Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
3
pubmed:dateCreated
2004-4-15
pubmed:abstractText
A new system of emergency room fee-for-service was recently introduced at public hospitals in Hong Kong. A prospective observational study was undertaken to investigate the effects of the emergency room consultation fee system on presentation delay of acute stroke patients and evaluation of timing of patient presentation with acute stroke. We reviewed 2 specified periods (2-month interval each) before and after the consultation fee system at a public hospital. Primary outcome measures were time from onset of stroke symptoms to arrival at hospital, and predictors of such a time delay. A total of 173 subjects were recruited before institution of the consultation fee system, and 189 after inception of the new system. The mean age was 71 years. The median delay between symptom onset and arrival at hospital was 9 h. Acute ischemic stroke accounted for 91% of the stroke diagnoses. The median baseline NIHSS score measured 6. The median delay for patients before the emergency room consultation fee system was 9.7 h, compared with 8.4 h after introduction of the consultation fee (p = 0.66). At presentation, patients admitted during the consultation fee system were significantly more likely to be unconscious and be in a worse functional premorbid state. We found no difference in the frequency of general practitioner contact between the 2 study periods. Overall, univariate analyses showed that patient age, baseline NIHSS score, consciousness level upon arrival at the emergency department and premorbid ambulatory status were significant factors associated with the timing of presentation after acute stroke. A multivariate linear regression model demonstrated two independent factors: patient age younger than 70 years was independently related to presentation delay, whereas severity of stroke as indicated by unconsciousness upon arrival was associated with shorter delay. While we demonstrated no delays in acute stroke presentation accrued from enactment of the emergency room fee, physicians should endeavor to further explore strategies of reducing the late presentation of acute stroke.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:issn
0251-5350
pubmed:author
pubmed:copyrightInfo
Copyright 2004 S. Karger AG, Basel
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
23
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
123-8
pubmed:dateRevised
2007-11-15
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed-meshheading:15084781-Acute Disease, pubmed-meshheading:15084781-Aged, pubmed-meshheading:15084781-Aged, 80 and over, pubmed-meshheading:15084781-Cerebral Hemorrhage, pubmed-meshheading:15084781-Cerebral Infarction, pubmed-meshheading:15084781-Cohort Studies, pubmed-meshheading:15084781-Cross-Cultural Comparison, pubmed-meshheading:15084781-Emergency Service, Hospital, pubmed-meshheading:15084781-Family Practice, pubmed-meshheading:15084781-Fee-for-Service Plans, pubmed-meshheading:15084781-Female, pubmed-meshheading:15084781-Health Status, pubmed-meshheading:15084781-Hong Kong, pubmed-meshheading:15084781-Hospital Charges, pubmed-meshheading:15084781-Humans, pubmed-meshheading:15084781-Male, pubmed-meshheading:15084781-Middle Aged, pubmed-meshheading:15084781-Patient Acceptance of Health Care, pubmed-meshheading:15084781-Patient Admission, pubmed-meshheading:15084781-Referral and Consultation, pubmed-meshheading:15084781-Severity of Illness Index, pubmed-meshheading:15084781-Stroke, pubmed-meshheading:15084781-Time Factors
pubmed:articleTitle
Influence of emergency room fee on acute stroke presentation in a public hospital in Hong Kong.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Prince of Wales Hospital, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Comparative Study