021003050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To compare temporal trends, over a 20-year period, in dietary habits between a county (Västerbotten) with a CVD prevention programme and a county (Norrbotten) without such a programme. DESIGN Cross-sectional data from the Northern Sweden MONICA study (survey period 1994, 1999, 2004, 2009 and 2014). Dietary habits were assessed by a semi-quantitative FFQ. SETTING Counties of Norrbotten and Västerbotten, Northern Sweden. PARTICIPANTS Five thousand four hundred Swedish adults (mean age 56·9 years; 51·2 % women) from Västerbotten (47 %) and Norrbotten (53 %). RESULTS No differences in temporal trend for estimated percentage of energy intake from total carbohydrates, total fat, total protein and alcohol were observed between the counties (Pfor interaction ≥ 0·33). There were no between-county difference in temporal trends for overall diet quality (assessed by the Healthy Diet Score; Pfor interaction = 0·36). Nor were there any between-county differences for the intake of whole grain products, fruits, vegetables, fish, sweetened beverages or fried potatoes (Pfor interaction ≥ 0·09). Consumption of meat (Pfor interaction = 0·05) increased to a greater extent in Norrbotten from 2009 and onwards, mainly in men (sex-specific analyses, Pfor interaction = 0·04). Men in Västerbotten decreased their intake of sweets to a greater extent than men in Norrbotten (Pfor interaction < 0·01). CONCLUSIONS Over a 20-year period in northern Sweden, only small differences in dietary habits were observed in favour of a county with a CVD prevention programme compared with a county without such a programme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Törmä
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Health Services Research, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Department of Development, Region Norrbotten, Robertsviksgatan 7, SE-971 89, Luleå, Sweden
| | - Robert Lundqvist
- Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Sunderby Research Unit, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Mats Eliasson
- Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Section of Medicine, Sunderby Research Unit, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Lena Maria Nilsson
- Department of Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Viktor Oskarsson
- Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Section of Medicine, Piteå Research Unit, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Maria Wennberg
- Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Section of Sustainable Health, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
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Flores Jimenez SE, San Sebastián M. Assessing the impact of the 2008 health reform in Ecuador on the performance of primary health care services: an interrupted time series analysis. Int J Equity Health 2021; 20:169. [PMID: 34294109 PMCID: PMC8296739 DOI: 10.1186/s12939-021-01495-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In 2008, Ecuador started a national health reform based on the principles of Alma Ata to achieve Universal Health Coverage. While coverage indicators have increased, a systematic assessment of the impact of the reform on the delivery of health services at primary level is lacking. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of the 2008 health reform on the performance of primary health care services in Ecuador. METHODS Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions (ACSC) are a subset of diseases where hospital admission is potentially avoidable by high quality well-functioning primary care. Thus, observing the behaviour of ACSC hospitalizations can serve as an indicator of how the primary health care level is performing. Crude and adjusted rates, stratified by sex, were calculated from ten selected ACSC hospitalization discharges during 22 years of data representing 11 years before and after the health reform. An interrupted time series analysis was then conducted by applying a negative binomial regression and adjusting for overdispersion and autocorrelation. RESULTS Overall higher crude and adjusted rates for ACSC hospitalizations were observed in women compared to men; both increased gradually since the start of the observation, reaching a peak around 2010, and then started a downwards trend. In men, the incidence rate ratio increased significantly by 3 % per year during the period before the intervention. During the first year after intervention, an increase (13 %) was detected, and then a statistically significant 1 % decrease (IRR = 0.99; 95 % CI: 0.98, 0.99) was observed in the ACSC rate ratio per year in the period after the intervention. Similar trends and effect sizes were found for women. CONCLUSIONS The study revealed significant decreasing trends of the ACSC hospitalization rates in both sexes, indicating an improvement of the performance of the primary health care services following the 2008 national health reform. A continuous strengthening of the primary care model as well as a regular monitoring of ACSC hospitalization rates in the country is recommended. A health economic evaluation considering hospitalizations avoided and associated costs is also advisable.
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Mosquera PA, San Sebastian M, Burström B, Hurtig AK, Gustafsson PE. Performing Through Privatization: An Ecological Natural Experiment of the Impact of the Swedish Free Choice Reform on Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions. Front Public Health 2021; 9:504998. [PMID: 34136446 PMCID: PMC8200664 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.504998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: In 2010, Sweden opened up for establishment of privately owned primary health care providers, as part of a national Free Choice in Primary Health Care reform. The reform has been highly debated, and evidence on its effects is scarce. The present study therefore sought to evaluate whether the reform have impacted on primary health care service performance. Methods: This ecological register-based study used a natural experimental approach through an interrupted time series design. Data comprised the total adult population of the 21 counties of Sweden 2001-2009 (pre-intervention period) and 2010-2016 (post-intervention period). Hospitalizations and emergency department visits for ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSC) were used as indicators of primary health care performance. Segmented regression analysis was used to assess the effects of the reform, in Sweden as a whole, as well as compared between counties grouped by (i) change in private provision pre- to post reform; (ii) the timing of the implementation; and (iii) sustained presence of private providers both pre- and post-reform. Results: The results suggest that, following the introduction of the reform in Sweden as a whole, the trends in total hospitalizations rates were slowed down by 1.0% albeit acute emergency visits increased 1.1% more rapidly after the introduction of the reform. However, we found no evidence of more beneficial effects in counties where the reform had been implemented more ambitiously, specifically those with a larger increase in private primary care providers, or where the reform was introduced early and thus had longer time effects to emerge. Lastly, counties with a sustained high presence of private primary care providers displayed the least favorable development when it comes to ACSC. Conclusion: Taken together, the present study does not support that the Swedish Free Choice reform has improved performance of the primary care delivery system in Sweden, and suggests that high degree of private provision may involve worse performance and higher care burden for specialized health care. Further evaluations of the consequences of the reform are dire needed to provide a comprehensive picture of its intended and unintended impact on health care provision, delivery and results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola A. Mosquera
- Department of Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | | | - Bo Burström
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Equity and Health Policy Research Group, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anna-Karin Hurtig
- Department of Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Per E. Gustafsson
- Department of Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
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Evolution of Cardiovascular Risk Factors in a Worker Cohort: A Cluster Analysis. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18115610. [PMID: 34074004 PMCID: PMC8197309 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18115610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Revised: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
The identification of the cardiovascular risk factor (CVRF) profile of individual patients is key to the prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD), and the development of personalized preventive approaches. Using data from annual medical examinations in a cohort of workers, the aim of the study was to characterize the evolution of CVRFs and the CVD risk score (SCORE) over three time points between 2009 and 2017. For descriptive analyses, mean, standard deviation, and quartile values were used for quantitative variables, and percentages for categorical ones. Cluster analysis was performed using the Kml3D package in R software. This algorithm, which creates distinct groups based on similarities in the evolution of variables of interest measured at different time points, divided the cohort into 2 clusters. Cluster 1 comprised younger workers with lower mean body mass index, waist circumference, blood glucose values, and SCORE, and higher mean HDL cholesterol values. Cluster 2 had the opposite characteristics. In conclusion, it was found that, over time, subjects in cluster 1 showed a higher improvement in CVRF control and a lower increase in their SCORE, compared with cluster 2. The identification of subjects included in these profiles could facilitate the development of better personalized medical approaches to CVD preventive measures.
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Flawed conclusions on the Västerbotten Intervention Program by San Sebastian et .al. BMC Public Health 2019; 19:1095. [PMID: 31409308 PMCID: PMC6693255 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-019-7444-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2019] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
An evaluation of Västerbotten Intervention Programme (VIP) was recently conducted by San Sebastian et al. (BMC Public Health 19:202, 2019). Evaluation of health care interventions of this kind require 1) an understanding of both the design and the nature of the intervention, 2) correct definition of the target population, and 3) careful choice of the appropriate evaluation method. In this correspondence, we review the approach used by San Sebastian et al. as relates to these three criteria. Within this framework, we suggest important explanations for why the conclusions drawn by these authors contradict a large body of research on the effectiveness of the VIP.
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