Author:
Lin Heui-Fen,Wu Ying-Tai,Tsauo Jau-Yih
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Cancer is a major cause of global morbidity and mortality. Since a high prevalence of functional impairments has been observed among cancer patients, rehabilitation has been proposed as a strategy to restore patients’ functional independence. The increasing number of cancer patients combined with a growing need for rehabilitation may result in increased utilization of rehabilitation services. This study aimed to investigate the utilization of rehabilitation services among hospitalized cancer patients in Taiwan between 2004 and 2008.
Methods
Annual admissions and total inpatient expenditures for admissions with a cancer diagnosis were calculated from the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD). Rehabilitation services used by cancer and non-cancer patients, as well as the distributions of rehabilitation service type among the different hospital departments were also analyzed.
Results
The percentages of inpatient admissions with a cancer diagnosis increased from 14.01% to 17.1% between 2004 and 2008. During 2004, 5.25% of all inpatient admissions received rehabilitation services; this percentage increased to 5.62% by 2008. Among cancer admissions, 2.26% to 2.62% received rehabilitation services from 2004 to 2008. By comparison, 5.68% to 6.24% of non-cancer admissions received rehabilitation services during this period. Of the admissions who received rehabilitation services, only 6.44% and 7.96% had a cancer diagnosis in 2004 and 2008, respectively. Sixty-one percent of rehabilitation services were delivered in the departments of orthopedics (25.6%), neurology (14.4%), rehabilitation (11.9%), and neurosurgery (9.2%).
Conclusions
In Taiwan, the utilization of rehabilitation services during hospitalization increased from 2004 to 2008. Although this trend was noted for cancer and non-cancer admissions, the utilization of rehabilitation services was generally greater by non-cancer admissions. Despite the benefits of rehabilitation, the actual rehabilitation needs of cancer patients remain unmet.
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Reference27 articles.
1. Fialka Moser V, Crevenna R, Korpan M, Quittan M: Cancer rehabilitation. Particularly with aspects on physical impairments. J Rehabil Med. 2003, 35: 153-162. 10.1080/16501970306129.
2. Cheville AL, Beck LA, Petersen TL, Marks RS, Gamble GL: The detection and treatment of cancer-related functional problems in an outpatient setting. Support Care Cancer. 2009, 17: 61-67. 10.1007/s00520-008-0461-x.
3. Cheville AL, Troxel AB, Basford JR, Kornblith AB: Prevalence and treatment patterns of physical impairments in patients with metastatic breast cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2008, 26: 2621-2629. 10.1200/JCO.2007.12.3075.
4. Podnos YD, Borneman TR, Koczywas M, Uman G, Ferrell BR: Symptom concerns and resource utilization in patients with lung cancer. J Palliat Med. 2007, 10: 899-903. 10.1089/jpm.2006.0232.
5. Lehmann JF, Delisa JA, Warren CG, Delateur BJ, Sandbryant PL, Nicholson CG: Cancer rehabilitation - assessment of need, development, and evaluation of a model of care. Arch Phys Med Rehab. 1978, 59: 410-419.
Cited by
11 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献