Patterns of Psychiatric Outpatient Practice in Taiwan: A Nationwide Survey

Ying-Xiu Dai, Mu-Hong Chen, Tzeng-Ji Chen and Ming-Hwai Lin
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Ying-Xiu Dai: Department of Family Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, No. 201, Sec. 2, Shi-Pai Road, Taipei 112, Taiwan
Mu-Hong Chen: School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, No. 155, Sec. 2, Linong Street, Taipei 112, Taiwan
Tzeng-Ji Chen: Department of Family Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, No. 201, Sec. 2, Shi-Pai Road, Taipei 112, Taiwan
Ming-Hwai Lin: Department of Family Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, No. 201, Sec. 2, Shi-Pai Road, Taipei 112, Taiwan

IJERPH, 2016, vol. 13, issue 10, 1-10

Abstract: (1) Background: Limited studies have utilized nationwide data to assess the patterns of psychiatric practice in other countries. In this study, data from the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan (NHIRD-TW) for 2012 was analyzed to determine the patterns of psychiatric outpatient practice in Taiwan; (2) Methods: To determine the patterns of psychiatric outpatient practice in Taiwan, the data were drawn from the datasets of Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database for 2012, with 619,760 records of outpatient visits representing 1/500 of all the claims in Taiwan for that year. The analysis of psychiatric outpatient visits included patient demographics, diagnoses, and prescribed medications; (3) Results: Neurotic disorders were the most prevalent diagnoses (43.1%, n = 5714). Hypnotics-sedatives and anxiolytics were prescribed in 51.7% (n = 6850) and 39.1% (n = 5181) of psychiatric visits, respectively, with zolpidem being the most commonly prescribed drug (22.6%, n = 2998); and (4) Conclusion: Hypnotics and sedatives were widely prescribed for the outpatient population, and zolpidem had the highest annual prevalence of use. These findings deserve the attention of clinicians and policy makers for monitoring the abuse and dependence of these agents and subsequent adverse events.

Keywords: national health programs; physician’s practice patterns; psychiatry; Taiwan (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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