Factors Associated with Time Intervals for Diagnosis of Colorectal Cancer: A Hospital Based Study in Khon Kaen, Thailand

Predictors and components of inpatient asthma hospital cost: A retrospective cohort study. Analysis from a sample of 14 Belgian hospitals

Background

Addressing the challenges of asthma has involved various approaches, including the examination of costs associated with hospitalization. However, there is a limited number of studies that have investigated the actual expenses incurred by hospital settings in caring for asthma patients. This study aims to describe the costs, predictors, and breakdown of expenditures in different categories.

Design and methods

A retrospective cohort study was conducted, involving 314 hospital stays of patients over 12 years old who were admitted for asthma and classified under APR-DRG 141 (asthma). Univariate and multiple linear regression analyses were performed.

Results

The median cost, regardless of DRG severity, amounted to 2.314€ (1.550€-3.847€). Significant variations were observed when the sample was stratified based on the severity of DRG, revealing a cost gradient that increases with severity. The length of stay followed a similar trend. Six predictors were identified: age, admission to intensive care, asthma severity, severity level of the DRG, winter admission, and length of stay. The cost breakdown showed that 44% constituted direct costs, 25% were indirect costs, 26% were attributed to medical procedures performed outside the patient unit, and 5% were related to medication administration.

Conclusions

This study initiates a discussion on the role of reducing hospital costs in strategies aiming at controlling asthma-related costs. We argue that cost reduction cannot be achieved solely at the hospital level but must be approached from a public health perspective. This includes promoting high-quality outpatient care and addressing factors leading to poor adherence to the care plan.

Time to diagnosis and treatment in younger adults with colorectal cancer: A systematic review

Background

The incidence of colorectal cancer is rising in adults <50 years of age. As a primarily unscreened population, they may have clinically important delays to diagnosis and treatment. This study aimed to review the literature on delay intervals in patients <50 years with colorectal cancer (CRC), and explore associations between longer intervals and outcomes.

Methods

MEDLINE, Embase, and LILACS were searched until December 2, 2021. We included studies published after 1990 reporting any delay interval in adults <50 with CRC. Interval measures and associations with stage at presentation or survival were synthesized and described in a narrative fashion. Risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, Institute of Health Economics Case Series Quality Appraisal Checklist, and the Aarhus Checklist for cancer delay studies.

Results

55 studies representing 188,530 younger CRC patients were included. Most studies used primary data collection (64%), and 47% reported a single center. Sixteen unique intervals were measured. The most common interval was symptom onset to diagnosis (21 studies; N = 2,107). By sample size, diagnosis to treatment start was the most reported interval (12 studies; N = 170,463). Four studies examined symptoms onset to treatment start (total interval). The shortest was a mean of 99.5 days and the longest was a median of 217 days. There was substantial heterogeneity in the measurement of intervals, and quality of reporting. Higher-quality studies were more likely to use cancer registries, and be population-based. In four studies reporting the relationship between intervals and cancer stage or survival, there were no clear associations between longer intervals and adverse outcomes.

Discussion

Adults <50 with CRC may have intervals between symptom onset to treatment start greater than 6 months. Studies reporting intervals among younger patients are limited by inconsistent results and heterogeneous reporting. There is insufficient evidence to determine if longer intervals are associated with advanced stage or worse survival.

Other

This study’s protocol was registered with the Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO; registration number CRD42020179707).