The variability of diagnosed migraine epidemiology amongst different municipalities in southern Israel.

BACKGROUND: Appropriate and timely diagnosis is one of the most important milestones in effective migraine care and is affected by public awareness, access to medical care, health care systems, and physicians' knowledge. We assessed the variability in migraine diagnosis rates in different communities under universal national health coverage in Israel. METHODS: In this population-based retrospective, observational, cohort study, adult (≥18 years) migraine patients were identified in the computerized database of the southern district of the Clalit Health Services Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) based on recorded diagnosis and/or purchase of specific anti-migraine acute medication (triptans). Migraine prevalence in 2018 was calculated in the entire study population and in different municipalities. We utilized a standardized (age and gender) mortality ratio (SMR) approach for comparison among the municipalities. RESULTS: In 2018, a total of 29,938 migraine patients were identified out of 391,528 adult HMO members, with an overall prevalence (per 10,000) of migraine of 764.64 (7.65%), 1143.34 (11.43%) for women, and 374.97 (3.75%) for men. Among the municipalities, adjusted prevalence (per 10,000) ranged from 386.15 (3.86%) to 1320.60 (13.21%). The female-to-male ratio ranged from 1.8:1 to 5.1:1. Prevalence rates were positively associated with the socioeconomic status of the municipalities (Spearman rho = 0.472, P = 0.031). CONCLUSIONS: High variability in the prevalence of diagnosed migraine suggests underdiagnosis. Resources for awareness and educational programs should be directed to low diagnosed prevalence communities.

Migraine epidemiology and comorbidities in Southern Israel: a clinical database study in a universal health coverage setting.

BACKGROUND: Understanding migraine epidemiology and its burden is crucial for planning health policies and interventions at the local level as well as at the global level. National policies in Israel rely on global estimations and not on local data since local epidemiologic studies had not previously been performed. In this study, we evaluated the epidemiology of migraine in the southern district of Israel using the electronic medical records database of the largest Israeli health maintenance organization (HMO). METHODS: In this population-based, retrospective, observational cohort study, adult migraine patients were identified in the computerized database of the southern district of the Clalit Health Services HMO (total population, 0.75 million). Patients were identified based on recorded diagnosis (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision) and/or claims for specific anti-migraine medication (triptans) between 2000 and 2018. A 1:2 age-, gender-, and primary care clinic-matched control group was used for evaluation of comorbidities. RESULTS: In 2018, a total of 29,938 patients with migraine were identified out of 391,528 adult HMO members. Most of the patients were women (75.8%), and the mean ± standard deviation age at diagnosis was 36.94 ± 13.61 years. The overall prevalence of migraine (per 10,000) was 764.64 (7.65%), 1143.34 (11.43%) for women and 374.97 (3.75%) for men. The highest prevalence was observed in patients aged 50 to 60 years and 40 to 50 years (1143.98 [11.44%] and 1019.36 [10.19%], respectively), and the lowest prevalence was among patients aged 18 to 30 years and > 70 years (433.45 [4.33%] and 398.49 [3.98%], respectively). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first large-scale epidemiologic study of migraine prevalence in Israel. Compared to international estimations, migraine appears to be underdiagnosed in the southern district of Israel.

Telemedicine for post-myocardial infarction patients: an observational study.

"SHL" Telemedicine (established 1987 in Israel) provides professional care to subscribers who use cardiobeepers and contact its medical call center via telecommunication networks. The extended 6-month Acute Coronary Syndrome Israel Survey (ACSIS) 2004 involved all 26 intensive cardiac care units in Israeli hospitals. We compared the 1-year survival rates of the "SHL" Telemedicine subscribers and ACSIS participants who survived hospitalization after sustaining an acute myocardial infarction. The myocardial infarction data for the ACSIS cohort (3,899 patients) and the SHL Telemedicine cohort (699 subscribers) were provided for this study by the ACSIS executive and SHL's files, respectively. One-year mortality was ascertained by telephone contacts with patients or their relatives. Mortality at 1 year was 4.4% for the "SHL" patients and 9.7% for the ACSIS patients (p < 0.0001). The "SHL" cohort was significantly older (p < 0.0001) than the ACSIS cohort (mean age [+/-SD] 69 +/- 11 versus 63 +/- 13 years), had significantly more past myocardial infarctions (p < 0.001), more past strokes (p < 0.0032), more heart failure (p < 0.0001), more hypertension (p = 0.002), and more hyperlipidemia (p < 0.0001). Gender distribution and diabetes status were similar for both groups. In spite of having more risk factors than the ACSIS subjects, the "SHL" Telemedicine subscribers had significantly higher survival rates at 1 year compared to the ACSIS patients, whose outcome is consistent with that of the Western world. Availability of medical call centers in the out-of-hospital setting for patients with suspected cardiac symptoms improves their motivation to seek timely and appropriate medical assistance.

Vigilance, awareness and a phone line: 20 years of expediting CPR for enhancing survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. The 'SHL'-Telemedicine experience in Israel.

OBJECTIVES: The only large-scale report (1988) by the Israeli national ambulance service Magen David Adom (MDA) on the outcome of cardiac arrest victims who underwent cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) by paramedics called for more frequent and more promptly initiated CPR and shorter time to arrival of paramedic care to improve survival. We report the 1987-2007 experience of resuscitation of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest victims who were 'SHL'-Telemedicine subscribers and who underwent CPR by SHL-Telemedicine mobile intensive care units (MICUs) personnel or under their instructions. METHODS: 'SHL's records of MICU reports and specifics of CPR maneuvers and outcome of resuscitated patients, as recorded by its MICU physicians, were analyzed to determine whether the system enhanced survival. RESULTS: A total of 1810 'SHL'-Telemedicine subscribers (mean age 76+/-12 years [16-104], 67% males) were resuscitated after cardiac arrest, 597 (33%) were hospitalized and 279 (15.4%) were discharged alive. Factors associated with successful resuscitation included witnessed collapse and documented ventricular fibrillation upon MICU arrival. A history of diabetes, hyperlipidemia, stroke or advanced age adversely affected the outcome. Time from collapse to CPR initiation and duration of CPR correlated significantly with survival. Laymen instructed telephonically by the 'SHL'-Telemedicine center performed CPR on 121 patients: 13 (10%) survived to hospital discharge. CONCLUSIONS: 'SHL'-Telemedicine's policy of bi-monthly contact with its subscribers led to heightened awareness of warning signs and need for rapid summoning of medical assistance in the setting of out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest.