Search Engines to Capture Missing Deaths From Institutional Data Warehouse.

INTRODUCTION: Clinical publications use mortality as a hard end point. It is unknown how many patient deaths are under-reported in institutional databases. The objective of this study was to query mortality in our patient cohort from our data warehouse and compare these deaths to those identified in different databases. METHODS: We passed the first/last name and date of birth of 134 patients through online mortality search engines (Find a Grave Index, US Cemetery and Funeral Home Collection, etc.) to assess their ability to capture patient deaths and compared that to deaths recorded from our institutional data warehouse. RESULTS: Our institutional data warehouse found approximately one-third of the total patient mortalities. After the Social Security Death Index, we found that the Find a Grave Index captured the most mortalities missed by the institutional data warehouse. These results highlight the advantages of incorporating readily available search engines into institutional data warehouses for the accurate collection of patient mortalities, particularly those that occur outside of index operative admission. CONCLUSIONS: The incorporation of the mortality search engines significantly augmented the capture of patient deaths. Our approach may be useful for tailored patient outreach and reporting mortalities with institutional data.

Whoever wants better healthcare simply pays more: citizens' perception about voluntary private health insurance in Colombia.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the perceptions that Colombians have about voluntary private health insurance plans (VPHI) in the health system to identify the tensions that exist between the public and private systems. METHODS: A qualitative case study approach with 46 semi structured interviews of patients, healthcare workers, healthcare administrators, decision-makers, and citizens. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, anonymized, digitally stored, and analyzed following grounded theory guidelines. RESULTS: We developed a paradigmatic matrix that explores how, in a context mediated by both the commodification of health and social stratification, perceptions about the failures in the public health system related to lack of timely care, extensive administrative procedures, and the search for privileged care led to positioning VPHI as a solution to these failures. The interviewees identified three consequences of using VPHI: first, the worsening of problems of timely access to care in the public system; second, higher costs for citizens translated into double payment for technologies and services to which they are entitled; third, the widening of inequity gaps in access to health services between people with similar needs but different payment capacities. CONCLUSIONS: These findings can help decision makers to understand citizens´ perceptions about the implications that VPHI may have in worsening equity gaps in the Colombian health system. It also shows, how VPHI is perceived as a double payment for services covered within social security plans and suggests that the perceived lack of timely access to care in the public systems and the fear that citizens have for themselves or their family members when using suboptimal healthcare are important drivers to purchase these private insurances.

RESUMEN: OBJETIVOS: Explorar las percepciones que tienen los colombianos sobre los planes de seguro de salud privados voluntarios (VPHI) en el sistema de salud para identificar las tensiones que existen entre los sistemas público y privado. MéTODOS: Un estudio cualitativo de caso con 46 entrevistas semiestructuradas a pacientes, trabajadores de la salud, administradores de salud, tomadores de decisiones y ciudadanos. Las entrevistas se grabaron, transcribieron y almacenaron de manera anónima. El análisis se hizo siguiendo conceptos de la teoría fundamentada. RESULTADOS: Desarrollamos una matriz paradigmática que explora cómo, en un contexto mediado tanto por la mercantilización de la salud como por la estratificación social, las percepciones sobre las fallas en el sistema de salud público relacionadas con la falta de atención oportuna, procedimientos administrativos extensos y la búsqueda de atención privilegiada llevaron a posicionar los VPHI como una solución a estas fallas. Los entrevistados identificaron tres consecuencias del uso de los VPHI: primero, el empeoramiento de los problemas de acceso oportuno a la atención en el sistema público; segundo, mayores costos para los ciudadanos, traducidos en un pago doble por tecnologías y servicios a los que tienen derecho; tercero, el aumento de las brechas de equidad en el acceso a los servicios de salud entre personas con necesidades similares pero diferentes capacidades de pago. CONCLUSIONES: Estos hallazgos pueden ayudar a los tomadores de decisiones a comprender las percepciones de los ciudadanos sobre las implicaciones que el VPHI puede tener en el empeoramiento de las brechas de equidad en el sistema de salud colombiano. También muestra cómo el VPHI se percibe como un pago doble por servicios cubiertos dentro de los planes de seguridad social y sugiere que la falta percibida de acceso oportuno a la atención en los sistemas públicos y el miedo que los ciudadanos tienen por sí mismos o por sus familiares cuando utilizan una atención sanitaria subóptima son factores importantes para adquirir estos seguros privados.

Valuating the efficiency of social security and healthcare in OECD countries from a sustainable development.

Under the goal of sustainable development, coping with the increase in social security and healthcare expenses caused by population aging is becoming increasingly important, but it is rare in the literature to evaluate the impact of social security efficiency on healthcare efficiency. This research uses the dynamic SBM two-stage model to observe the efficiencies of social security and healthcare in OECD countries. There are two findings as follows. First, the higher social security efficiency is, the better is the healthcare efficiency of countries with lower per capita GDP. Second, higher social security efficiency of National Health Service (NHS) countries denote better healthcare efficiency. When the financial source of the social security system is taxation, then it is more likely to bring higher efficiency to healthcare.

The Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Receipt of Needed Medical Care and At-Home Support among U.S. Households Receiving Supplemental Security Income and Social Security Disability Insurance on the Basis of Disability.

More than 8.1 million Americans with disabilities qualify for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). Individuals with disabilities were particularly vulnerable to COVID-19, which may have altered individual and household behavior. Research on the impact of COVID-19 on individuals with disabilities and their families remains limited. Authors analyzed 2020 National Health Interview Survey data. Logistic regression models were applied, controlling for the effects of age, race, sex, income, education, employment, and health status. Households with SSI/SSDI beneficiaries with disabilities were associated with significantly greater odds of delaying or forgoing medical care and receiving needed personal and household care at home due to COVID-19 compared with households without beneficiaries. The health and well-being of households with individuals with disabilities may require more robust and inclusive social work initiatives that aim to reduce adverse pandemic impacts.

[Support for families with a mentally ill parent : Which forms of help do mentally ill parents utilize and which would they like to have?] / Unterstützung für Familien mit einem psychisch erkrankten Elternteil : Welche Hilfen nehmen psychisch erkrankte Eltern in Anspruch und welche wünschen sie sich?

BACKGROUND: In Germany different offers of social support are available for families that are provided by different sectors, e.g., the youth welfare and the healthcare systems. OBJECTIVE: Documentation of the utilized help, child-related factors that are associated with the utilization and the parental desires for support. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Survey of 160 parents undergoing (partial) inpatient treatment in psychiatric hospitals via an oral interview using standardized and semi-standardized instruments. RESULTS: The results show that nonprofessional help by family and friends as well as support offers provided by the healthcare system are used most frequently. Families that perceived their children as more burdened receive more help than families with children judged as being less burdened. There are regional differences especially in the utilization of high-threshold help by the healthcare system. DISCUSSION: Support offers seem to reach families with mental illnesses, especially those that are particularly burdened; however, there are regional differences regarding the utilization of support as well as the wishes for specific support offers.

[Factors associated with caregiver burden in primary caregivers of older adults with type2 diabetes]. / Factores asociados a la sobrecarga del cuidador en cuidadores primarios de personas adultas mayores con diabetes tipo2.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the profile of the informal primary caregiver (IPC) of adult patients with type2 diabetes (T2D) and the possible factors associated with caregiver collapse (CC). DESIGN: Observational, descriptive, cross-sectional and analytical study. SITE: Ambulatory Care Medical Unit. PARTICIPANTS: Mexican CPIs of adult patients with T2D. MAIN MEASUREMENTS: Data were collected through a prolective design using the Zarit scale and a structured survey on sociodemographic factors. A descriptive statistical analysis and univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were performed. RESULTS: The CPI profile is assumed by: women, people aged 36-58, daughters, people with a secondary and high school educational level, married, Catholic, with income <8,900 Mexican pesos, own home, inhabited by a maximum of 5 inhabitants, with support networks, who have dedicated >5years to the care of their patient, without training and with chronic diseases. The risk factors that increase the risk of CC are: being a woman (OR=11.03; 95%CI: 1.49-81.95), having a history of more than 5years of having assumed the role of caregiver (OR=2, 65; 95%CI: 1.07-6.55), living in one's own house (OR=3.03; 95%CI: 1.04-8.82), with 6 or more inhabitants (OR=2.41; 95%CI: 1.08-5.38). The support of other family members and/or friends was associated as a protective factor (OR=0.15; 95%CI: 0.07-0.33). CONCLUSIONS: Prevention programs are required to avoid CC and complications, as well as interventions to improve the quality of life of the CPI and patients in care, incorporating strategies to generate and/or increase their family and social support networks.

Predicting the risk of becoming eligible for the disability pension: Machine learning methods applied to French health data / Prédire le passage en invalidité : les méthodes d'apprentissage automatique appliquées aux données de santé françaises

Introduction: Benefiting from the disability pension implies morbid (physical and psychological) and social (fall in income) implications for the person. It also has economic consequences for society, with increasing expenses since 2011 (+4.9% on average per year). Investing in preventive actions against the loss of the ability to work should limit these consequences, but it requires targeting people at risk. The development of artificial intelligence opens up prospects in this regard. Purpose of the Research: To target, using supervised machine learning methods, those people with a high probability of becoming eligible for the disability pension over the course of the year based on their socio-demographic and medical characteristics (pathologies, work stoppages, drugs taken, and medical procedures). Method: Among the beneficiaries of the French public welfare system aged 20­64 in 2017, we compared the socio-demographic and medical characteristics between 2014 and 2016 of those who received a disability pension in 2017 and not before, and those who did not receive a disability pension from 2014 to 2017. The determination of the boundary between these two groups was tested using logistic regression, decision trees, random forests, naive Bayes classifiers, and support vector machines. The models' performance was compared with respect to accuracy, precision, sensitivity, specificity, and AUC (area under the curve). Finally, the predictive power of each factor was measured by AUC too. Results: The boosted logistic regression had the best performance for three of the five criteria, but low sensitivity. The best sensitivity was obtained with the support vector machines, with an accuracy close to that of the boosted logistic regression, but a lower precision and specificity. Random forests offered the best discriminatory ability. The naive Bayes classifier had the worst performance. The most predictive factors in becoming eligible for the disability pension were having 30 days or more off sick in 2014, 2015, and 2016 and being aged 55 to 64. Conclusion: Supervised learning methods have appeared relevant for identifying people with the highest probability of becoming eligible for the disability pension and, more broadly, for steering public and social policies.

Introduction: Le recours à la pension d'invalidité a des implications morbides (physiques ou psychiques) et sociales (baisse du revenu). Il a aussi des conséquences économiques pour la société, avec des dépenses croissantes depuis 2011 (+4,9 % en moyenne par année). Prévenir la perte de la capacité à travailler devrait permettre de limiter ces conséquences, mais nécessite de cibler les personnes à risque. Le développement des méthodes d'intelligence artificielle ouvre des perspectives en ce sens. But de l'étude: Cibler les personnes ayant une « forte ¼ probabilité de devenir bénéficiaires d'une pension d'invalidité dans l'année au regard de leurs caractéristiques sociodémographiques et médicales (pathologies, arrêts de travail, médicaments et actes médicaux) à partir de méthodes d'apprentissage automatique supervisé. Méthodes: Parmi les bénéficiaires du régime général âgés de 21 à 64 ans en 2017, comparaison des caractéristiques de 2014 à 2016 entre les nouveaux bénéficiaires d'une pension d'invalidité en 2017 et ceux n'en bénéficiant pas. La détermination de la frontière entre ces deux groupes a été testée à l'aide de la régression logistique, des arbres de décision, des forêts aléatoires, de la classification naïve bayésienne et des séparateurs à vaste marge. Les performances des modèles ont été comparées au regard de la justesse, la précision, la sensibilité, la spécificité et l'AUC (Area Under the Curve). Le pouvoir prédictif de chaque facteur est estimé à partir de l'AUC. Résultats: La régression logistique boostée avait les meilleures performances sur trois des cinq critères retenus, mais une faible sensibilité. La meilleure sensibilité était obtenue avec les séparateurs à vaste marge, avec une justesse proche de la régression logistique boostée mais une précision et une spécificité inférieures. Les forêts aléatoires offraient la meilleure capacité discriminatoire. Les facteurs les plus prédictifs du risque de passer en invalidité étaient le bénéfice d'au moins 30 jours d'indemnités journalières pour maladie en 2014, 2015 et 2016 et le fait d'être âgé de 55 à 64 ans. Conclusion: Les méthodes d'apprentissage supervisé sont apparues pertinentes pour le ciblage des personnes les plus à risque de recourir à la pension d'invalidité et, plus largement, pour le pilotage d'autres prestations sociales.

Loss ratio of the capitation payment unit of the health-promoting entities in Colombia between 2017 and 2021: a financial-actuarial approach.

BACKGROUND: Because of a change of government, the Colombian Ministry of Health and Social Protection is in the process of presenting a structural reform for the General System of Social Security in Health (GSSSH), in order to implement a 'preventive and predictive health model'. However, it will always be relevant to review and analyze the fiscal implications of any proposed public policy program, to protect financial sustainability and to promote the better functioning of the system in question. METHODS: To contribute to this topic, we have calculated, using a financial-actuarial approach, the loss ratio for the years 2017 to 2021 for the Capitation Payment Unit (CPU) for all the Health-Promoting Entities (HPE) for both contributory and subsidized schemes. This information, derived from public reports available on the official website of the National Health Superintendency, allows us to estimate the financial burden of the institutions that guarantee access to and provision of health services and technologies in Colombia. RESULTS: The study shows that close to half of the HPEs in Colombia (which represent 11.6 million affiliates) have CPU loss ratios of more than 100% for the year 2021, evidencing insufficient resources for the operation of health insurance. CONCLUSIONS: Finally, we propose some policy recommendations regarding the strengthening of informed decision-making to allow the healthy financial sustainability of the Colombian GSSSH.

Young adults with depression: A registry-based longitudinal study of work-life marginalisation. The Norwegian GP-DEP study.

AIMS: To explore the association between a depression diagnosis in young adulthood and risk of marginalisation at age 29 years, among those who had completed upper secondary school and those who had not completed at age 21. METHODS: In a longitudinal cohort study based on nationwide registers we followed 111,558 people from age 22-29 years. Outcomes were risk of marginalisation and educational achievement at age 29. Exposure was a diagnosed depression at ages 22-26 years. Comorbid mental and somatic health conditions, gender and country of origin were covariates. Relative risks were estimated with Poisson regression models, stratified by educational level at age 21. RESULTS: For people who had not completed upper secondary school at age 21 years, a depression diagnosis at age 22-26 increased the risk of low income (relative risk = 1.33; 95% confidence interval = 1.25-1.40), prolonged unemployment benefit (1.46; 1.38-1.55) and social security benefit (1.56; 1.41-1.74) at age 29 compared with those with no depression. Among those who had completed upper secondary school at age 21 years, depression increased the risk of low income (1.71; 1.60-1.83), prolonged unemployment benefit (2.17; 2.03-2.31), social security benefit (3.62; 2.91-4.51) and disability pension (4.43; 3.26-6.01) compared with those with no depression. Mental comorbidity had a significant impact on risk of marginalisation in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Depression in one's mid-20s significantly increases the risk of marginalisation at age 29 years, and comorbid mental health conditions reinforce this association. Functional ability should be given priority in depression care in early adulthood to counteract marginalisation.

Predictors of national health insurance membership among the poor with different education levels in Indonesia.

BACKGROUND: Indonesia has made significant progress in expanding universal health coverage (UHC) through its National Health Insurance (NHI) mechanism. However, in the context of NHI implementation in Indonesia, socioeconomic disparities caused its subpopulations to have different literacy of NHI concepts and procedures, increasing the risk of healthcare access inequities. Hence, the study aimed to analyse the predictors of NHI membership among the poor with different education levels in Indonesia. METHODS: This study used the secondary dataset of the nationwide survey "Abilities and Willingness to Pay, Fee, and Participant Satisfaction in implementing National Health Insurance in Indonesia in 2019" by The Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia. The study population was the poor population in Indonesia and included a weighted sample of 18,514 poor people. The study used NHI membership as a dependent variable. Meanwhile, the study analysed seven independent variables: wealth, residence, age, gender, education, employment, and marital status. In the final step of the analysis, the study used binary logistic regression. RESULTS: The results show that the NHI membership among the poor population tends to be higher among those who have higher education, live in urban areas, are older than 17 years old, are married and are wealthier. The poor population with higher education levels is more likely to become NHI members than those with lower education. Their residence, age, gender, employment, marital status, and wealth also predicted their NHI membership. Poor people with primary education are 1.454 times more likely to be NHI members than those without education (AOR 1.454; 95% CI 1.331-1.588). Meanwhile, those with secondary education are 1.478 times more likely to be NHI members than those with no education (AOR 1.478; 95% CI 1.309-1.668). Moreover, higher education is 1.724 times more likely to result in being an NHI member than no education (AOR 1.724; 95% CI 1.356-2.192). CONCLUSION: Education level, residence, age, gender, employment, marital status, and wealth predict NHI membership among the poor population. Since significant differences exist in all of those predictors among the poor population with different education levels, our findings highlighted the importance of government investment in NHI, which must be supported with investment in the poor population's education.

Self-employment, illness, and the social security system: a qualitative study of the experiences of solo self-employed workers in Ontario, Canada.

BACKGROUND: Today's labor market has changed over time, shifting from mostly full-time, secured, and standard employment relationships to mostly entrepreneurial and precarious working arrangements. Thus, self-employment (SE) has been growing rapidly in recent decades due to globalization, automation, technological advances, and the recent rise of the 'gig' economy, among other factors. Accordingly, more than 60% of workers worldwide are non-standard and precarious. This precarity profoundly impacts workers' health and well-being, undermining the comprehensiveness of social security systems. This study aims to examine the experiences of self-employed (SE'd) workers on how they are protected with available social security systems following illness, injury, and income reduction or loss. METHODS: Drawing on in-depth interviews with 24 solo SE'd people in Ontario (January - July 2021), thematic analysis was conducted based on participants' narratives of experiences with available security systems following illness or injury. The dataset was analyzed using NVIVO qualitative software to elicit narratives and themes. FINDINGS: Three major themes emerged through the narrative analysis: (i) policy-practice (mis)matching, (ii) compromise for a decent life, and (iii) equity in work and benefits. CONCLUSIONS: Meagre government-provided formal supports may adversely impact the health and wellbeing of self-employed workers. This study points to ways that statutory social protection programs should be decoupled from benefits provided by employers. Instead, government can introduce a comprehensive program that may compensate or protect low-income individuals irrespective of employment status.

Disability benefits protect against lost income for South Africans living with Schizophrenia.

Little is known about the economic impact of disability grants for people living with schizophrenia in low- and middle- income countries. In this brief report, we show that receipt of disability benefits is significantly associated (ß = 0.105, p < 0.0001) with increased household and personal wealth in large sample of people living with schizophrenia in South Africa (n = 1154). This study provides further support for the use of disability grants as a mechanism to protect people living with schizophrenia and their families against the economic costs associated with schizophrenia.

[Relevance and feasibility of reforms to create a universal health system in ChileRelevância e viabilidade de uma reforma para a criação de um sistema de saúde universal no Chile]. / Pertinencia y factibilidad de reforma para crear un sistema universal de salud en Chile.

The health system in Chile is well developed, with broad national coverage. However, organizational limitations necessitate urgent structural reform due to a lack of resources and poor performance, with segmentation and inequity. The government's program for 2022-2026 proposes substantial reforms aimed at creating a universal health system. Other reform proposals formulated by various government programs and commissions, as well as think tanks, provide useful inputs to contextualize the government proposal.Different types of models coexist in the health system: public insurance is based on a social security model, the public system provides free care to the insured population, and private insurance and private care providers work on a market basis. The proposed system would function on the national health system model, combining a predominant national health service (Beveridge model) with a complementary social security system (Bismarck model), depending on the need for funding. With a focus on social project evaluation, the relevance (internal coherence and external alignment) and political and economic feasibility of the contents of the government program were reviewed. The proposal has internal coherence, but limited external alignment with the prevailing political and economic system, and little State capacity to increase the financing of public enterprises and their coverage. The contents of the proposal do not show sufficient facilitating conditions to reasonably suggest political and economic feasibility in terms of legal approval and effective implementation of the proposed reform.

O sistema de saúde do Chile alcançou grande desenvolvimento e cobertura nacional, mas continua tendo limitações organizacionais que demandam uma reforma estrutural urgente, devido à insuficiência de recursos e do desempenho, com segmentação e iniquidades. O programa do governo para o período 2022-2026 propõe uma reforma substancial com vistas a criar um sistema de saúde universal. Há outras propostas de reforma, formuladas por diversos programas e comissões governamentais e centros de estudo, que fornecem contribuições úteis para contextualizar a proposta do governo. Diferentes tipos de modelos coexistem no sistema de saúde, pois o seguro público é do tipo previdenciário, o sistema assistencial público oferece atendimento gratuito às pessoas que têm seguro público, e os planos e operadoras de assistência privada seguem uma lógica de mercado. A proposta seria um sistema nacional de saúde que combinaria um serviço nacional de saúde predominantemente estatal (modelo de Beveridge) com um sistema de seguridade social (modelo de Bismarck) complementar, conforme a necessidade de financiamento. Com base em uma abordagem de avaliação de projetos sociais, foram analisados os critérios de relevância (coerência interna e consistência externa) e de viabilidade política e econômica do conteúdo do programa do governo. A proposta tem coerência interna, mas pouca consistência externa com o sistema político e econômico predominante, e o Estado tem capacidade limitada para aumentar o financiamento e a cobertura das empresas públicas. O conteúdo da proposta não permite identificar condições facilitadoras suficientes para sustentar um nível razoável de viabilidade política e econômica da aprovação legal e implementação efetiva da reforma proposta.

Frequency and type of tooth extractions in adults vary by age: register-based nationwide observations in 2012-2017.

OBJECTIVE: This register-based study assessed the frequency of and age-specified variation in tooth extractions in adults visiting private dentists in Finland in 2012-2017. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective study design was used on the register-based data of private sector services. Data of the entire 6 years, 2012-2017, included records of a total of 6,252,039 patients. From among these, further detailed information was gathered in 2012 for 1,058,305 patients, and in 2017, for 985,043 patients. For each 6 years, the data were aggregated into patients' 5-year age groups that were observation elements. Proportions of patients undergoing oral surgical treatments were compared during the 6 years 2012-2017, and details of tooth extractions in 2012 and 2017. Linear regression modelling was used to analyse thinkable age- and year-related inclinations in oral surgical treatments. RESULTS: Across the 6 years, a total of 848,362 patients (13.6%) underwent oral surgical treatments, and the rates varied by year 13.3-13.8%. By age group, the smallest rates (9-10%) were for 35-49-year-olds and greatest (20-22%) for those aged below 25 or over 84. The rates in same-age groups were stable. In 2012 and 2017, mean numbers of tooth extractions per patient by year were 0.17 and 0.18, and per patients undergoing oral surgical treatments, 1.29 and 1.27, respectively. Proportion of patients undergoing oral surgical treatments and mean number of tooth extractions per patient was greater in younger and older age groups. CONCLUSIONS: Tooth extractions in adults are age-dependent and age-specified differences remain stable across the years.

The economic impact of stroke in Brazil, 2010-2019: Increase in public expenses of Unified Health System.

OBJECTIVES: To economically analyze the impact that outpatient and inpatient spending of the Unified Health System and social security expenses of the General Regime of Social Security generated to the Brazilian public system, between 2010 and 2019. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Observational research, in which public data from the SUS Department of Informatics and the Social Security Historical Database were used, according to 10ª International Classification of Diseases code, I-64 (Stroke, not specified if hemorrhagic or ischemic). The Kruskal-Wallis test, complemented by Dunn's post-hoc test, and Spearman's bivariate correlation test were used to check for differences and correlations between variables. The expenditures were adjusted for inflation for the year 2019 and presented in american dollar s(U$). RESULTS: Stroke public spending impacted an average of 120 million dollars per year and increased 15% during the historical series. Eighty-nine percent of these expenditures originated from hospital spending (p<0.05). On average, stroke accounted for 7.3% of spending on cardiovascular diseases and 0.72% of spending on the other codes of 10ª International Classification of Diseases. Total spending showed a positive correlation with the historical series (r=.702; p<0.05), with the increase in the elderly population (over 60 years of age) (r=.676; p<0.05) and with Gross Domestic Product per capita (r=.784; p<0,05). CONCLUSIONS: The impact that stroke generated on public spending increased over the historical series, mainly due to hospital spending and by the prospect of increasing elderly population in Brazil, public spending tends to rise.

Is there a sexual difference in the relationship between sociodemographic information and the unmet dental care needs of disabled adults? An analysis from a national survey on persons with disabilities.

BACKGROUND: Health status and health care utilization in people with disabilities are more likely to be poorer than those without disabilities. Previous studies showed that there were gaps in health-related conditions by sociodemographic information and gender but the association between these factors was not explained. This study aims to analyze the relationship between sociodemographic information and the unmet dental care needs of people with disabilities and explore the effect of sex within this relationship. METHODS: The 2014 national survey on persons with disabilities was used, which separated unmet healthcare needs into medical and dental services. Unweighted samples included 6,824 people with disabilities in total and 6,555 (96.1% of the total, weighted as 6,583) people aged 20 years or older were selected as the study population. Frequency and chi-square tests were conducted to determine differences in the prevalence of unmet dental needs based on socioeconomic information, chronic diseases, and behavioral factors after applying weights. Logistic regressions were performed using an adjusted model with sociodemographic information, chronic diseases, and behavioral variables. All analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, version 26 (IBM Corp., Armonk, N.Y., USA). RESULTS: Analysis of the sociodemographic factors related to unmet dental care revealed that they were higher in women and the elderly. In the fully adjusted logistic model, most of the sociodemographic information was significantly associated with unmet dental needs. The lowest group was 4.18 times more likely to have unmet dental care needs than the richest group, and females and middle-school graduates were almost twice as likely to experience unmet dental care needs than males and university graduates. Considering the interaction effect of age on unmet dental needs depending on sex differences, the odds ratio decreased for females with every annual increase in both models. Compared with the younger group, the older group showed a lower risk of having unmet dental needs, especially in females. CONCLUSIONS: The factor most closely related to the unmet dental care needs of disabled people was socioeconomic problems. Its influence also differed by sex and age. Therefore, economic support measures and sexual differences are needed for long-term policy consideration to reduce the unmet dental care needs of disabled people.

Spatial variation in livelihood security among livestock-based agricultural farming systems in climatically vulnerable Indian Sundarbans.

Farm households in the UNESCO World Heritage site Sundarbans face serious problems, including increased soil salinity, frequent extreme weather events, seawater intrusion and flood damage, all of which cause distress to the livelihoods of the farm families. Policymakers commonly acknowledge livestock as a crucial resource for mitigating economic losses caused by crop failures due to extreme weather events. Despite Sundarbans' vulnerability to extreme weather events, smallholder farmers' livelihoods vary across the region. Identifying spatial livelihood variations aids in targeted strategies to address climate extremes. We chose the highest cow- and buffalo-populated blocks among the 19 blocks in the Sundarbans to assess variations in livelihood dimensions, including nutritional, economic, social and infrastructural security. We used dummy variable regression models to examine the differences in livelihood security dimensions among households living in different locations. The study found that Namkhana had the highest livelihood security score among the blocks studied, while Gosaba had the lowest score because it's in a remote area with limited infrastructure. The study found a significant difference in the overall livelihood security score among the blocks we examined, indicating the need for a location-specific, cluster-based approach for the overall development of the Sundarbans. The study can shape a policy framework for socio-economic development in the Indian Sundarbans through its findings on location-specific livelihood security. For securing smallholder farmers' livelihoods in the vulnerable Sundarbans region, policymakers must give priority to improving infrastructure, viz., roads, marketing facilities and animal healthcare centers.

COVID-19 and (mis)understanding public attitudes to social security: Re-setting debate.

The Covid-19 pandemic has seen emerging debate about a possible shift in 'anti-welfare commonsense' i.e. the orthodoxy previously described in this journal as solidifying negative public attitudes towards 'welfare'. While a shift in attitudes might be ascribed to the circumstances of the crisis it would still be remarkable for such a strongly established orthodoxy to have changed quite so rapidly. It is appropriate, therefore, to reflect on whether the 'anti-welfare' orthodoxy was in fact as unequivocal as claimed? To address this question, challenges to the established orthodoxy that were emerging pre-pandemic are examined along with the most recently available survey data. This leads to discussion of broader issues relating to understanding attitudes: methodology; 'messiness' and ambivalence of attitudes; attitudes and constructions of deservingness; and following or leading opinion. It is argued that the 'anti-welfare' orthodoxy has always been far more equivocal than claimed, with consequent implications for anti-poverty action and re-setting debate.

What is the potential of compensation funds for addressing COVID-related personal injury?

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to present new challenges at the frontiers of social risk. Its significant societal impact has prompted the consideration of alternative frameworks like compensation funds to better allocate the risks and impacts of COVID-related injury. Although there has been discussion about the potential of alternative liability structures for vaccine-related injury, there has been less analysis of the right way to compensate other types of injury, such as long-term illness, disability and death, associated with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. In France, a universal compensation fund for COVID-19-related injuries, designed similarly to asbestos-related schemes, was considered by the parliament. With an eye on scientific knowledge of the best practice in the development and operation of compensation frameworks, this paper analyses the design of such funds in Europe as applied to COVID-19 injury and considers the position of compensation funds in relation to tort law, private insurance and social security models.

[Analysis of the prevalence and social security situation of pneumoconiosis in non-coal mine industry in Jiangsu Province].

Objective: To understand the social security situation of current cases of pneumoconiosis in non-coal mine industries in Jiangsu Province, and to provide reference for the treatment and security work of pneumoconiosis patients. Methods: From January to October 2020, a follow-up survey was conducted on 4038 cases of pneumoconiosis in non-coal mine industries of the province from October 1949 to December 2019. The age, type of pneumoconiosis, industry type, and social security status of the patients were collected. Namely, work-related injury insurance, employer compensation, basic medical insurance for urban and rural residents, major illness insurance, etc. SPSS 19.0 was used for statistical description and analysis. Results: The cases of pneumoconiosis in non-coal mine industries in Jiangsu Province ranged in age from 36 to 105 (70.78±8.43) years old, and had been exposed to dust for 1 to 55 (19.27±9.29) years. Silicosis was the main form (3875 cases, 95.96%), and non-metallic mining and dressing industry was the main form (2618 cases, 64.83%). A total of 3991 cases (98.84%) of pneumoconiosis patients enjoyed social security, most of them were urban and rural residents with basic medical insurance (3624 cases, 89.75%), but there were still 47 patients without any social security. 15 cases (0.37%) enjoyed the subsistence allowance, with the monthly allowance amount ranging from 104 to 3960 yuan, with the average amount of 954.87 yuan/month. Conclusion: In Jiangsu Province, the proportion of pneumoconiosis patients in non-coal mine industries enjoying social security is relatively high, but there are still patients who do not enjoy any social security, and the difference in the amount of subsistence allowance is slightly larger. It is necessary to further improve the medical security of pneumoconiosis patients and improve their quality of life.