Prevalence, Association Relation, and Dynamic Evolution Analysis of Critical Values in Health Checkup in China: A Retrospective Study

Preferences for Physical Examination Service in Community Health Service Center in China: A Discrete Choice Experiment

Objective

Physical examination services play a crucial role in the early detection of diseases, improving the effectiveness of treatment. However, the current physical examination services provided by community health service centers are limited. The objective of this study was to investigate the aspects of physical examination services that are most valued by residents.

Methods

Identify and develop attributes and levels through literature research and expert group interviews. A discrete choice experiment was designed. The main effects design gives rise to 16 choice sets. The 16 choice sets were grouped into 2 blocks, and respondents were randomly assigned to one of the blocks. In each choice set, respondents were asked to choose from two alternatives with an opt-out option. In 2023, the discrete choice experiment was administered in several community health service centers within a China population sample. A mixed logit and a latent class analysis were conducted.

Results

Participants (n = 399) preferred to receive health advice service. The services provided by the basic team with clinical experts are preferred over those provided solely by the basic team. The results indicated a preference for a participant to be serviced by face-to-face or telephone compared with WeChat. Low cost is also preferred. As participants grow older, their preference for face-to-face or telephone-based services increased. As participants' service demand increase, participants more preferred to receive interpretation of physical examination report and follow-up of important abnormal results, participants more preferred to be serviced by basic team with clinical experts or basic team with health manager etc.

Conclusion

We should improve the construction of the service team, optimize the service mode, expand the scope of examination services, reduce the cost of examination services, and meet the needs of residents for physical examination services. More attention should be paid to the needs of elderly and rural residents.

Baseline assessment of staff perception of critical value practices in government hospitals in Kuwait

Background

Notification of laboratory-determined critical values is key for effective clinical decision making and is thus a consequential step in a patient’s health care and safety. This study presents an overview of staff reporting policies and procedures concerning critical values in Kuwaiti governmental hospitals.

Methods

A cross-sectional descriptive study design was adopted. Study subjects were affiliated with laboratories from five government hospitals (four general and one sub-specialty hospital). All laboratory staff in every hospital were included. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (version 23) was used to analyse the collected data at a significance level of ≤ 0.05. Quantitative data analysis included univariate descriptive (means, medians, standard deviations, frequencies, percentages) and bivariate (chi-squared, ANOVA and Kruskal–Wallis tests) analyses. These analyses provided associations between participating hospitals and staff perceptions towards the policies and procedures surrounding critical values.

Results

559 questionnaires were returned, a total response of 30.5% after those of 79 phlebotomists were excluded (eligible sample size n = 1833). The notification of critical values differs between participated laboratories in delivering protocol and time duration. Linked protocols between laboratories did not exist regarding policies and guidelines for applying the same procedures for critical value notification. There are differences in critical value limits among the participating laboratories.

Conclusion

This study is the first to survey laboratory staff perceptions of critical value practices in Kuwaiti government hospitals. Enhancing critical value reporting and policy is crucial for improving patient safety and to develop high-quality health services. The findings of this study can help policy makers implement future intervention studies to enhance laboratory practices in the area of critical values and improve patient safety and the quality of government hospital systems.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12913-022-08329-z.