Ku, Li-Jung Elizabeth

Despite international guidelines advising against percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) as the primary treatment for stable chronic coronary syndrome (CCS), real-world evidence regarding its utilization and cost-effectiveness in Taiwan remains lacking. This two-year retrospective study addresses this gap by leveraging nationwide National Health Insurance (NHI) claims and hospital medical records from 2010 to 2022. The first phase aims to analyze the temporal and regional trends of non-acute PCI expenditures and validate CCS diagnostic algorithms across ICD transitions. The second phase will employ propensity score matching to compare clinical outcomes—such as mortality and myocardial infarction—and calculate the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) between PCI and non-PCI patient cohorts. Ultimately, this research provides vital real-world evidence to evaluate whether current PCI practices align with cost-effectiveness thresholds, thereby supporting the sustainability of Taiwan's healthcare system.

This study utilizes health insurance database analysis to conduct a technological assessment of out-of-pocket expenses for orthopedic and cardiology medical specialties, so that healthcare providers and consumers not only know the price of specialties, but also understand the relative efficacy of the price, so as to use precise and cost-effective medical devices, enhance the value of healthcare, and promote the optimal sharing of healthcare decisions.

This research project aims to promote public awareness and understanding of dementia among two target groups: financial staff and general public. The first step is to develop a validated instrument to measure dementia awareness and establish a Chinese version of the dementia awareness and friendliness scale (DAFS) suitable for use by the general public. For this purpose, a preliminary test and modification of the DAFS will be conducted with financial staff, representing a prevalent segment of the general public in the country. Subsequently, we will employ the questionnaire to assess the current level of dementia friendliness in the banking industry in Taiwan and develop corresponding educational materials. Following this, we will promote dementia-friendly training for financial staff. Simultaneously, we will compile the study results and relevant overseas reports to develop localized guidelines for dementia-friendly financial services.