title: Influence of emergency room fee on acute stroke presentation in a public hospital in Hong Kong.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Prince of Wales Hospital, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR.
authors.forename: Kai Ming
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Chow
authors.forename: Cheuk Chun
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Szeto
authors.forename: Andrew Che-Fai
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Hui
authors.forename: Cecilia Shuk-Fong
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: Ka Sing
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Wong
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000191:economics; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005194:Family Practice / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018588:Fee-for-Service Plans / Q000191:economics*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006723:Hong Kong; D017722:Hospital Charges / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000191:economics; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D020521:Stroke / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors