1.Practice of billable pharmacy service programs and billing in the United States
Lirong YANG ; Siyu LIU ; Shushan WU
China Pharmacy 2025;36(10):1161-1165
OBJECTIVE To introduce the characteristics and practice of billable pharmacy service programs in the United States, aiming to provide reference for the development of clinical pharmacy service and the establishment of corresponding billing criteria in China. METHODS By searching the official websites of American Pharmacists Association, American Society of Health- System Pharmacists, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the PubMed database, the contents of American billable pharmacy service programs, corresponding service billing criteria, the approaches to being paid as pharmacists and the clinical practice evidence were summarized. RESULTS Current major billable pharmacy service programs implemented in the United States included medication therapy management, outpatient pharmacy service, transition of care management, chronic disease management, annual wellness visits, as well as diabetes self-management training/education. Except for diabetes self-management training/education, which lacked robust data on practice outcomes, all other programs mentioned above were demonstrated to have positive impact on patient outcomes, reducing health care cost and/or generating revenues. The most common approaches for pharmacists to obtain reimbursement were “incident to” billing and using procedure codes. CONCLUSIONS Billable pharmacy practice programs in the United States are achieving progress in service specialization and billing standardization. China can learn from successful cases in the United States while considering its own national context, with the ultimate goal of improving the overall health outcomes of patients, so that pharmacy services can become an important part of the medical service system.
2.Analysis of the correlation between the clinical features of 1 865 children and adolescents with supernumerary teeth and the selection of anesthesia methods
ZHANG Yaqiu ; FENG Caihua ; LIANG Lirong ; LIU Fei ; WU Long ; WANG Peijuan ; GAO Zhenzhen ; LIU Bing
Journal of Prevention and Treatment for Stomatological Diseases 2024;32(12):954-962
Objective:
To retrospectively analyze the epidemiological characteristics of supernumerary teeth in patients aged 4-18 years old and the influencing factors on the selection of anesthesia methods, and to provide a reference for the selection of anesthesia plans for children and adolescents with supernumerary teeth.
Methods:
This study is a retrospective study approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee. Based on clinical electronic medical record system and cone beam CT (CBCT) data, a retrospective analysis was conducted on 2 210 patients 4-18 years of age who underwent supernumerary tooth extraction at the School of Stomatology, Fourth Military Medical University from August 2019 to July 2021. Inclusion criteria: ① Age 4-18 years old; and ② The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classifies anesthesia into grades I-II; and ③ Have complete oral and anesthesia case records and relevant imaging data. Exclusion criteria: ① Incomplete medical records or unclear imaging data; and ② Patients with ASA grade II or above. Patients’ gender and age, the number of supernumerary teeth, arch, location, orientation, eruption status, reason for appointment, anxiety level, degree of cooperation, anesthesia method, and other relevant information were collected and statistically analyzed.
Results:
A total of 1 865 eligible patients were included, with an average age of (8.9±3.2) years old. There were more male patients (71.37%, 1 331 cases) than female patients (28.63%, 534 cases) (P < 0.001), with a gender ratio of 2.49:1. The majority of supernumerary teeth were single (75.97%, 1 417/1 865), primarily located in the maxilla (97.2%, 1 812/1 865) and the anterior dental region (94.2%, 1 757/1 865), and in a centric position (77.3%, 1 442/1 865). The majority of patients with erupted supernumerary teeth were active in seeking treatment (97.67%, 335/343). Patients with supernumerary teeth located in the maxilla and mandible bones, as well as in the nasal floor, were mainly referred to the department for diagnosis, accounting for 94.38%(1 361/1 442) and 90.00% (72/80) (χ2=1 363.24, P < 0.001), respectively. Regarding anesthesia methods, the largest proportion of patients received nitrous oxide sedation-assisted local anesthesia or nerve block anesthesia, accounting for 38.07% (710/1 865), followed by local anesthesia, accounting for 35.23% (657/1 865). The proportion of patients receiving midazolam intravenous sedation with local anesthesia or nerve block anesthesia and general anesthesia was relatively small, accounting for 20.86% (389/1 865) and 5.84% (109/1 865). Patients 13-18 years of age with supernumerary teeth in the mandibular and posterior regions and without anxiety had the highest proportion of local anesthesia use (P < 0.001). In contrast, patients who had supernumerary teeth located at the base of the nose (50%), severe anxiety (94.12%), and poor cooperation (98.18%) had the highest proportion of general anesthesia use (P < 0.001). There was no significant difference (P = 0.35) in the incidence of intraoperative and postoperative complications after the extraction of supernumerary teeth. However, the proportion of anesthesia-related complications, such as dizziness, coughing, and respiratory depression, occurring in patients who received general anesthesia was higher than local anesthesia, accounting for 3.81% (P = 0.006).
Conclusion
There is a gender difference in the incidence of supernumerary teeth in patients 4-18 years of age, with a higher prevalence in males. The majority of supernumerary teeth are single and located in the maxillary anterior region, predominantly in a centric position. Patients whose teeth had erupted were more likely to seek medical treatment voluntarily, while patients with supernumerary teeth located in the maxilla and mandible bones, as well as in the nasal floor were more likely to be referred to the department. Patients with high levels of anxiety, poor cooperation, young age, multiple teeth, and high surgical difficulty were more inclined to choose general anesthesia.
3.Study of metabolic association between elevated fasting blood glucose and cognitive deterioration
Lirong WU ; Ruihua CHEN ; Xiaowen CHAO ; Yuhuai GUO ; Tao SUN ; Mengci LI ; Tianlu CHEN
Journal of Shanghai Jiaotong University(Medical Science) 2024;44(2):212-222
Objective·To analyze and explore the influencing factors that lead to cognitive deterioration in individuals with elevated fasting blood glucose(FBG)and the metabolic clues associated with changes in the risk of cognitive deterioration.Methods·Data from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative(ADNI)database were downloaded,and the samples with FBG and follow-up data were selected from the database.Clinical information,including age,gender,body mass index,education years,apolipoprotein E4(APOE4)genotype and race,and corresponding metabolic indicator data,including amino acids,fatty acids,proteins and others were obtained.Based on the FBG levels and diagnosis of cognitive impairment stages in Alzheimer's disease,the subjects were categorized into four groups:normal FBG without/with cognitive deterioration,and elevated FBG without/with cognitive deterioration.The univariate analysis method,the Cox proportional hazards model,orthogonal projections to latent structures discriminant analysis(OPLSDA),and Spearman correlation analysis were employed for data analysis.Results·A total of 1 317 subjects were included,among which 1 153 had normal FBG level(>3.9 mmol/L and<6.1 mmol/L)and 164 had elevated FBG level(≥6.1 mmol/L).In the normal FBG group,275 subjects showed cognitive deterioration,while in the elevated FBG group,53 subjects showed cognitive deterioration.Univariate analysis revealed significant differences in gender and race between the normal FBG and elevated FBG group,and significant differences in age,gender,and APOE4 genotype between the groups with and without cognitive deterioration(all P<0.05).Cox regression analysis indicated that primary influencing factors for cognitive deterioration were APOE4 positivity,elevated FBG,and increasing age in order(HR=2.22,HR=1.38,HR=1.02;all P<0.05).In the analysis of baseline metabolic indicators in the groups without and with cognitive deterioration,as well as metabolic indicators before and after cognitive deterioration at different FBG levels,the results of the analysis of variance revealed that in the cognitively deteriorated population,the ratio of phospholipids carried by high-density lipoproteins(HDL)to total lipids was significantly higher;low-density lipoprotein(LDL)particle concentration and the lipids carried by LDL were significantly higher after cognitive deterioration.Correlation analysis showed that valine and leucine were significantly correlated not only with FBG level but also with phosphorylated tau(pTau)level in the plasma in the cognitively deteriorated population.Cholesterol and the ratio of phospholipids to total lipids carried by HDL were significantly correlated with pTau levels in cerebrospinal fluid(CSF).Conclusion·Compared to the individuals with normal FBG level,those with high FBG level have a significantly higher risk of cognitive deterioration.Additionally,different metabolic indicators show significant differences between the groups without and with cognitive deterioration,as well as metabolic indicators before and after cognitive deterioration at different FBG levels.Overall,LDL and its lipid content,and HDL-carried phospholipids show an increasing trend during cognitive deterioration,and the branched-chain amino acids valine and leucine are significantly correlated with pTau levels in CSF and plasma,suggesting that these metabolic markers may play an important role in cognitive deterioration.
4.Visualization Analysis of Studies on Prediction Models in Field of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Chengyang JING ; Zeqi DAI ; Xue WU ; Le ZHANG ; Lirong LIANG ; Xing LIAO
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2024;30(14):209-217
ObjectiveBased on knowledge mapping, the studies on prediction models in the field of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) were visually analyzed, which provided a reference basis for the excavation and evolution of the future research direction by combing the development process and summarizing the research hotspots and dynamic trends. MethodChina National Knowledge Infrastructure and Web of Science Core Collection databases were searched to obtain studies on prediction models in the field of TCM from inception to February 28, 2023. Endnote X20 software was used for document management. Knowledge mapping generated by CiteSpace software and VOSviewer software was used to visually analyze the characteristics of publication, institutional cooperation relationship, author cooperation network, co-citation, and keywords. ResultA total of 264 pieces of Chinese literature and 266 pieces of English literature were included, and the overall number of research publications showed an increasing trend year by year. The cooperation relationship between the issuing institutions showed obvious regional characteristics, with the closest cooperation relationship between the universities of TCM and their affiliated hospitals, as well as secondary units subordinate to scientific research institutions. The number of research teams and team members publishing papers in English was higher, and cooperation between different teams was more frequent. Groundbreaking and/or referential studies were widely cited and referred to. The highly cited literature was mainly published in complementary and alternative medicine journals and pharmaceutical journals. Research hotspots mainly focused on clinical prediction models of TCM, quantitative models of TCM, and specific modeling methods. The application of artificial intelligence technologies such as machine learning and deep learning in the field of TCM will be the most cutting-edge research direction in the future. ConclusionThe field of TCM is paying more and more attention to the studies on prediction models, while the research cooperation mode involving multiple organizations and teams has increasingly become the mainstream. With the continuous development of multi-disciplinary integration, studies on prediction models are closely related to the development and rise of innovative techniques and methods, and any breakthrough in theory or application will induce and guide a new round of research upsurge. Systematic reviews of topic-specific prediction models should be carried out in the future to provide evidence-based evidence.
5.Effect and safety of immunotherapy on pregnancy outcome in patients with RPL
Huibo RU ; Jiuhua DONG ; Chun WU ; Xiu WANG ; Shusong WANG ; Lirong DU
Chinese Journal of Immunology 2024;40(1):152-155,162
Objective:To evaluate clinical efficacy and safety of immunotherapy by retrospectively analyzing clinical medica-tion of patients with recurrent pregnancy loss(RPL)complicated with abnormal immune factors.Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted on RPL cases in outpatient department of Hebei Reproductive Health Hospital from January 2021 to April 2022.Efficacy and safety of immunotherapy were evaluated from pregnancy outcome,adverse reactions and birth defects of offspring.Results:According to guidelines,192 cases with abnormal autoimmunity and/or immune indicators were included.Early abortion rate was 4.16%in group of two lost pregnancies,which was lower than that in group of three lost pregnancies(16.66%).Twelve week sus-tained pregnancy rate was 89.58%in the former group,and 28 week sustained pregnancy rate was 86.45%,which were significantly higher than those in the latter group(75.00%,71.87%).RPL patients were divided into groups according to their exposure to immuno-modulatory drugs before 12 weeks of pregnancy.There was no significant difference in pregnancy outcome,adverse reaction rate and birth defect rate of their offspring(P>0.05).Conclusion:Immunotherapy can effectively reduce risk of recurrent abortion and increase rate of persistent pregnancy in patients with immune RPL.Personalized immunotherapy can make RPL patients with immune factors achieve expected effect of fetal protection.
6.Clinical Significance of Peripheral Blood Immune Cell Population Detection in Diagnosis and Treatment of Unexplained Recurrent Spontaneous Abortion
Yang YANG ; Huibo RU ; Kun XU ; Chun WU ; Shusong WANG ; Lirong DU
Journal of Practical Obstetrics and Gynecology 2024;40(9):745-750
Objective:To detect the expression levels of various immune cells in peripheral blood,and to ex-plore their relationship with unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion(URSA)and its clinical significance in di-agnosis and treatment.Methods:A total of 351 patients with URSA who visited Hebei Reproductive Health Hospi-tal between January 2020 and September 2022 were enrolled as the URSA group,while a control group compri-sing 30 healthy women who had experienced uncomplicated term delivery once and had no history of adverse pregnancy outcomes during the same period was selected.The levels of various immune cell subsets in peripheral blood during the luteal phase were measured and compared between the two groups.Receiver operating charac-teristic(ROC)curve analysis was performed to determine the optimal cutoff values of immune cell levels that could assist in URSA diagnosis and treatment,while logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors influ-encing URSA occurrence.Results:The number and percentage of CD3+CD8+cells in the peripheral blood of the URSA group were significantly lower compared to those in the control group(P<0.05).Conversely,the per-centage of NK cells was significantly higher in the URSA group than in the control group(P<0.05).Logistic re-gression analysis revealed that the increase in CD3+CD8+cell count in peripheral blood during the luteal phase was a protective factor of URSA(OR<1,P<0.05).ROC curve analysis determined optimal cutoff values for im-mune cell levels to assist in the diagnosing and treating URSA:702.82 cells/μl for CD3+CD8+cell count,28.39%for CD3+CD8+cell percentage,and 12.33%for NK cell percentage.After using the optimal cutoff value to convert continuous variables into binary variables,Logistic regression analysis showed that a CD3+CD8+cell count<702.82 cells/μl and an NK cell percentage>12.33%were independent risk factors for URSA(OR>1,P<0.05).Conclusions:The decrease of CD3+CD8+cells in peripheral blood during midluteal phase is closely related to the occurrence of URSA.The number of CD3+CD8+cells(702.82 cells/μl)and the percentage of NK cells(12.33%)can be used as reference values for the diagnosis and treatment of URSA.
7.Clinical Significance of Peripheral Blood Immune Cell Population Detection in Diagnosis and Treatment of Unexplained Recurrent Spontaneous Abortion
Yang YANG ; Huibo RU ; Kun XU ; Chun WU ; Shusong WANG ; Lirong DU
Journal of Practical Obstetrics and Gynecology 2024;40(9):745-750
Objective:To detect the expression levels of various immune cells in peripheral blood,and to ex-plore their relationship with unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion(URSA)and its clinical significance in di-agnosis and treatment.Methods:A total of 351 patients with URSA who visited Hebei Reproductive Health Hospi-tal between January 2020 and September 2022 were enrolled as the URSA group,while a control group compri-sing 30 healthy women who had experienced uncomplicated term delivery once and had no history of adverse pregnancy outcomes during the same period was selected.The levels of various immune cell subsets in peripheral blood during the luteal phase were measured and compared between the two groups.Receiver operating charac-teristic(ROC)curve analysis was performed to determine the optimal cutoff values of immune cell levels that could assist in URSA diagnosis and treatment,while logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors influ-encing URSA occurrence.Results:The number and percentage of CD3+CD8+cells in the peripheral blood of the URSA group were significantly lower compared to those in the control group(P<0.05).Conversely,the per-centage of NK cells was significantly higher in the URSA group than in the control group(P<0.05).Logistic re-gression analysis revealed that the increase in CD3+CD8+cell count in peripheral blood during the luteal phase was a protective factor of URSA(OR<1,P<0.05).ROC curve analysis determined optimal cutoff values for im-mune cell levels to assist in the diagnosing and treating URSA:702.82 cells/μl for CD3+CD8+cell count,28.39%for CD3+CD8+cell percentage,and 12.33%for NK cell percentage.After using the optimal cutoff value to convert continuous variables into binary variables,Logistic regression analysis showed that a CD3+CD8+cell count<702.82 cells/μl and an NK cell percentage>12.33%were independent risk factors for URSA(OR>1,P<0.05).Conclusions:The decrease of CD3+CD8+cells in peripheral blood during midluteal phase is closely related to the occurrence of URSA.The number of CD3+CD8+cells(702.82 cells/μl)and the percentage of NK cells(12.33%)can be used as reference values for the diagnosis and treatment of URSA.
8.Clinical Significance of Peripheral Blood Immune Cell Population Detection in Diagnosis and Treatment of Unexplained Recurrent Spontaneous Abortion
Yang YANG ; Huibo RU ; Kun XU ; Chun WU ; Shusong WANG ; Lirong DU
Journal of Practical Obstetrics and Gynecology 2024;40(9):745-750
Objective:To detect the expression levels of various immune cells in peripheral blood,and to ex-plore their relationship with unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion(URSA)and its clinical significance in di-agnosis and treatment.Methods:A total of 351 patients with URSA who visited Hebei Reproductive Health Hospi-tal between January 2020 and September 2022 were enrolled as the URSA group,while a control group compri-sing 30 healthy women who had experienced uncomplicated term delivery once and had no history of adverse pregnancy outcomes during the same period was selected.The levels of various immune cell subsets in peripheral blood during the luteal phase were measured and compared between the two groups.Receiver operating charac-teristic(ROC)curve analysis was performed to determine the optimal cutoff values of immune cell levels that could assist in URSA diagnosis and treatment,while logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors influ-encing URSA occurrence.Results:The number and percentage of CD3+CD8+cells in the peripheral blood of the URSA group were significantly lower compared to those in the control group(P<0.05).Conversely,the per-centage of NK cells was significantly higher in the URSA group than in the control group(P<0.05).Logistic re-gression analysis revealed that the increase in CD3+CD8+cell count in peripheral blood during the luteal phase was a protective factor of URSA(OR<1,P<0.05).ROC curve analysis determined optimal cutoff values for im-mune cell levels to assist in the diagnosing and treating URSA:702.82 cells/μl for CD3+CD8+cell count,28.39%for CD3+CD8+cell percentage,and 12.33%for NK cell percentage.After using the optimal cutoff value to convert continuous variables into binary variables,Logistic regression analysis showed that a CD3+CD8+cell count<702.82 cells/μl and an NK cell percentage>12.33%were independent risk factors for URSA(OR>1,P<0.05).Conclusions:The decrease of CD3+CD8+cells in peripheral blood during midluteal phase is closely related to the occurrence of URSA.The number of CD3+CD8+cells(702.82 cells/μl)and the percentage of NK cells(12.33%)can be used as reference values for the diagnosis and treatment of URSA.
9.Clinical Significance of Peripheral Blood Immune Cell Population Detection in Diagnosis and Treatment of Unexplained Recurrent Spontaneous Abortion
Yang YANG ; Huibo RU ; Kun XU ; Chun WU ; Shusong WANG ; Lirong DU
Journal of Practical Obstetrics and Gynecology 2024;40(9):745-750
Objective:To detect the expression levels of various immune cells in peripheral blood,and to ex-plore their relationship with unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion(URSA)and its clinical significance in di-agnosis and treatment.Methods:A total of 351 patients with URSA who visited Hebei Reproductive Health Hospi-tal between January 2020 and September 2022 were enrolled as the URSA group,while a control group compri-sing 30 healthy women who had experienced uncomplicated term delivery once and had no history of adverse pregnancy outcomes during the same period was selected.The levels of various immune cell subsets in peripheral blood during the luteal phase were measured and compared between the two groups.Receiver operating charac-teristic(ROC)curve analysis was performed to determine the optimal cutoff values of immune cell levels that could assist in URSA diagnosis and treatment,while logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors influ-encing URSA occurrence.Results:The number and percentage of CD3+CD8+cells in the peripheral blood of the URSA group were significantly lower compared to those in the control group(P<0.05).Conversely,the per-centage of NK cells was significantly higher in the URSA group than in the control group(P<0.05).Logistic re-gression analysis revealed that the increase in CD3+CD8+cell count in peripheral blood during the luteal phase was a protective factor of URSA(OR<1,P<0.05).ROC curve analysis determined optimal cutoff values for im-mune cell levels to assist in the diagnosing and treating URSA:702.82 cells/μl for CD3+CD8+cell count,28.39%for CD3+CD8+cell percentage,and 12.33%for NK cell percentage.After using the optimal cutoff value to convert continuous variables into binary variables,Logistic regression analysis showed that a CD3+CD8+cell count<702.82 cells/μl and an NK cell percentage>12.33%were independent risk factors for URSA(OR>1,P<0.05).Conclusions:The decrease of CD3+CD8+cells in peripheral blood during midluteal phase is closely related to the occurrence of URSA.The number of CD3+CD8+cells(702.82 cells/μl)and the percentage of NK cells(12.33%)can be used as reference values for the diagnosis and treatment of URSA.
10.Clinical Significance of Peripheral Blood Immune Cell Population Detection in Diagnosis and Treatment of Unexplained Recurrent Spontaneous Abortion
Yang YANG ; Huibo RU ; Kun XU ; Chun WU ; Shusong WANG ; Lirong DU
Journal of Practical Obstetrics and Gynecology 2024;40(9):745-750
Objective:To detect the expression levels of various immune cells in peripheral blood,and to ex-plore their relationship with unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion(URSA)and its clinical significance in di-agnosis and treatment.Methods:A total of 351 patients with URSA who visited Hebei Reproductive Health Hospi-tal between January 2020 and September 2022 were enrolled as the URSA group,while a control group compri-sing 30 healthy women who had experienced uncomplicated term delivery once and had no history of adverse pregnancy outcomes during the same period was selected.The levels of various immune cell subsets in peripheral blood during the luteal phase were measured and compared between the two groups.Receiver operating charac-teristic(ROC)curve analysis was performed to determine the optimal cutoff values of immune cell levels that could assist in URSA diagnosis and treatment,while logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors influ-encing URSA occurrence.Results:The number and percentage of CD3+CD8+cells in the peripheral blood of the URSA group were significantly lower compared to those in the control group(P<0.05).Conversely,the per-centage of NK cells was significantly higher in the URSA group than in the control group(P<0.05).Logistic re-gression analysis revealed that the increase in CD3+CD8+cell count in peripheral blood during the luteal phase was a protective factor of URSA(OR<1,P<0.05).ROC curve analysis determined optimal cutoff values for im-mune cell levels to assist in the diagnosing and treating URSA:702.82 cells/μl for CD3+CD8+cell count,28.39%for CD3+CD8+cell percentage,and 12.33%for NK cell percentage.After using the optimal cutoff value to convert continuous variables into binary variables,Logistic regression analysis showed that a CD3+CD8+cell count<702.82 cells/μl and an NK cell percentage>12.33%were independent risk factors for URSA(OR>1,P<0.05).Conclusions:The decrease of CD3+CD8+cells in peripheral blood during midluteal phase is closely related to the occurrence of URSA.The number of CD3+CD8+cells(702.82 cells/μl)and the percentage of NK cells(12.33%)can be used as reference values for the diagnosis and treatment of URSA.


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