Maintaining Quality of Care among Dialysis Patients in Affected Areas after Typhoon Morakot

Chia-Ming Chang, Tzu-Yuan Stessa Chao, Yi-Ting Huang, Yi-Fang Tu, Tzu-Ching Sung, Jung- Der Wang and Hsin-I Shih
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Chia-Ming Chang: Department of Geriatrics & Gerontology, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Tainan 70403, Taiwan
Tzu-Yuan Stessa Chao: Department of Urban Planning, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan
Yi-Ting Huang: School of Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan
Yi-Fang Tu: School of Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan
Tzu-Ching Sung: School of Medicine for International Students, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 82445, Taiwan
Jung- Der Wang: Department of Public Health, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan
Hsin-I Shih: School of Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 14, 1-13

Abstract: Natural disasters have negative health impacts on patients who need dialysis in affected areas. Severely affected areas are usually rural, with limited basic infrastructure and a population without optimal dialysis-specific care after a disaster. A population-based longitudinal case–cohort study enrolled 715,244 adults from the National Health Insurance Registry who lived in areas affected by a major natural disaster, Typhoon Morakot, in 2009. The observation period was from 2008 to 2011. A total of 13,268 patients (1.85%) had a history of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Of the ESRD patients, 1264 patients (9.5%) received regular dialysis. Only eight patients missed dialysis sessions in the first month after the disaster. Compared to the moderately affected areas, the incidences of acute cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases were higher in patients in severely affected areas. Male dialysis patients aged 45–75 years had a higher mortality rate than that of the general population. Among the affected adults receiving regular dialysis, patients with diabetes (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR): 1.58, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.20–2.08) or a history of cerebrovascular disease (aHR: 1.58, 95% CI: 1.12–2.21), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or asthma (aHR: 1.99, 95% CI: 1.24–3.17) in moderately affected areas had significantly elevated mortality rates. Additionally, among dialysis patients living in severely affected areas, those with a history of cerebrovascular disease (aHR: 4.52 95% CI: 2.28–8.79) had an elevated mortality rate. Early evacuation plans and high-quality, accessible care for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases are essential to support affected populations before and after disasters to improve dialysis patients’ health outcomes.

Keywords: disaster; typhoon; flood; elderly; dialysis; end-stage kidney disease (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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