Healthcare Utilization Patterns: Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease.

BACKGROUND: Limited information is available about patterns of healthcare utilization for prevalent gastrointestinal conditions and their link to symptom burden. AIM: To identify patterns of healthcare utilization among outpatients with highly prevalent gastrointestinal conditions and define the link between healthcare utilization, symptom burden, and disease group. METHODS: We randomly selected patients from the gastroenterology outpatient clinic at Princess Alexandra Hospital who had chronic gastrointestinal conditions such as constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-C, n = 101), diarrhea-predominant IBS (IBS-D, n = 101), mixed IBS (n = 103), inflammatory bowel disease with acute flare (n = 113), IBD in remission (n = 103), and gastroesophageal reflux disease (n = 102). All had presented at least 12 months before and had a 12-month follow-up after the index consultation. Healthcare utilization data were obtained from state-wide electronic medical records over a 24-month period. Intensity of gastrointestinal symptoms was measured using the validated Structured Assessment of Gastrointestinal Symptoms (SAGIS) Scale. Latent class analyses (LCA) based on healthcare utilization were used to identify distinct patterns of healthcare utilization among these patients. RESULTS: LCA revealed four distinct healthcare utilization patterns across all diagnostic groups: Group A: Emergency department utilizers, Group B: Outpatient focused care utilizers, Group C: Inpatient care utilizers and Group D: Inpatient care and emergency department utilizers. LCA groups with high emergency utilization were characterized by high gastrointestinal symptom burden at index consultation regardless of condition (Mean (standard deviation)) SAGIS score Group A: 24.63 (± 14.11), Group B: 19.18 (± 15.77), Group C: 22.48 (± 17.42), and Group D: 17.59 (± 13.74, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Distinct healthcare utilization patterns across highly prevalent gastrointestinal conditions exist. Symptom severity rather than diagnosis, likely reflecting unmet clinical need, defines healthcare utilization.

Herpes Zoster Recurrence: A Narrative Review of the Literature.

INTRODUCTION: Herpes zoster (HZ; shingles) is a painful, cutaneous disease caused by reactivation of the varicella zoster virus, which causes varicella (chickenpox) typically during childhood. The considerable healthcare burden of HZ is relatively well documented, with approximately one in three individuals experiencing at least one episode during their lifetime, debilitating symptoms including neuropathic pain, and complications such as post-herpetic neuralgia, vision loss, and rarely, stroke, and increased severity in immunocompromised individuals. However, we are not aware of a comprehensive review of literature specifically examining the burden of HZ recurrence. METHODS: We conducted a PubMed search (1 January 2003-2 February 2023) to assess available literature on the incidence, risk factors, and clinical features of HZ recurrence. RESULTS: The incidence of HZ recurrence reported by the studies identified was wide ranging. Studies in general populations of immunocompetent or immunocompetent/immunosuppressed (mixed) populations with an initial HZ episode estimate that approximately 1.2-9.6% of individuals may experience HZ recurrence, with an incidence rate of 1.7-16.6 cases per 1000 person-years. HZ recurrence was reported in 0.0-18.2% of immunocompromised individuals with HZ, with an incidence rate of 17.0-55 cases per 1000 person-years. Incidence rates varied according to study design, follow-up, and study populations. Recognized risk factors for HZ recurrence include immunocompromised status, female sex, family history, and comorbidities such as diabetes. Other factors that may predispose individuals to recurrence include long-lasting pain after the initial HZ episode and the presence of herpes zoster ophthalmicus. DISCUSSION: Our review underlines that following an initial HZ episode, individuals remain at risk of HZ recurrence, adding to the disease burden in a population. As HZ is preventable by vaccination, national HZ vaccination recommendations should include the need for and timing of vaccination in both immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals who have a history of HZ.

Herpes zoster (HZ), also known as shingles, results from the same virus that causes chickenpox in childhood. In shingles, the chickenpox virus is reactivated, most commonly causing a painful skin rash. About one in three people have shingles at least once in their lifetime. Neuralgia (a burning, stabbing, and sometimes severe pain along a nerve pathway) may continue for months after the initial rash. Shingles may lead to loss of vision and rarely stroke. Shingles is more severe in people with weakened immunity. We reviewed published information on shingles recurrence (i.e., a second, third, or later episode of shingles), as we were not aware of a broad review of information specifically on recurrence. We focused on the rate of recurrence and factors that increase the risk of recurrence. Overall, in around one-tenth of individuals who experience shingles, the disease may reoccur after complete resolution. The rate of recurrence varied on the basis of how the studies were carried out and the type of patients included in the studies. Well-known factors that increase the risk of shingles recurrence are reduced immunity, female sex, family history, and other conditions (e.g., diabetes). Other factors that may increase the risk of shingles recurrence include pain that lasts for a long time after the first episode of shingles and having herpes zoster ophthalmicus, which leads to eye complications. Our review summarizes available data. As shingles is preventable by vaccination, strategies to prevent this disease should include those who have a history of shingles.

Burden of Herpes Zoster in Individuals with Immunocompromised Conditions and Autoimmune Diseases in the Republic of Korea: A Nationwide Population-Based Database Study.

INTRODUCTION: To estimate herpes zoster (HZ) incidence rate (IR) and economic burden in individuals with immunocompromised conditions and autoimmune diseases (IC/AID) in the Republic of Korea (ROK). METHODS: The nationwide Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service database was used to identify HZ cases from 2016 to 2020 in ROK. HZ and non-HZ IC/AID cases were matched 1:3 using age, sex, institution, Charlson comorbidity index, IC/AID, and index date. Annual HZ IRs/1000 persons and 1-year HZ-associated all-cause direct medical costs for IC/AID cases were calculated. RESULTS: Among 65,976 individuals with IC/AID (mean age 57.14 years [standard deviation 14.1]; 64.94% female), annual HZ IR (95% confidence interval) fluctuated from 2016 to 2020, averaging 23.41/1000 persons (22.21-24.62) and was higher in women (26.85 [25.40-28.31]) than men (18.96 [18.03-19.89]). IRs were highest in individuals aged ≥ 50 years, and in those with transplants (including solid organ and hematopoietic stem cell transplants; 37.12 [35.45-38.79]) and hemato-oncology conditions (35.5 [31.6-39.3]). Mean 12-month all-cause direct medical costs were higher in individuals with IC/AID and HZ (4,759,671 Korean Republic won [KRW]; approximately 4046 United States dollar [USD; according to the 2020 conversion rate from UNCTAD; 1 KRW = 0.00085 USD]) than those without HZ (3,786,658 KRW; 3219 USD). CONCLUSION: Individuals with IC/AID have a substantial disease and economic burden from HZ in ROK, highlighting the need for appropriate HZ prevention measures in the IC/AID population.

Medicine treatment of glaucoma in Australia 2012-2019: prevalence, incidence and persistence.

OBJECTIVE: Medical therapy can halt or significantly slow the progression of glaucoma if medicines are used in accordance with the guidelines. We used dispensing claims for a 10% sample of all Australians dispensed publicly subsidised glaucoma medicines to determine the prevalence and incidence of glaucoma medicine treatment and to examine treatment persistence between July 2012 and June 2019. METHODS: We estimated incidence and prevalence per 10 000 population for Australian financial years (1 July to 30 June). We defined prevalence as at least one dispensing of any glaucoma medicine and incidence as a dispensing of any glaucoma medicine with no previous dispensing during the preceding 12 months. We estimated duration of treatment for a cohort initiating glaucoma medicines and used Kaplan-Meier methods to estimate the proportion of people persisting on treatment at 6, 12, 18 and 36 months after initiation. We stratified analyses by the number of repeats prescribed at initiation, age, sex and medicine class. RESULTS: Prevalence remained stable over the study period at around 180/10 000 people/year; incidence was also stable around 36/10 000/year. Among 34 900 people initiating glaucoma medicines, 37.0% remained on treatment at 6 months from initiation, 29.8% at 12 months and 19.2% at 36 months. Median duration of treatment was 13.2 months (IQR: 2.5-not reached) for people initiating prostaglandin analogues and less than 3 months for those initiating other medicine classes. CONCLUSION: Prevalence and incidence of glaucoma treatment have not changed in Australia over the past decade. Persistence to treatment increased with age but remained poor throughout the study period.

Effectiveness of social egg freezing: protocol for systematic review and meta-analyses.

INTRODUCTION: Social egg freezing is storing egg for the purpose of preserving fertility and delayed childbearing. Currently, little is known about the utilisation and effectiveness of this approach. This review aims to determine (1) the proportion of women who used their stored eggs, and (2) the egg survival rate through vitrification, and the clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate per 100 women partaking in the procedure, and among women who stored their eggs for medical reasons. METHODS AND ANALYSES: This systematic review will be done according to the items listed in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement. PubMed, Embase, Scopus, The Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) and the Cochrane Library and Health Technology Assessment databases will be searched to identify eligible studies published since 2012. Two reviewers will independently appraise the eligibility and quality of the studies based on preset checklists and extract the data using a data extraction template. Outcomes of interest are proportion of women who used their stored eggs, egg survival rate, pregnancy rate and live birth rates. We will determine the presence heterogeneity among studies using the Cochrane's Q test. The percentage of total variation across studies, which is due to statistical heterogeneity, will be calculated using the I2 statistics. Outcomes of interest will be pooled together using metaprop programme STATA V.14. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: For this review, ethical committee approval is not required. We will use publically available data from previously published studies. The final report of the review will be disseminated through publication on national or international journal, and it will be presented on different scientific conferences. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42018114254.

Unsupervised screening for chlamydia and gonorrhoea in backpacker hostels in Manly, Sydney.

Young international backpackers frequently have new sexual partners. We conducted a pilot project of unsupervised screening for chlamydia (Chlamydia trachomatis) and gonorrhoea (Neisseria gonorrhoeae) by self-collected specimens at two backpacker hostels in Manly, Sydney. The median age was 24 years for men and 23 years for women. A new sexual partner during travel was reported by 94%, of whom only 20% always using condoms. The prevalence of chlamydia was 11.9% (14.3% of 35 men and 10.2% of 49 women). No cases of gonorrhoea were detected. Half of the dispensed testing kits went missing or were tampered with, and there was spoilage of the receptacle bins, which persisted despite a redesign to a more secure and locked box. While populations such as young backpackers may be a priority group for sexually transmissible infection screening, we advise caution for projects contemplating an unsupervised model.