Activities of daily living trajectories among institutionalised older adults: A prospective study.

Aims And Objectives: To examine activities of daily living trajectory groups among older residents in Taiwan, and to determine the relative risks of demographic characteristics and health status in explaining the trajectory group of activities of daily living.

Background: Activity of daily living is a crucial indicator of health status for institutionalised older adults. activities of daily living is a dynamic process and has differences in trajectory groups.

Use of a mobile device by nursing home residents for long-term care comprehensive geriatric self-assessment: a feasibility study.

Long-term-care comprehensive geriatric assessments, such as the Minimum Data Set 3.0, are used to evaluate the clinical, psychological, and personal status of residents in long-term-care nursing facilities. Nursing staff conducts assessment interviews, thereby increasing the workload of nurses and the cost of patient care.

Surgeon volume for percutaneous nephrolithotomy is associated with medical costs and length of hospital stay: a nationwide population-based study in Taiwan.

Background And Purpose: To investigate the factors associated with outcomes and medical costs for percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL).

Methods: The present study uses a subset of the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD), known as the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2005 (LHID 2005), which contains the data of all medical benefit claims from 1997 to 2010 for a subset of 1 million enrollees randomly drawn from the population of 22.72 million persons who were enrolled in 2005.

Sphincter-preserving surgery for rectal cancer: a population-based study in Taiwan.

Background/aims: Sphincter-preserving surgery (SPS) has been considered a surrogate for surgical quality for rectal cancer. This study aims to assess its rate for rectal cancer between centers and over time in Taiwan.

Methodology: Data from 1997 to 2006 on patients undergoing sphincter-preserving surgery (anterior resection or AR) and proctectomy with colostomy (abdominoperineal resection or APR) were extracted from a national health insurance database.

Factors related to the time to cryptorchidism surgery--a nationwide, population-based study in Taiwan.

Background/purpose: Current guidelines recommend that the optimal timing for cryptorchidism surgery is by the age of 12 months. This study investigated the trend of surgical timing and examined the factors associated with time to surgery for cryptorchidism in Taiwan by using a nationwide, population-based database.

Methods: The present study utilized the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2005, a subset of the National Health Insurance Research Database, which contains data on all paid medical benefit claims over the period 1997-2007 for a subset of 1 million beneficiaries randomly drawn from 22.

Predicting functional decline of older men living in veteran homes by minimum data set: implications for disability prevention programs in long term care settings.

Objective: To evaluate the risk and protective factors for functional decline of veteran home residents in Taiwan to develop disability prevention programs in long term care settings.

Design: A prospective cohort study.

Setting: Two veteran homes in Taiwan.

Factors associated with delayed pediatric hypospadias surgery in Taiwan: a population-based, nationwide analysis.

Background/purpose: Current guidelines recommend that hypospadias repair should be performed before age 18 months. This study aims to investigate the trends of surgical timing and to determine what factors are associated with age at surgery.

Methods: The present study utilized a subset of the National Health Insurance Research Database, known as Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2005, which contains the data of all paid medical benefit claims over the period from 1997 to 2007 for a subset of one million beneficiaries randomly drawn from the population of 22.

Epidemiology of upper urinary tract stone disease in a Taiwanese population: a nationwide, population based study.

Purpose: We investigated the epidemiology of upper urinary tract stone disease in Taiwan using a nationwide, population based database.

Materials And Methods: This study was based on the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan, which contains data on all medical beneficiary claims from 22.72 million enrollees, accounting for almost 99% of the Taiwanese population.

Pediatric urolithiasis in Taiwan: a nationwide study, 1997-2006.

Objective: To investigate the prevalence, incidence, associated risk factors, and treatment of pediatric urolithiasis in Taiwan.

Methods: The present study used a subset of the National Health Insurance Research Database, known as the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2005, which contains the data for all paid medical benefit claims from 1997 to 2006 for a subset of 1 million beneficiaries randomly drawn from the population of 22.72 million individuals during any part of the calendar year 2005.

How complex documentation with Personal Digital Assistants could be?

The researchers have demonstrated that the PDA could be used for complex documentation and well accepted by users. This study examined whether the researchers could make the PDA system still keep great usability when the contents of information were requested to increase from 262 to 513 questions. Two independent convenience samples from the Veterans Medical Care system in Taiwan and the questionnaire designed based on Technology Acceptance Model were used in this study.

Design and development of interface design principles for complex documentation using PDAs.

The screen interface has been believed to be the major barrier for the adoption of PDAs in healthcare. The study objectives were to design a set of screen interface design principles for complex documentation using PDAs and to examine nurses' perception of the ease of use and usefulness of the application. A 21-page Chinese version of the interRAI MDS-HC home-care assessment tool composed of more than 250 assessment questions was used for the application.

Screening cognitive impairment among institutionalized older Chinese men in Taiwan: a new minimum data set-based dementia screening tool is needed.

Dementia screening is of great importance in various health settings for older people, long-term care facilities are no exception. The need for an effective dementia screening tool being culture sensitive is important. Minimum data set (MDS) is a population instrument for health care management in the world, which also covers dementia screening.

Predicting mortality of older residents in long-term care facilities: comorbidity or care problems?

Objective: Accurate prediction of life expectancy in long-term care facilities (LTCFs) is important, but previous studies emphasized demographic characteristics, disease diagnosis, or comorbidity. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the roles of geriatric care problems and comorbidity in predicting 12-month mortality in LTCFs.

Design: Prospective, observational.

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.

Inpatient rehabilitation utilization for acute stroke under a universal health insurance system.

Objective: To explore the population-level utilization and factors associated with the use of inpatient stroke rehabilitation services under a single-payer government-based National Health Insurance (NHI) program in Taiwan.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study based on claims data.

Methods: Inpatients with stroke were sampled from a nationally representative cohort of 200,000 NHI program enrollees.

Dementia care costs and the patient's quality of life (QoL) in Taiwan: home versus institutional care services.

Organizing optimal care for demented older people is a complex health care issue. Controversies of service models for demented patients should be balanced between cost of care, placement, and quality of life (QoL). The main purpose of this study was to explore the optimal model of dementia care in Taiwan by evaluating the care cost, patients' QoL and healthcare settings.

Pain and health-care utilization among older men in a veterans care home.

Pain is a common health-care issue, and the prevalence increases with advancing age. Although it is often assumed that people with chronic pain are associated with a higher consumption of health care, evidence supporting this assertion is insufficient. Data from the Longitudinal Older VEterans (LOVE) study were stratified to explore the prevalence of pain and its relationship with health-care utilization.

Validation of EQ-5D in patients with cervical cancer in Taiwan.

Purpose: The survival rate of cervical cancer is increasing due to early diagnosis and timely treatment. As a result, the availability of a valid and reliable general HRQoL is important. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the EuroQol questionnaire (EQ-5D) in patients with cervical cancer in Taiwan.

Depression is the strongest independent risk factor for poor social engagement among Chinese elderly veteran assisted-living residents.

Background: Social engagement prolongs the lifespan and preserves cognition in the elderly. However, most studies concerning social engagement have been conducted in Western countries; few have been performed in the Chinese population. This study attempted to identify the risk factors for poor social engagement among elderly veterans in Taiwan.

Is PDA good for complex documentation in healthcare?

The screen interface has been believed to be the major barrier for the adoption of mobile devices with small display in healthcare. The study objective was to evaluate nurses' perception of the ease of use and usefulness of PDA application, designed with customerized design principles. The PDA application consisted of 18 categories composed of 262 questions over 63 screens, which was designed based on a 21-page Chinese version of the interRAI MDS-HC homecare assessment tool.

Screening depression among institutionalized older Chinese men by minimum data set: we need a new instrument.

Objective: To compare the effectiveness of the Minimum Data Set-based Depression Rating Scale (MDS-DRS) and Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) in screening depression among older institutionalized Chinese men living in Taiwan.

Method: MDS Nursing Home 2.1 Chinese version, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and short form Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) were used among elderly residents in Banciao Veterans Home.

Urinary incontinence among institutionalized oldest old Chinese men in Taiwan.

Aims: To explore prevalence and related factors for urinary incontinence (UI) among the oldest old institutionalized Chinese men in Taiwan.

Methods: All residents living in Banciao Veterans Care Home were invited for study. UI was defined as urinary leakage at least once weekly.

Regular vitamin B12 supplementation among older Chinese men in a veterans care home in Taiwan.

Vitamin B(12) deficiency is common in older adults, and may be associated with cognitive impairment and depression. The main purpose of this study is to explore clinical effectiveness of regular vitamin B(12) supplementation on cognitive function and depressive symptoms among oldest old men living in a Taiwanese veterans care home. All residents of Banchiao Veterans Care Home were invited for study.

The lifetime cost of hepatocellular carcinoma : a claims data analysis from a medical centre in Taiwan.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second most common cancer in Taiwan. For males in Taiwan, it is the most dangerous cancer, with both the highest incidence and mortality rate.

Objective: To determine cancer-related medical care costs for long-term survivors of HCC.