Analysis of Longitudinal Lupus Data Using Multivariate t-Linear Models.

Analysis of healthcare utilization, such as hospitalization duration and medical costs, is crucial for policymakers and doctors in experimental and epidemiological investigations. Herein, we examine the healthcare utilization data of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The characteristics of the SLE data were measured over a 10-year period with outliers.

Continuity of primary care and avoidable hospitalization in a young population with asthma: a population-based cohort study.

Existing evidence regarding the impact of continuity of care (COC) in asthma patients is limited, and its quality is low to moderate. This study aimed to investigate associations between relational COC within primary care and asthma-related hospitalizations in children using a robust methodology. This study is a population-based cohort study that utilized a national claims database in South Korea.

Relationship between continuity of primary care and hospitalisation for patients with COPD: population-based cohort study from South Korea.

Objectives: The existing evidence for the impacts of continuity of care (COC) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is low to moderate. This study aimed to investigate the associations between relational COC within primary care and COPD-related hospitalisations using a robust methodology.

Design: Population-based cohort study.

Continuity of care between dyslipidemia patients and multiple providers: A cohort study.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the impacts of continuity of care (COC) between patients and multiple providers, i.e., doctors and community pharmacists, on clinical and economic outcomes.

Identifying pregnancy episodes and estimating the last menstrual period using an administrative database in Korea: an application to patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objectives: This study developed an algorithm for identifying pregnancy episodes and estimating the last menstrual period (LMP) in an administrative claims database and applied it to investigate the use of pregnancy-incompatible immunosuppressants among pregnant women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Methods: An algorithm was developed and applied to a nationwide claims database in Korea. Pregnancy episodes were identified using a hierarchy of pregnancy outcomes and clinically plausible periods for subsequent episodes.

Increased cardiovascular risk in Korean patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: a population-based cohort study.

To determine the increased risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) compared to the general population in Korea. Using data from the National Health Insurance Service database spanning 2008 to 2018, incident SLE patients aged 18 years and above were selected along with a 1:4 age- and sex-matched control group. The crude incidence rate (IR) of MACE was calculated as the number of events per 1000 person-years and the IR ratio (IRR) for MACE was adjusted using generalized estimating equations.

Cost-of-illness changes before and after the diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus: a nationwide, population-based observational study in Korea.

Objectives: To estimate the direct healthcare cost progression from before to after systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) diagnosis and to compare healthcare costs by disease severity.

Methods: Patients with incident SLE diagnosed between 2008 and 2018 were identified from the Korean National Health Insurance database. Annual direct healthcare costs for 5 years before and after SLE were estimated and compared with those of age-, sex-, and calendar month-matched (1:4) controls, without SLE.

Risk of end-stage renal disease in patients with early-onset lupus nephritis: A population-based cohort study.

Objective: To compare the risk of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) between patients with early-onset lupus nephritis (EOLN) and those with delayed-onset LN (DOLN).

Methods: This retrospective study of incident cases of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) used nationwide Korean claims databases and data from 2008 through 2018. We divided LN patients into two groups: the EOLN group (with LN onset within 12 months of SLE diagnoses) and the DOLN group (with LN onset later than 12 months after SLE diagnoses).

The Association Between Institutional Case Volume of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation and Mortality.

Background: Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a complex, high-risk procedure with significant morbidity and mortality. The positive impact of higher institutional case volume on survival has been reported in various high-risk procedures. The association between annual institutional HSCT case volume and mortality was analyzed using the National Health Insurance Service database.

Gcap14 is a microtubule plus-end-tracking protein coordinating microtubule-actin crosstalk during neurodevelopment.

Regulation of microtubule dynamics is required to properly control various steps of neurodevelopment. In this study, we identified granule cell antiserum-positive 14 (Gcap14) as a microtubule plus-end-tracking protein and as a regulator of microtubule dynamics during neurodevelopment. knockout mice exhibited impaired cortical lamination.

Different inhaled corticosteroid doses in triple therapy for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis.

A systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis is necessary to evaluate the efficacy and safety of triple therapy with different doses of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) in stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We selected 26 parallel randomized controlled trials (41,366 patients) comparing triple therapy with ICS/long-acting beta-agonist (LABA), LABA/long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA), and LAMA in patients with stable COPD for ≥ 12 weeks from PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and clinical trial registries (search from inception to June 30, 2022). Triple therapy with high dose (HD)-ICS exhibited a lower risk of total exacerbation in pre-specified subgroups treated for ≥ 48 weeks than that with low dose (LD)-ICS (odds ratio [OR] = 0.

Association between cost-sharing and drug prescribing in Korean elderly veterans with chronic diseases: A real-world claims data study.

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between cost-sharing and drug prescribing and its appropriateness in Korean elderly veterans with chronic conditions. This is a cross-sectional study using real-world claims data. Veterans with primary hypertension or dyslipidemia were compared with two controls with higher levels of cost-sharing.

Effect of Hospital Case-Volume on Mortality after Ovarian Cancer Surgery: A Population-Based Retrospective Cohort Study.

Objectives: The goal of ovarian cancer surgery has recently shifted from optimal cytoreduction to more complete resection. This study attempted to reassess and update the association between surgical case-volume and both in-hospital and long-term mortality after ovarian cancer surgery using recent data.

Design: This study is a population-based retrospective cohort study.

Institutional case volume and mortality after aortic and mitral valve replacement: a nationwide study in two Korean cohorts.

Background: There are only a handful of published studies regarding the volume-outcome relationship in heart valve surgery. We evaluated the association between institutional case volume and mortality after aortic valve replacement (AVR) and mitral valve replacement (MVR).

Methods: Two separate cohorts of all adults who underwent AVR or MVR, respectively, between 2009 and 2016 were analyzed using a Korean healthcare insurance database.

Underestimation of Radiation Doses by Compliance of Wearing Dosimeters among Fluoroscopically-Guided Interventional Medical Workers in Korea.

This study aimed to estimate the level of underestimation of National Dose Registry (NDR) doses based on the workers' dosimeter wearing compliance. In 2021, a nationwide survey of Korean medical radiation workers was conducted. A total of 989 medical workers who performed fluoroscopically-guided interventional procedures participated, and their NDR was compared with the adjusted doses by multiplying the correction factors based on the individual level of dosimeter compliance from the questionnaire.

Hospital case-volume and mortality after lung cancer surgery: A population-based retrospective cohort study.

Objectives: Recent advances in lung cancer treatment warrants reassessment of the volume-outcome association in lung cancer surgery. This study reassessed the relationship between surgical case-volume and both in-hospital and long-term mortality after lung cancer surgery using a current database to reflect recent advances.

Materials And Methods: Using the database of the National Health Insurance Service in Korea, data of all adult patients who underwent lung cancer surgery in Korea between 2005 and 2019 were obtained.

COX-2 Inhibitor Use as an Early Treatment Option for Knee Osteoarthritis Patients in Korea: A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: To investigate the use of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors as an initial drug treatment for knee osteoarthritis (OA) patients.

Methods: From 2013 to 2015, patients with knee OA were identified from the Korean nationwide claims database. Among them, we extracted incident cases of knee OA to identify the initial drug treatment.

Risk prediction models incorporating institutional case volume for mortality after hip fracture surgery in the elderly.

Introduction: While higher institutional case volume is associated with better postoperative outcomes in various types of surgery, institutional case volume has been rarely included in risk prediction models for surgical patients. This study aimed to develop and validate the predictive models incorporating institutional case volume for predicting in-hospital mortality and 1-year mortality after hip fracture surgery in the elderly.

Materials And Methods: Data for all patients (≥ 60 years) who underwent surgery for femur neck fracture, pertrochanteric fracture, or subtrochanteric fracture between January 2008 and December 2016 were extracted from the Korean National Health Insurance Service database.

Relationship between continuity of care and clinical outcomes in patients with dyslipidemia in Korea: a real world claims database study.

Dyslipidemia is a risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and requires proactive management. This study aimed to investigate the association between care continuity and the outcomes of patients with dyslipidemia. We conducted a retrospective cohort study on patients with dyslipidemia by employing the Korea National Health Insurance claims database during the period 2007-2018.

Assessment of the effects of methodological choice in continuity of care research: a real-world example with dyslipidaemia cohort.

Objective: To determine if the choice of methodological elements affects the results in continuity of care studies.

Design: This is a retrospective cohort study. The association between continuity of care and clinical outcome was investigated using the Continuity of Care Index.

Comparative Effectiveness of Azathioprine Versus Cyclosporine as an Initial Treatment for Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies: A Population-Based Observational Study.

Objective: To compare the effectiveness of azathioprine (AZA) and cyclosporine (CsA) as initial treatments for patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM).

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using information from the National Health Insurance Service database of Republic of Korea. Patients with IIM who had started AZA or CsA as initial treatment between January 2007 and December 2011 were selected for the study.

Increased risk of malignancy in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: population-based cohort study in Korea.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the crude incidence rates and relative risk of malignancy in Korean patients with SLE.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective nationwide cohort study using databases from the National Health Insurance Service in Korea. All prevalent SLE patients aged over 19 were identified from January 2012 to December 2014 and observed until the diagnosis of malignancy, death, or end of the study, December 2015.

The cumulative dose-dependent effects of metformin on the development of tuberculosis in patients newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a well-known risk factor for tuberculosis (TB). Metformin, which is an essential anti-diabetic drug, has been shown to exhibit anti-TB effects in patients with DM. Its effect on preventing the development of TB among patients who are newly diagnosed with DM remains unclear.