Visits to Pediatric Clinics by Adult Patients: A Nationwide Survey in Taiwan.

Item request has been placed! ×
Item request cannot be made. ×
loading   Processing Request
  • Additional Information
    • Source:
      Publisher: MDPI Country of Publication: Switzerland NLM ID: 101238455 Publication Model: Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1660-4601 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 16604601 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Int J Environ Res Public Health Subsets: MEDLINE
    • Publication Information:
      Original Publication: Basel : MDPI, c2004-
    • Subject Terms:
    • Abstract:
      Pediatricians are trained to provide non-surgical medical care to children. Improvements in medical treatments and surgical techniques have extended the survival of children with congenital diseases and chronic illnesses. Consequently, pediatricians may provide continuous medical service to their patients into adulthood. Meanwhile, as Taiwan's birth rate has fallen to one of the lowest in the world, pediatricians are encountering growing competition. As a source of continued revenue, pediatricians could also provide medical care to adults with common diseases and patients with adult-onset chronic diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the pattern of adult ambulatory visits to pediatric clinics recorded by Taiwan's National Health Insurance (NHI) system during 2000 to 2011. From 1/500 sampling datasets, we found that adult ambulatory visits to pediatric clinics rose steadily and statistically significantly from 16% of total visits to pediatric clinics in 2000 to 32% in 2011. Analysis of the diagnoses associated with adult ambulatory visits to pediatric clinics indicated that the most common diagnoses for such patients at academic medical centers were chronic illnesses, including epilepsy, cardiac and circulatory congenital anomalies, and diabetes. Meanwhile, at physician clinics, airway infections/diseases and gastroenteritis were the most common diagnoses. In an era of low birth rates, our findings contribute to an evidence-based discussion and provide new information that may assist in healthcare policymaking.
    • References:
      J Pediatr. 2005 May;146(5):693-700. (PMID: 15870677)
      Arch Dis Child. 1999 Sep;81(3):271-5. (PMID: 10451404)
      Heart. 2002 Sep;88 Suppl 1:i1-14. (PMID: 12181200)
      J Dev Behav Pediatr. 1992 Jun;13(3):194-201. (PMID: 1613115)
      Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2014 Jul 31;11(8):7669-77. (PMID: 25089773)
      Pediatrics. 2013 Apr;131(4):e1062-70. (PMID: 23530167)
      Science. 2014 Oct 10;346(6206):229-34. (PMID: 25301626)
      Medicine (Baltimore). 2017 Jun;96(25):e7263. (PMID: 28640130)
      Int J Cardiol. 2011 Jul 1;150(1):59-64. (PMID: 20334938)
      Arch Dis Child. 2011 Jun;96(6):548-53. (PMID: 21388969)
      Epilepsy Behav. 2015 Mar;44:127-35. (PMID: 25679495)
      J Chin Med Assoc. 2011 Sep;74(9):408-12. (PMID: 21962249)
      Pediatr Neonatol. 2013 Dec;54(6):389-96. (PMID: 23768948)
      Ann Pediatr Endocrinol Metab. 2013 Sep;18(3):106-10. (PMID: 24904862)
      Int J Cardiol. 2008 Mar 28;125(1):62-5. (PMID: 17442438)
      Lancet. 2009 Jun 13;373(9680):2027-33. (PMID: 19481249)
      Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2015 Nov 02;12(11):14043-54. (PMID: 26540064)
      Pediatr Neonatol. 2015 Aug;56(4):226-34. (PMID: 25534697)
      JAMA. 2014 May 7;311(17):1778-86. (PMID: 24794371)
      Ann Fam Med. 2004 Jan-Feb;2(1):61-70. (PMID: 15053285)
      Int J Nurs Stud. 2014 Jan;51(1):123-35. (PMID: 23490470)
      Pediatr Nephrol. 2000 Jun;14(6):469-72. (PMID: 10872185)
      Annu Rev Public Health. 2006;27:465-90. (PMID: 16533126)
      Arch Dis Child. 2010 Aug;95(8):606-11. (PMID: 20515964)
      Annu Rev Med. 1997;48:283-93. (PMID: 9046962)
      Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2015 Jun 16;12(6):6832-41. (PMID: 26086705)
      Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2009 Oct;201(4):e12. (PMID: 19527901)
    • Contributed Indexing:
      Keywords: adults; ambulatory visits; national health insurance; pediatrics
    • Publication Date:
      Date Created: 20180725 Date Completed: 20190131 Latest Revision: 20190131
    • Publication Date:
      20240829
    • Accession Number:
      PMC6069158
    • Accession Number:
      10.3390/ijerph15071538
    • Accession Number:
      30036974