Exploring the effects of acceptable palliative care models on survival time and healthcare expenditure among patients with cancer: a national longitudinal population-based study.

Objective: Hospice care ensures better end-of-life quality by relieving terminal symptoms. Prior research has indicated that hospice care could prolong survival and reduce end-of-life medical expenditures among patients with cancer. However, the dearth of studies on the effects of hospice care type and use sequence on survival time and end-of-life medical expenditures substantiates the need for investigation.

Association between 14 candidate genes, PM2.5, and affective disorders: a study of the Taiwan Biobank.

Background: Most studies have focused on the risk factors, treatment, and care of affective psychosis, and several have reported a relationship between ambient air quality and this psychosis. Although an association has been reported between psychosis and genes, studies mainly explored the associations between one type of psychosis and one gene; few have identified genes related to affective psychosis. This study investigates the genetic and environmental factors of affective psychosis.

Association between use of different long-term care services and risks of mental disorder and mortality as well as medical utilization.

Objective: This study sought to investigate mental disorder and mortality risks and medical utilization among various long-term care (LTC) services and examine the associated factors.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study used data from the National Health Insurance Research Database of the entire population of Taiwan recorded between 2006 and 2017. A total of 41,407 patients using LTC (study group) were identified and propensity score-matched with 41,407 LTC nonusers (control group) at a ratio of 1:1 according to sex, age, salary-based premium, comorbidity index score, and urbanization level.

Disparities in the medical expenditures of patients with cancer and concomitant mental disorder: analyzing the effects of diagnosis sequence order.

Background: Cancer is the leading cause of death in Taiwan. Medical expenditures related to cancer accounted for 44.8% of all major illness insurance claims in Taiwan.

Patterns of Systemic Disease Diagnoses among Medical Professionals in Taiwan: Statistical Analysis and Data Mining.

Introduction: Although high-risk work environments and heavy workload expose medical professionals to long-term risks of disease, no comprehensive analysis has been conducted on the corresponding risks of diseases to each type of medical professionals. This study pre-analyzed the risks of medical professionals in developing various systemic diseases in Taiwan to provide a comprehensive examination of the differences between each type of systemic disease.

Methods: From the secondary databases of 2002-2013, 15,407 medical professionals were selected for analysis.