Objective To analyze the dynamic efficiency of township hospitals. Methods Based on the DEA-Malmquist index, this research analyzed the change of the total factor productivity indices and the decomposition items of 281 township hospitals in Hunan province with panel data from 2000 to 2008. Results Among 281 township hospitals, less than half increased their scale efficiency, while more than half increased their total factor productivity, technology, whole efficiency and technical efficiency. Increasing technology and whole efficiency was the best way to improve total factor productivity. Besides, increasing technical efficiency and scale efficiency was the best way to improve whole efficiency. Conclusions The improvement of scale efficiency is key to developing the central township hospitals, while the improvement of technology is the key to developing general township hospitals.
Microfluidic chips can be used to realize continuous cryoprotectants (CPA) loading/unloading for oocytes, reducing osmotic damage and chemical toxicity of CPA. In this study, five different Y-shape microfluidic chips were fabricated to realize the continuous CPA loading/unloading. The effects of flow rate, entrance angle, aspect ratio and turning radius of microchannels on the mixing efficiency of microfluidic chips were analyzed quantitatively. The experimental results showed that with the decrease of flow rates, the increase of aspect ratios and the decrease of turning raradius of microchannel, the mixing length decreased and the mixing velocity was promoted, while the entrance angle had little effect on the mixing efficiency. However, the operating conditions and structural parameters of the chips in practical application should be determined based on an overall consideration of CPA loading/unloading time and machining accuracy. These results would provide a reference to the application of microfluidic chip in CPA mixing.
ObjectiveTo compare and evaluate the discrimination, validity, and reliability of different data envelopment analysis (DEA) models for measuring the effectiveness of models by selecting different input and output indicators of the model.MethodsData from health statistical reports and pilot program of diagnosis-related groups of tertiary hospitals in Hubei Province from 2017 to 2018 were used to analyze the discrimination, content and structure validity, and reliability of the models. Six DEA models were established by enriching the details of input and output on the basis of the input and output indicators of the conventional DEA model of hospitals.ResultsFrom the view of discrimination, the results of all models were left-skewed, the cost-efficiency model had the lowest left-skewed degree (skewness coefficient: -0.14) and was the flattest (kurtosis coefficient: -1.02). From the view of structure validity, the results of the cost-efficiency model were positively correlated with total weights, outpatient visits, and inpatient visits (r=0.328, 0.329, 0.315; P<0.05). From the perspective of content validity, the interpretation of model was more consistent with theory of production after revision of input and output indicators. From the view of reliability, the cost efficiency model had the largest correlation coefficient between the data of 2017 and 2018 (r=0.880, P<0.05).ConclusionsAfter refining the input and output indicators of the DEA model, the discrimination, validity, and reliability of the model are higher, and the results are more reasonable. Using indicators such as discrimination, validity, and reliability can measure the effectiveness of the DEA model, and then optimize the model by selecting different input and output indicators.
There are few researches on the modulation effect of transcranial direct current stimulation(tDCS) on complex spatial cognition. Especially, the influence of tDCS on the neural electrophysiological response in spatial cognition is not yet clear. This study selected the classic spatial cognition task paradigm (three-dimensional mental rotation task) as the research object. By comparing the changes in behavior and event-related potentials in different modes of tDCS before, during and after the application of tDCS, this study analyzed the behavioral and neurophysiological effects of tDCS on mental rotation. The comparison between active-tDCS and sham-tDCS showed no statistically significant difference in behavior between different stimulation modes. Still, the changes in the amplitudes of P2 and P3 during the stimulation were statistically significant. Compared with sham-tDCS, the amplitudes of P2 and P3 in active-tDCS mode showed a greater decrease during the stimulation. This study clarifies the influence of tDCS on the event-related potentials of the mental rotation task. It shows that tDCS may improve the brain information processing efficiency during the mental rotation task. Also, this study provides a reference for an in-depth understanding and exploration of the modulation effect of tDCS on complex spatial cognition.
ObjectiveTo investigate the distribution, service volume, and medical efficiency of private general hospitals in Sichuan Province to provide references for optimizing the allocation of health resources in Sichuan Province. MethodsUsing the 2020 data from private general hospitals above the second level in 18 cities and states in Sichuan Province, this study calculated the market concentration and competitiveness with the Herfindahl-Hirschman index (HHI). A three-stage data envelopment analysis (DEA) model was employed to eliminate environmental variables and random errors for hospital efficiency analysis. Influencing factors were conducted using a Tobit regression model. ResultsThe HHI indices for the number of licensed (assistant) physicians, beds, and total consultations in each city and state were below 1 000, indicating a low concentration market. The comprehensive technical efficiency, pure technical efficiency, and scale efficiency of private general hospitals above the second level in Sichuan Province were 0.534, 0.661, and 0.806, respectively, after the three-stage DEA analysis. The number of practicing (assistant) physicians was negatively correlated with scale efficiency. the number of beds was negatively correlated with pure technical efficiency. The total number of consultations showed a positive correlation with overall technical efficiency, pure technical efficiency, and scale efficiency. ConclusionThe provincial private hospital market exhibits low concentration competition. Differences in efficiency exist among various regions, grades, and hospital types. Market competition in resource allocation promotes the improvement of pure technological efficiency and scale efficiency. Market share competition hinders the improvement of comprehensive technical efficiency, pure technical efficiency, and scale efficiency.
Objective To analyze the current situation of the centralized treatment mode for daytime treatment (excluding daytime surgery) services in a large-scale military hospital, and provide practical support for the management and operation of the centralized treatment mode for daytime treatment. Methods Data on patients undergoing centralized daytime treatment in the Department of Ambulatory Medicine, First Medical Center of PLA General Hospital were retrospectively collected between February 7, 2021 and December 31, 2023. The patients’ condition, daytime treatment operation indicators, and quality control indicators were statistically analyzed. Results A total of 14903 patients underwent daytime treatment, including 8548 females and 6355 males. The patients’ age ranged from 18 to 74 years old. There were 9757 patients (65.47%) who had been hospitalized ≥ 2 times. The main payment method for patients was medical insurance (83.16%). Breast cancer accounted for the highest proportion (26.45%). The main treatment methods for patients were targeted therapy and immunotherapy (68.03%). The patients experienced a total of 1146 drug-related adverse reactions, mainly involving anti-tumor drugs. Among them, 15 cases were drug-related adverse reactions treated on the day of treatment, and the other 1131 cases were drug-related adverse reactions that occurred outside the hospital. After optimizing the entire process of daytime hospitalization (timed based treatment) in January 2023, compared to 2022, the average waiting time for patients after admission was reduced by 26.89%, the bed utilization rate increased by 9.09%, and patient satisfaction increased to 98.98%. In 2023, the default rate of daytime treatment was 1.15%, the cancellation rate of daytime treatment on the day of treatment was 4.39%, and the discharge follow-up rate reached 100%. Conclusions The daytime treatment under the centralized treatment mode in the the Department of Ambulatory Medicine, First Medical Center of PLA General Hospital focuses on breast cancer patients, and the main treatment methods are targeted therapy and immunotherapy. Time based treatment is beneficial for shortening the average waiting time of patients after admission, improving bed utilization and patient satisfaction.
ObjectiveTo measure the total factor productivity and its component changes of public secondary general hospitals in China from 2012 to 2018.MethodsFrom February to September in 2019, stratified systematic sampling method was used to collect the panel data of input and output indicators from 2012 to 2018 of 511 public secondary general hospitals in 5 provinces of China (Shandong, Hubei, Hainan, Anhui, and Shanxi), and Bootstrap-Malmquist-data envelopment analysis was used to calculate the total factor productivity and its component changes of the hospitals.ResultsFrom 2012 to 2018, the total factor productivity of the 511 public secondary general hospitals decreased by 0.22%, technical efficiency decreased by 5.24%, technical changes increased by 5.29%, pure technical efficiency decreased by 1.40%, and scale efficiency decreased by 3.89%, respectively.ConclusionsIn the past 7 years, the total factor productivity of public secondary general hospitals in China has declined slightly, mainly due to the decline of scale efficiency and pure technical efficiency, and the technological progress is the main reason for its improvement. The implications for the public secondary general hospitals are three folds: avoiding blind expansion and exploring optimum scale of beds, strengthening the internal fine management to improve the management practice and technical efficiency, and promoting technological progress by healthcare cooperating organizations.
The aim of this study is to explore the effects of continuous theta-burst transcranial magnetic stimulation (cTBS) on functional brain network in emotion processing. Before and after the intervention of cTBS over left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) of ten participants who were asked to perform the emotion gender recognition task, we recorded their scalp electroencephalograms (EEG). Then we used the phase synchronization of EEG to measure the connectivity between two nodes. We then calculated the network efficiency to describe the efficiency of information transmission in brain regions. Our research showed that after the intervention of cTBS and the stimulation of the emotion face picture, there was an obvious enhancement in the event-related spectral perturbation after stimuli onset in beta band in 100–300 ms. Under the stimulation of different emotion picture, the values of global phase synchronization for negative and neutral stimuli were enhanced compared to positive ones. And the increased small-worldness was found in emotional processing. In summary, based on the effect of activity change in the left DLPFC on emotion processing brain network, the emotional processing mechanism of brain networks were preliminary explored and it provided the reference for the research of emotion processing brain network in the future.
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are pluripotent stem cells with high self-proliferation and multidirectional differentiation potential. They also have other functions including immune regulation, paracrine and so on, playing an important role in repairing injured tissues. In recent years, a lot of research has been done on how MSCs promote skin injury repair, and a lot of progress has been made. Compared with direct injection of MSCs in the wound area, some special treatments or transplantation methods could enhance the ability of MSCs to repair skin injury. This paper mainly discusses the role of MSCs in skin injury repair and technical ways to improve its repairing capacity, and discusses the existing problems in this field and prospects for future research directions.
