Mei-Chuan Hung

Life expectancies and incidence rates of patients under prolonged mechanical ventilation: a population-based study during 1998 to 2007 in Taiwan.

IntroductionThe present study examined the median survival, life expectancies, and cumulative incidence rate (CIR) of patients undergoing prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV) stratified by different underlying diseases.MethodsAccording to the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan, there were 8,906,406 individuals who obtained respiratory care during the period from 1997 to 2007. A random sample of this population was performed, and subjects who had continuously undergone mechanical ventilation for longer than 21 days were enrolled in the current study. Annual incidence rates and the CIR were calculated. After stratifying the patients according to their specific diagnoses, latent class analysis was performed to categorise PMV patients with multiple co-morbidities into several groups. The life expectancies of different groups were estimated using a semiparametric method with a hazard function based on the vital statistics of Taiwan.ResultsThe analysis of 50,481 PMV patients revealed that incidence rates increased as patients grew older and that the CIR (17 to 85 years old) increased from 0.103 in 1998 to 0.183 in 2004 before stabilising thereafter. The life expectancies of PMV patients suffering from degenerative neurological diseases, stroke, or injuries tended to be longer than those with chronic renal failure or cancer. Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease survived longer than did those co-morbid with other underlying diseases, especially septicaemia/shock.ConclusionsPMV provides a direct means to treat respiratory tract diseases and to sustain respiration in individuals suffering from degenerative neurological diseases, and individuals with either of these types of conditions respond better to PMV than do those with other co-morbidities. Future research is required to determine the cost-effectiveness of this treatment paradigm.

Outcomes of prolonged mechanic ventilation: a discrimination model based on longitudinal health insurance and death certificate data

BackgroundThis study investigated prognosis among patients under prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV) through exploring the following issues: (1) post-PMV survival rates, (2) factors associated with survival after PMV, and (3) the number of days alive free of hospital stays requiring mechanical ventilation (MV) care after PMV.MethodsThis is a retrospective cohort study based on secondary analysis of prospectively collected data in the national health insurance system and governmental data on death registry in Taiwan. It used data for a nationally representative sample of 25,482 patients becoming under PMV (> = 21 days) during 1998-2003. We calculated survival rates for the 4 years after PMV, and adopted logistic regression to construct prediction models for 3-month, 6-month, 1-year, and 2-year survival, with data of 1998-2002 for model estimation and the 2003 data for examination of model performance. We estimated the number of days alive free of hospital stays requiring MV care in the immediate 4-year period after PMV, and contrasted patients who had low survival probability with all PMV patients.ResultsAmong these patients, the 3-month survival rate was 51.4%, and the 1-year survival rate was 31.9%. Common health conditions with significant associations with poor survival included neoplasm, acute and unspecific renal failure, chronic renal failure, non-alcoholic liver disease, shock and septicaemia (odd ratio < 0.7, p < 0.05). During a 4-year follow-up period for patients of year 2003, the mean number of days free of hospital stays requiring MV was 66.0 in those with a predicted 6-month survival rate < 10%, and 111.3 in those with a predicted 2-year survival rate < 10%. In contrast, the mean number of days was 256.9 in the whole sample of patients in 2003.ConclusionsNeoplasm, acute and unspecific renal failure, shock, chronic renal failure, septicemia, and non-alcoholic liver disease are significantly associated with lower survival among PMV patients. Patients with anticipated death in a near future tend to spend most of the rest of their life staying in hospital using MV services. This calls for further research into assessing PMV care need among patients at different prognosis stages of diseases listed above.

Incidence, life expectancy and prognostic factors in cancer patients under prolonged mechanical ventilation: a nationwide analysis of 5,138 cases during 1998-2007.

IntroductionThis study is aimed at determining the incidence, survival rate, life expectancy, quality-adjusted life expectancy (QALE) and prognostic factors in patients with cancer in different organ systems undergoing prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV).MethodsWe used data from the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan from 1998 to 2007 and linked it with the National Mortality Registry to ascertain mortality. Subjects who received PMV, defined as having undergone mechanical ventilation continuously for longer than 21 days, were enrolled. The incidence of cancer patients requiring PMV was calculated, with the exception of patients with multiple cancers. The life expectancies and QALE of patients with different types of cancer were estimated. Quality-of-life data were taken from a sample of 142 patients who received PMV. A multivariable proportional hazards model was constructed to assess the effect of different prognostic factors, including age, gender, type of cancer, metastasis, comorbidities and hospital levels.ResultsAmong 9,011 cancer patients receiving mechanical ventilation for more than 7 days, 5,138 undergoing PMV had a median survival of 1.37 months (interquartile range [IQR], 0.50 to 4.57) and a 1-yr survival rate of 14.3% (95% confidence interval [CI], 13.3% to 15.3%). The incidence of PMV was 10.4 per 100 ICU admissions. Head and neck cancer patients seemed to survive the longest. The overall life expectancy was 1.21 years, with estimated QALE ranging from 0.17 to 0.37 quality-adjusted life years for patients with poor and partial cognition, respectively. Cancer of liver (hazard ratio [HR], 1.55; 95% CI, 1.34 to 1.78), lung (HR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.30 to 1.41) and metastasis (HR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.42 to 1.65) were found to predict shorter survival independently.ConclusionsCancer patients requiring PMV had poor long-term outcomes. Palliative care should be considered early in these patients, especially when metastasis has occurred.

Estimation of the Long-Term Care Needs of Stroke Patients by Integrating Functional Disability and Survival

Objectives This study aimed to estimate the dynamic changes of different physical functional disabilities and life-time care needs for patients with stroke. Data Sources and Study Design We examined a hospital-based cohort including 16,043 patients who had their first stroke during 1995–2010. The Barthel Index (BI) was used to measure disability levels in 1,162 consecutive patients, with a total of 1,294 measurements at the stroke clinics and the rehabilitation wards, and a cross-sectional design. Extraction Methods The survival function was extrapolated to lifetime by a semi-parametric method and multiplied with proportions of different disabilities over time to obtain the long-term care needs for different stroke subtypes. Principal Findings On average, stroke patients would suffer at least 0.86 years with mild disability, 1.24 years with moderate disability and 1.39 years with severe disability, as measured by the BI. Among these, patients with a cardio-embolic infarct or intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) suffered more than 2 years of severe disability. Assistance in bathing was the most common need for care in stroke patients. Conclusions Among different subtypes of stroke, cardio-embolic infarct and ICH lead to the longest durations of severe physical functional disability. The method presented in this work may also be applied to other chronic diseases and different functional disabilities.

Estimation of Quality-Adjusted Life Expectancy in Patients Under Prolonged Mechanical Ventilation

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to estimate the quality-adjusted life expectancy (QALE) and the expected lifetime utility loss of patients with prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV). METHODS PMV was defined as more than 21 days of mechanical ventilation. A total of 633 patients fulfilled this definition and were followed for 9 years (1998-2007) to obtain their survival status. Quality of life of 142 patients was measured with the EuroQol five-dimensional (EQ-5D) questionnaire during the period 2008 to 2009. The survival probabilities for each time point were adjusted with a utility measurement of quality of life and then extrapolated to 300 months to obtain the QALE. We compared the age-, gender-matched reference populations to calculate the expected lifetime utility loss. RESULTS The average age of subjects was 76 years old. The life expectancy and loss of life expectancy were 1.95 years and 8.48 years, respectively. The QALE of 55 patients with partial cognitive ability and the ability to respond was 0.58 quality-adjusted life years (QALY), whereas the QALEs of 87 patients with poor consciousness were 0.28 and 0.29 QALY for the EQ-5D measured by family caregivers and nurses, respectively. The loss of QALE for PMV patients was 9.87 to 10.17 QALY, corresponding to a health gap of 94% to 97%. CONCLUSIONS Theses results of poor prognosis would provide stakeholders evidence for communication to facilitate clinical decisions. The estimation may be used in future studies to facilitate the cost-effectiveness and reduction of the health gap.

Improved Survival for an Integrated System of Reduced Intensive Respiratory Care for Patients Requiring Prolonged Mechanical Ventilation

BACKGROUND: The introduction of reduced respiratory care may lead to worse long-term outcomes for patients undergoing prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV) for more than 21 days. The objective of this study was to determine the survival for an integrated system of reduced intensive respiratory care (ISRIRC) by the Taiwan Bureau of National Health Insurance, in patients requiring PMV. METHODS: A 10-year retrospective study was performed in a 1,000-bed teaching hospital in Taiwan. A total of 633 consecutive PMV patients transferred from the hospital between 1998 and 2007 were enrolled. Medical records were reviewed to collect the clinical data, which were linked to the National Death Certification Database to ascertain subject survival. Kaplan-Meier estimates were performed, and a Cox proportional hazards model was constructed. We further conducted a corroboration study and retrieved a systematically randomized nationwide sample of PMV subjects with combined septicemia and shock, and compared the survival functions of those who were treated before and after the integrated system, including 228 and 2,677 subjects, respectively. RESULTS: The survival rates at 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year were 60.0%, 44.0%, and 30.0%, respectively. The 1-year survival rates of the subjects before and after ISRIRC were 21.0% and 37.2%, respectively (P = .04). The factors associated with better survival were younger age, absence of cirrhosis, and establishment of the ISRIRC. A comparison of the 4-year survival in the larger random sample of PMV subjects with combined septicemia and shock before and after ISRIRC also showed a significant improvement. CONCLUSIONS: With the improvement of PMV technology in the early 2000s, the establishment of ISRIRC seems to be associated with an improved survival rate for subjects under PMV.

PHP71 PREDICTING OUTCOMES AMONG PATIENTS WITH PROLONGED MECHANIC VENTILATION: A DISCRIMINATION MODEL BASED ON LONGITUDINAL HEALTH INSURANCE REGISTRATION AND CLAIMS DATA

PHP68 THE USE OF HEALTH ECONOMICS TERMINOLOGY IN CLINICAL PUBLICATIONS: BRIDGING THE GAP FROM CLINICAL EFFECTIVENESS TO COMPARATIVE EFFECTIVENESS Reich S PAREXEL, Hackensack, NJ, USA OBJECTIVES: As the demands of the current regulatory climate and US Health Care Reform call for greater outcomes-based evidence in health care, the scientifi c literature is increasingly incorporating pharmacoeconomic data into peer-reviewed clinical publications in order to demonstrate value to payer audiences. Data from clinical outcomes and cost studies are increasingly fi nding their way into traditional clinical papers and review articles. It has been observed that variations may exist in the use of health outcomes data and terminology. The purpose of this presentation will be to demonstrate how clearer and more consistent terminology can be integrated into scientifi c publications and other vehicles in order to more effectively communicate economic and clinical outcomes information. METHODS: Using specifi c examples from clinical publications, the presentation will: Identify and analyze common terms used for communicating health economic and outcomes research information to determine; If they have multiple and/or unclear meanings; How they are being used to convey information; Defi ne the specifi c meaning of these terms, using language that is understandable to all stakeholder audiences; Provide examples/case studies demonstrating how more uniform and consistent defi nitions can be integrated into payerfocused clinical publications RESULTS: An overview of the fi ndings regarding how to address specifi c areas of confusion and inconsistency will be provided. CONCLUSIONS: The results will reiterate the need for clear and consistent terminology in communicating value in clinical publications.