Early childhood respiratory morbidity according to gestational age at birth: A nationwide cohort study.

Background: Preterm birth survivors are at risk for short- and long-term respiratory morbidity. This includes increased rates of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and infectious morbidity. Previous studies showed increased utilization of healthcare services throughout early childhood.

Acute coronary syndrome rates by age and sex before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Israel: nationwide study.

Background: There have been reports of sharp declines in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study aims to assess nationwide ACS emergency department (ED) visit rates across age and sex subgroups and the general population, with a comparison before and throughout the pandemic's various phases.

Methods: A multiple interrupted time series analysis was used to assess 61 349 ACS nationwide hospital visits from January 2018 to December 2021 at monthly intervals.

Trends and correlated outcomes in population-level prescription opioid and transdermal fentanyl use in Israel.

Background: In the last twenty years, there was a documented increase in prescription opioid procurement in Israel. However, there is still little evidence of the association between opioid procurement rates, health service utilisation in secondary care, and enrollment rates to substance use disorder treatment programmes. In this study, we show trends in the reports of opioid-related hospitalisations, emergency department visits, enrollment to community-based outpatient treatment for Prescription Opioid Use Disorder and opioid-related mortality rates.

Acute Appendicitis Non-Operative Management Rate Trends Over Two Decades (2000 to 2019): The Israel experience.

Background: Acute appendicitis (AA) is a medical emergency. The standard of care for AA had been surgical appendectomy. Recently, non-operative management (NOM) has been considered, mainly for uncomplicated AA.

Trends of Bacterial Meningitis Incidence Rate over 20 Years (2000 to 2019): The Israel Experience.

Background: Bacterial meningitis (BM) remains a considerable cause of morbidity.

Objectives: To evaluate BM incidence rate trends in diverse age groups.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study based on the Israeli national registry.

People with serious mental illness are at higher risk for acute care hospitalization in Israel, 2000-2019.

Background: People with severe mental disorders have higher mortality rates and more chronic physical conditions than the general population. Recent reforms in the Israeli mental health system included reducing the number of psychiatric hospital beds ("Structural Reform"), establishing community- based rehabilitation services ("Rehabilitation Reform"), and the transfer of governmental responsibility to the Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) ("Insurance Reform"). We examined how these changes have impacted the physical health of people with severe mental illness as reflected in acute care hospitalizations.

Mortality during the first four waves of COVID-19 pandemic in Israel: March 2020-October 2021.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic caused four waves of infection in Israel until October 2021. Israel was the first country to offer vaccinations to all the adult population followed by boosters. This study addresses how mortality rates reflect the effects of the pandemic.

Does an Overcrowded Emergency Department Reduce Moral Hazard? Lessons from Emergency Department Visits to Three Hospitals in an Israeli Metropolitan Area.

Metropolitan Haifa, Israel, has three hospitals: Rambam Health Care Campus, Bnai Zion Medical Center, and Carmel Medical Center. In 2007-2014, the length of stay at RHCC's emergency department increased, while the number of visits decreased. We ask whether the increase in LOS is associated with the falling numbers of visits to other EDs, whether an increase in LOS induces more referrals to competing hospitals in the metropolitan area, and whether it pays to be a crowded ED in mitigating moral hazard.

Improved method for revising the Israel birthweight references.

Objectives: Birthweight is often used as an indicator of fetal health. Categorization of infants as small or large for gestational age has clinical significance. Due to growth differences between countries, it is important to have local reference data.

COVID-19 and severe mental illness in Israel: testing, infection, hospitalization, mortality and vaccination rates in a countrywide study.

Previous studies on psychiatric patients infected with COVID-19 have reported a more severe course of disease and higher rates of mortality compared with the general population. This cohort study linked Israeli national databases including all individuals ever hospitalized for a psychiatric disorder (cases), and COVID-19 testing, infection, hospitalization, mortality, and vaccinations, between March 1 2020 and March 31 2021. Cases were 125,273 individuals aged 18 and above ever hospitalized in a psychiatric facility (ICD-10 F10-F69 or F90-F99), compared to the total population, n = 6,143,802.

Perianal Crohn Disease Is More Common in Children and Is Associated With Complicated Disease Course Despite Higher Utilization of Biologics: A Population-based Study From The epidemiology group of the Israeli IBD Research Nucleus (epiIIRN).

Background And Objectives: Both perianal and pediatric-onset Crohn disease (CD) disease are associated with complicated disease course and higher drug utilization. we aimed to explore the differences between pediatric and adult-onset perianal CD and their disease course.

Methods: We included all patients with newly diagnosed CD from 2005 to 2019 at two Israeli Health Maintenance Organizations, covering 78% of the population.

The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on non-COVID respiratory ED visits in Israel.

Background: The COVID 19 pandemic has had a crucial effect on the patterns of disease and treatment in the healthcare system. This study examines the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on respiratory ED visits and admissions broken down by age group and respiratory diagnostic category.

Methods: Data on non-COVID related ED visits and hospitalizations from the ED were obtained in a retrospective analysis for 29 acute care hospitals, covering 98% of ED beds in Israel, and analyzed by 5 age groups: under one-year-old, 1-17, 18-44, 45-74 and 75 and over.

Educational level, ethnicity and mortality rates in Israel: national data linkage study.

Background: Many studies have shown significant gaps in mortality, and cause specific mortality by educational status. This study investigated these measures in Israel by educational and ethnic status in recent decades.

Method: A mortality follow-up till 2017 was done of a cohort of Israeli residents aged 25-64 in 2000 who remained in Israel and had available educational data, grouped into under 8, 9-11, 12, 13-15 and 16 and above years of education.

Involuntary psychiatric hospitalizations in Israel 2001-2018 and risk for immigrants from different countries.

Since 2000, the Israeli mental health system has undergone a reduction in hospital beds, initiation of community-based rehabilitation, and transfer of governmental services to health maintenance organizations. This study examined trends, predictors and outcomes of involuntary psychiatric hospitalizations (IPH), in particular for immigrants. All first psychiatric hospitalizations of adults, 2001-2018, in the National Psychiatric Case Registry were used.

Perianal Crohn's Disease Is Associated With Poor Disease Outcome: A Nationwide Study From the epiIIRN Cohort.

Background & Aims: Limited population-based data have explored perianal involvement in Crohn's disease (CD) and compared the disease course between severe and non-severe perianal CD (PCD). We aimed to explore the disease course of these phenotypes in a population-based study of CD.

Methods: Cases were identified from the epi-IIRN cohort and included 2 Israeli health maintenance organizations covering 78% of the population.

Regional differences in pediatric asthma hospital admissions: National data from Israel 1996-2017.

Background: Asthma is a common chronic childhood illness and frequent cause of hospitalization. A decline in hospital admission rates was noted up to the 1990s, however, trends are not as clear since the turn of the century. This study aimed to assess the rates and regional differences of asthma admissions over more than two decades using the national Ministry of Health database, which registers data from all the hospitals.

Excess mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic in Israel, March-November 2020: when, where, and for whom?

Background: Excess all-cause mortality has been used in many countries as an estimate of mortality effects from COVID-19. What was the excess mortality in Israel in 2020 and when, where and for whom was this excess?

Methods: Mortality rates between March to November 2020 for various demographic groups, cities, month and week were compared with the average rate during 2017-2019 for the same groups or periods.

Results: Total mortality rates for March-November were significantly higher by 6% in 2020, than the average of 2017-2019, 14% higher among the Arab population and 5% among Jews and Others.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus hospitalization burden: a nation-wide population-based analysis, 2000-2017.

Objectives: Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a known cause of morbidity among young children, while RSV-related disease in the elderly is not fully recognized. Several RSV candidate vaccines for infants, pregnant women and adults are under development. We aimed to estimate nationwide age-specific hospitalizations and seasonal trends, to help determine the optimal age for vaccination.

Effects of rotavirus vaccine on all-cause acute gastroenteritis and rotavirus hospitalizations in Israel: A nationwide analysis.

Background: In December 2010, the pentavalent rotavirus vaccine (RotaTeq) was added to the national immunization program in Israel. The study aim was to examine national reductions in all-cause acute gastroenteritis (AGE) and rotavirus gastroenteritis (RVGE) hospitalizations among children aged 0-59 months following the introduction of universal rotavirus immunization in Israel.

Methods: We extracted data from the Israel National Hospital Discharge Database.

Validating reported cause of death using integrated electronic health records from a nation-wide database.

Background: To compare the underlying cause of death reported by the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) with diagnoses in the electronic health records (EHR) of a fully integrated payer/provider healthcare system.

Methods: Underlying cause of death was obtained from the CBS for deaths occurring during 2009-2012 of all Clalit Health Service members in Israel. The final cohort consisted of members who had complete medical records.

Geographic variation of hysterectomy rates in the Israeli health care system during the years 2007-2016.

Background: In 2014 the OECD published a report regarding inter-regional variation of hysterectomies in 13 countries including Israel. Variance in hospital admission rates were also reported. The Israeli Ministry of Health has set as one of its main goals the reduction in differences in health care, particularly between the country's periphery and central regions.