Public Health
Volume 124, Issue 10, 2010, Pages 565-572

Comparison of the perforation rate for acute appendicitis between nationals and migrants in Taiwan, 1996-2001 (Article)

Liu T.-L. , Tsay J.-H. , Chou Y.-J. , Huang N.*
  • a Institute of Public Health, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
  • b Department of Social Work, College of Social Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
  • c Institute of Public Health, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
  • d Institute of Hospital and Health Care Administration, National Yang-Ming University, No. 155, Sec. 2, Li-Nong St., Taipei 11221, Taiwan

Abstract

Objective: Immigrant populations have grown rapidly in recent years in many countries. Immigrant-related healthcare issues have thus become more and more important. The aim of this study was to assess any possible disparity in access to care between migrants and nationals under the national health insurance (NHI) system in Taiwan. Study design: Retrospective population-based observational study. Methods: National population-based data on patients aged ≥20 years in Taiwan under the NHI programme were studied. The frequency of use and expenditure on ambulatory care, inpatient care and emergency care were analysed separately. Ruptured appendicitis was also analysed as an outcome indicator for access to care. Logistic regression and two-part models were applied. Results: Overall, migrants had a lower rate of healthcare utilization than nationals, and this gap remained consistent from 1996 to 2001. However, using ruptured appendicitis as the outcome indicator, no significant overall difference in access to care was found between nationals and migrants under the NHI programme in Taiwan (odds ratio 1.01, 95% confidence interval 0.93∼1.11). Conclusion: This study found that although migrants had a lower rate of healthcare utilization than nationals, their rate of adverse outcome was similar to nationals when they faced an acute, non-selective emergency condition such as appendicitis. The findings suggest that the use of more dimensional indicators may help to avoid possible misleading inferences on the variation in access to health care in Taiwan. © 2010 The Royal Society for Public Health.

Author Keywords

Migrants Taiwan Healthcare utilization Appendicitis Access to care

Index Keywords

immigrant Costs and Cost Analysis national health insurance health insurance human middle aged Aged Taiwan public access health program Humans Treatment Outcome male Emigrants and Immigrants female Socioeconomic Factors observational study health services Article health care Retrospective Studies health care utilization major clinical study adult health care quality health care access Sex Factors Age Factors Appendicitis appendix perforation Rupture, Spontaneous retrospective study Healthcare Disparities immigrant population
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-77957113510&doi=10.1016%2fj.puhe.2010.05.009&partnerID=40&md5=6f5be8ab1c75117d1b0c2366e5532cc1
DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2010.05.009
ISSN: 00333506
Cited by: 3
Original Language: English