Risk stratification and cost-effectiveness analysis of adult patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

RATIONALE, AIMS, AND OBJECTIVES: A more effective allocation of critical care resources is important as the cost of intensive care increases. A model has been developed to predict the probability of in-hospital death among patients who received extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Cost-effectiveness analyses (CEA) were performed regarding the relationship between hospitalization expenses and predicted survival outcomes. METHODS: Adult patients who received ECMO in a medical center in Taiwan (2005-2016) were included. A logistic regression model was applied to a spectrum of clinical measures obtained before and during ECMO institutions to identify the risk variables for in-hospital mortality. CEA were reported as a predictive risk in quintiles and defined as the cost of each quality-adjusted life-year (QALY). The distribution of the cost-effectiveness ratio (CER) was measured by the ellipse and acceptability curve methods. RESULTS: A total of 919 patients (659 males, mean age: 53.7 years) were enrolled. Ten variables emerged as significant predictors of in-hospital death. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.75 (95% confidence interval: 0.72-0.79). In-hospital and total follow-up times were 40,366 and 660,205 person-days, respectively. The total in-hospital expense was $31,818,701 USD and the total effectiveness was 1687.3 QALY. For the lowest to the highest risk quintile, the mean mortality risks were 0.30, 0.48, 0.61, 0.75, and 0.88, and mean adjusted CER were $24,230, $43,042, $54,929, $84,973, and $149,095 per QALY, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The efficient allocation of limited and costly resources is most important when one is forced to decide between groups of critically ill patients. The current analyses of ECMO outcomes should assist in identifying candidates with the greatest prospect for survival while avoiding futile treatments.

Differential moderation effects of ApoE and 5-HTTLPR genotypes on social vulnerability in predicting mortality among community-dwelling middle-aged and older adults: a nationwide population-based study.

Aging is a dynamic complex process involving social vulnerability over time. The social vulnerability index (SVI) was developed that predicted adverse health outcomes. This study examined effects between SVI status and two genotypes, apolipoprotein E (ApoE) and Serotonin transporter genotyping (5-HTTLPR), on all-cause mortality. Data from the Social Environment and Biomarkers of Aging Study (SEBAS) were obtained, and SVI was constructed using 32 self-reported items of social determinants. Data from 985 participants (age: 65.73 ± 9.47 years, 54.62% males) were obtained for analysis, and the median SVI was 0.35 (IQR 0.29-0.42) with a near normal distribution. Participants with a higher SVI were more likely to be women and have poor cognitive function, more depressive symptoms and poor physical function. Adjusted for age and sex, each incremental deficit in SVI was associated with a 12% increase in mortality risk (HR: 1.12, 95% CI: 1.04-1.20, p = 0.002). An interaction was found between ApoE and SVI but not 5-HTTLPR. The strata-specific hazard ratio confirmed that associations between SVI and mortality was only in non-ε4 carriers (HR: 1.15, 95% CI: 1.07-1.24, p < 0.001), and SVI did not significantly predict mortality among ε4 carriers (HR: 0.84, 95% CI: 0.65-1.10). Differential SVI effects on mortality among middle-age and older adults were identified. In conclusion, a higher SVI was associated with all-cause mortality among middle-aged and older adults, and the association was moderated by ApoE genotypes but not 5-HTTLPR. Further study is needed to evaluate the clinical efficacy of healthy aging intervention programs considering gene-environment interactions and social vulnerability.

Determinants and indicators of successful ageing associated with mortality: a 4-year population-based study.

Successful aging may be a solution to the major challenges that population aging poses to healthcare systems, financial security, and labor force supply. Hence, we studied the value of factors discovered by exploratory factor analysis in predicting four main indicators of successful aging, and their association with mortality. We followed-up a nationally representative sample of 1284 older adults for a median of 50 months. Successful aging was defined by fast walking, independence, emotional vitality, and self-rated health. Exploratory factor analysis revealed five determinants: physical activity, life satisfaction and financial status, health status, stress, and cognitive function. Physical activity and health status were significant factors in living independently. Life satisfaction and financial status were associated with walking speed. Stress was solely associated with emotional vitality. Life satisfaction and financial status, and health status, were important predictors of self-rated health. Compared to people without any successful aging indicators, those with one, two, three, or four showed dose-dependent lessening of mortality risk, with respective hazard ratios of 0.39 (95% CI 0.25-0.59), 0.29 (95% CI 0.17-0.50), 0.23 (95% CI 0.11-0.51), and 0.09 (95% CI 0.01-0.66). These associations were stronger in males, older adults, smokers, and drinkers, than in their counterparts.

Do Patients With High CHA2DS2-VASc Scores Need High Intensity of Anticoagulants After Valve Surgery?

BACKGROUND: Asian patients on warfarin therapy usually have lower international normalized ratio (INR) intensities than those recommended by Western clinical practice guidelines. This study evaluated whether a high INR reduces the incidence of thromboembolism (TE) or bleeding events in Asian patients with high CHA2DS2-VASc scores after valve surgery.Methods and Results:Data of adult patients after valve surgery were retrieved from an integrated healthcare information system of a single hospital between 2014 and 2016. The INR was derived from the closest laboratory data before the index outpatient-clinic visit date. The endpoint of every record was determined as emergency room visit or hospitalization because of TE or bleeding event. A total of 37 TE or bleeding events were retrieved from 8,207 records; the annual incidence rate were 1.2% and 2.8% for low (0-2) and high (3-8) CHA2DS2-VASc score groups, respectively (P=0.007). The incidence rates were lowest for both groups at an INR of 1.5-2.0. High INR intensities did not reduce TE or bleeding incidence. INR >3.0 was associated with increased TE or bleeding incidence in the high-score group (6.8%/year vs. 2.0%/year, P=0.079). CONCLUSIONS: The optimal INR is 1.5-2.5 for low- or high-score Asian patients after valve surgery. INR >3.0 was associated with increased TE or bleeding incidence in the high-score group.

Higher Daily Physical Activities Continue to Preserve Muscle Strength After Mid-Life, But Not Muscle Mass After Age of 75.

The objective of this study is to explore the impact of aging and daily physical activities (PA) on muscle mass and muscle strength among community-dwelling people in Taiwan.The design is a cross-sectional study. Setting is a population-based community study.One thousand eight hundred thirty-nine community-dwelling people aged 50 years and older in Taiwan participated in the study.Measurements include demographic characteristics, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) for multimorbidity, mini-nutritional assessment (MNA) for nutritional evaluation, functional autonomy measurement system (SMAF) for functional capacity, Chinese version mini mental state examination (MMSE), 5-item Taiwan Geriatric Depression Scale (TGDS-5), Chinese version of International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), height-adjusted skeletal muscle index (SMI) by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, handgrip strength, timed 6-m walking test for usual gait speed. Laboratory measurements include testosterone, sex-hormone binding globulin (SHBG), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), 25-OH vitamin D, and insulin resistance.After adjusted for age, the lowest PA tertile was associated with multimorbidity, poorer functional capacity and nutritional status, more depressive symptoms, lower SMI and lower handgrip strength, and lower free androgen index (FAI) in men. The negative association between PA and low SMI was more significant among subjects aged younger than 65 and the association decreased with older age. For subjects aged younger than 65, moderate daily PA (Q2) group had lower risk of low SMI compared with Q1 participants (OR: 0.62, 95% CI = 0.39-0.98, P = 0.040). For muscle strength, higher daily PA was associated with lower risk of low handgrip strength after age of 65 and the effect was dose-dependent. The effect was attenuated by potential confounders during age 65 to 74, while after age 75, the result was almost unchanged in fully adjusted model (OR = 0.37, 95% CI = 0.18-0.79, P = 0.010).Older age may attenuate the protective effects of higher daily PA on preventing muscle loss, but higher daily PA continues to preserve muscle strength at different age groups, even after the age of 75. The prognostic role of daily PA may be mediated by muscle strength instead of muscle mass among people aged 75 years and older.

Impact of hospice care on end-of-life hospitalization of elderly patients with lung cancer in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND: This study investigated the impact of hospice care on end-of-life elderly patients with lung cancer in Taiwan. METHODS: Data were collected from deceased inpatients with lung cancer who were at least 65 years old, using the National Health Insurance Research Database of 2004. RESULTS: A total of 1282 patients were enrolled, of whom 277 (21.6%) received hospice care (hospice-care group) and the other 1005 (78.4%) received general acute ward care (control group). The patients' age, gender, and institution of hospitalization did not differ significantly between the two groups, and most of the patients had chosen medical centers and their affiliated hospices for terminal care. The hospice-care group had a significantly shorter hospital stay and lower costs of hospitalization than the control group, with patients cared for primarily by family physicians and radiation oncologists (all p<0.05). The hospice-care group had an elevated incidence of co-morbid diabetes mellitus, higher scores on the Charlson Comorbidity Index, fewer acute lower respiratory conditions, and fewer invasive procedures than the control group (all p<0.05). Natural opium alkaloids were the most commonly prescribed drugs in the hospice-care group, whereas parenteral solutions were most frequently requested in the control group. CONCLUSION: Hospice care has provided a humane and cost-efficient pathway for end-of-life elderly patients with lung cancer. Parenteral nutrition/hydration should be limited for terminal care patients. Opioids should be promoted for the relief of pain and dyspnea in acute ward care. Family physicians and radiation oncologists play important roles in hospice care. Compared with the prevalence of hospice care in the United Kingdom and other developed countries, hospice care in Taiwan is in the position to be expanded.

Who determines the rehabilitation needs of care home residents? An observational survey.

Determining the rehabilitation needs is of great importance in long-term care setting, but the perception of rehabilitation needs may vary extensively between service provider and recipients. The purpose of this study was to assess the differences between the self-perceived and carer-evaluated rehabilitation needs among care home residents. Data of Longitudinal Older Veterans (LOVE) study were sorted for study. Overall, this study enrolled 581 (mean age=80.9±5.4 years) male participants. Among them, 539 (92.8%) were physically independent, and 463 (79.7%) were cognitively intact. Of these participants, 367 (63.2%) believed they would be physically improved by certain rehabilitation services, but only 57 (9.8%) residents were considered to have rehabilitation potential by their carers. Over half of physically dependent, but only 16.7% of physically independent residents were considered to have positive rehabilitation potential by their carer. Similarly, carers considered that residents with cognitive deficits were more likely to be improved by rehabilitation (24.6% vs. 6.0%, p<0.001) but cognitively intact residents considered themselves more likely to benefit from rehabilitation (67.6% vs. 45.8%, p<0.001). In conclusion, a significant disagreement in rehabilitation potential was noted between residents' self-perception and carer assessment. Residents with physical dependence and intact cognition may be more likely to receive rehabilitation. An intervention study is needed to develop practice guidelines to provide cost-effective rehabilitation for care home residents.

Population aging and its impacts: strategies of the health-care system in Taipei.

Taiwan is one of the fastest aging countries in the world. As such, the government has developed various strategies to promote an age-friendly health-care system. Health services are supported by National Health Insurance (NHI), which insures over 97% of citizens and over 99% of health-care institutes. The current health-care system has difficulties in caring for older patients with multiple comorbidities, complex care needs, functional impairments, and post-acute care needs. Taipei, an international metropolis with a well-preserved tradition of filial piety in Chinese societies, has developed various strategies to overcome the aforementioned barriers to an age-friendly health-care system. These include an emphasis on general medical care and a holistic approach in all specialties, development of a geriatrics specialty training program, development of post-acute services, and strengthening of linkages between health and social care services. Despite achievements thus far, challenges still include creating a more extensive integration between medical specialties, promotion of an interdisciplinary care model across specialties and health-care settings, and integration of health and social care services. The experiences of Taipei in developing an age-friendly health-care service system may be a culturally appropriate model for other Chinese and Asian communities.