Structural and organizational determinants of the capacity for COVID-19 testing and diagnoses in children: Insights from the 2009 influenza and COVID-19 pandemics.

Item request has been placed! ×
Item request cannot be made. ×
loading   Processing Request
Read More Add to Saved list
  • Author(s): Okubo Y;Okubo Y; Uda K; Uda K; Uda K
  • Source:
    Respiratory investigation [Respir Investig] 2024 May; Vol. 62 (3), pp. 426-430. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Mar 15.
  • Publication Type:
    Observational Study; Journal Article
  • Language:
    English
  • Additional Information
    • Source:
      Publisher: Elsevier Country of Publication: Netherlands NLM ID: 101581124 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 2212-5353 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 22125345 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Respir Investig Subsets: MEDLINE
    • Publication Information:
      Original Publication: Amsterdam : Elsevier
    • Subject Terms:
      Influenza, Human*/diagnosis ; Influenza, Human*/epidemiology ; COVID-19*/diagnosis ; COVID-19*/epidemiology; Child ; Humans ; COVID-19 Testing ; Pandemics ; Hospitals, University
    • Abstract:
      Background: This study explored factors associated with testing and diagnoses for children with COVID-19 at the hospital level and investigated whether the capacity of testing and diagnoses during the 2009 influenza pandemic was associated with that during COVID-19 pandemic.
      Methods: In this observational study, we analyzed data obtained from the Japan Medical Data Center database, comprising 4906 medical facilities and 1.7 million infectious disease-related visits among children aged <20 years in 2020-2021. Multivariable generalized linear models were used to explore determinants of testing and diagnoses capacity for COVID-19 and investigate the association between the capacity during the 2009 influenza and COVID-19 pandemics.
      Results: Public hospitals (adjusted incidence rate ratio [aIRR], 1.52; 95%CI, 1.26-1.82) and university hospitals (aIRR, 1.44; 95%CI, 1.14-1.80) were more likely to perform testing for COVID-19 among children, compared to clinics. The highest testing rate was observed in the department of internal medicine (aIRR, 1.64; 95%CI, 1.32-2.04), followed by pediatrics (aIRR, 1.40; 95%CI, 1.10-1.78) and otolaryngology (aIRR, 1.21; 95%CI, 0.89-1.64). Cubic spline models demonstrated the dose-response relationships between testing rate for influenza in 2009 and testing rates for COVID-19. Compared to the medical facilities in the lowest quartile of testing rate for influenza in 2009, those in the highest quartile were more likely to perform testing for COVID-19 (aIRR, 1.62; 95%CI, 1.43-1.83).
      Conclusions: Our study provides insights into the capacity of testing and diagnoses for children, highlighting the dose-response relationship between the 2009 influenza and COVID-19 pandemics, which could be valuable in preparing healthcare systems for future pandemics.
      Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have no conflicts of interest.
      (Copyright © 2024 The Japanese Respiratory Society. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)
    • Contributed Indexing:
      Keywords: 2009 Influenza pandemic; COVID-19 pandemic; Diagnostic capacity; JMDC claims database
    • Publication Date:
      Date Created: 20240316 Date Completed: 20240422 Latest Revision: 20240422
    • Publication Date:
      20240422
    • Accession Number:
      10.1016/j.resinv.2024.03.001
    • Accession Number:
      38492332