Favorable circulatory system outcomes as adjuvant traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatment for cerebrovascular diseases in Taiwan.
BACKGROUND
This study searches the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) used in a previous project, aiming for reconstructing possible cerebrovascular disease-related groups (DRG),and estimating the costs between cerebrovascular disease and related diseases.


METHODS
We conducted a nationwide retrospective cohort study in stroke inpatients, we examined the overall costs in 3 municipalities in Taiwan, by evaluating the possible costs of the expecting diagnosis related group (DRG) by using the international classification of diseases version-9 (ICD-9) system, and the overall analysis of the re-admission population that received traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatment and those who did not.


RESULTS
The trend demonstrated that the non-participant costs were consistent with the ICD-9 categories (430 to 437) because similarities existed between years 2006 to 2007. Among the TCM patients, a wide variation and additional costs were found compared to non-TCM patients during these 2 years. The average re-admission duration was significantly shorter for TCM patients, especially those initially diagnosed with ICD 434 during the first admission. In addition, TCM patients demonstrated more severe general symptoms, which incurred high conventional treatment costs, and could result in re-admission for numerous reasons. However, in Disease 7 of ICD-9 category, representing the circulatory system was most prevalent in non-TCM inpatients, which was the leading cause of re-admission.


CONCLUSIONS
We concluded that favorable circulatory system outcomes were in adjuvant TCM treatment inpatients, there were less re-admission for circulatory system events and a two-third reduction of re-admission within ICD-9 code 430 to 437, compared to non-TCM ones. However, there were shorter re-admission duration other than circulatory system events by means of unfavorable baseline condition.
Department of TCM, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan ; Department of Neurology, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan ; Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Hsienhsueh Elley
HE
Chiu
Yu-Chiang
YC
Hung
Department of TCM, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan ; Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Yu-Chiang
YC
Hong
Department of Neurology, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan ; Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Ku-Chou
KC
Chang
School of Chinese Medicine for Post-Baccalaureate, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Chun-Chuan
CC
Shih
Department of Rehabilitation, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan ; Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Jen-Wen
JW
Hung
Department of Neurology, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan ; Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Chia-Wei
CW
Liu
Department of Neurology, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan ; Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Teng-Yeow
TY
Tan
Department of TCM, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Chih-Cheng
CC
Huang
D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000191:economics* / Q000628:therapy*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional / Q000191:economics*; D010359:Patient Readmission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013624:Taiwan; D016896:Treatment Outcome