Abstract
Using interrupted time-series analysis and National Health Insurance data between January 2000 and August 2003, this study assessed the impacts of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic on medical service utilization in Taiwan. At the peak of the SARS epidemic, significant reductions in ambulatory care (23.9%), inpatient care (35.2%), and dental care (16.7%) were observed. People's fears of SARS appear to have had strong impacts on access to care. Adverse health outcomes resulting from accessibility barriers posed by the fear of SARS should not be overlooked.
MeSH terms
-
Ambulatory Care / economics
-
Ambulatory Care / statistics & numerical data
-
Ambulatory Care / trends
-
Cost of Illness
-
Dental Care / economics
-
Dental Care / statistics & numerical data
-
Dental Care / trends
-
Disease Outbreaks / economics
-
Disease Outbreaks / statistics & numerical data*
-
Fear*
-
Forecasting
-
Health Expenditures / statistics & numerical data
-
Health Expenditures / trends
-
Health Services / economics
-
Health Services / statistics & numerical data*
-
Health Services / trends
-
Health Services Accessibility / economics
-
Health Services Accessibility / statistics & numerical data
-
Health Services Accessibility / trends
-
Health Services Research
-
Hospitalization / economics
-
Hospitalization / statistics & numerical data
-
Hospitalization / trends
-
Humans
-
Insurance Claim Reporting / economics
-
Insurance Claim Reporting / statistics & numerical data
-
Insurance Claim Reporting / trends
-
Longitudinal Studies
-
Medicine, Chinese Traditional / trends
-
National Health Programs / economics
-
National Health Programs / statistics & numerical data
-
National Health Programs / trends
-
Patient Acceptance of Health Care* / psychology
-
Patient Acceptance of Health Care* / statistics & numerical data
-
Population Surveillance
-
Regression Analysis
-
Seasons
-
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / economics
-
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / epidemiology*
-
Taiwan / epidemiology