For years, Taiwan has been confronting great challenges because of our rapid aging population, dropping fertility, and lasting socioeconomic inequity in health care utilization. To respond to these social challenges, we have been investigating health system problems aggravated by such population transition, making efforts to identify potential policy directions and creating tools that may facilitate health system reforms. We have also been examining health inequality issues in order to shed light on targets of effective inequity reduction in health. Our effort over the past few years can be manifested by the following achievements:

We have created a set of information inquiry tools in the internet inquiry system, the PC software package, the Android App, and the iOS App, with a goal to make the database system a helpful instrument for aiding decision-making in regard to appropriate use of invasive mechanical ventilation care.

1. Chen L, et al. 2016. The Taiwan Mechanical Ventilation Performance Database System. Currently available at: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/6143561/NHRI-2016/en_index.html (Accessed: 4 April 2016). (To be later available at a website of National Health Research Institutes.)
2. Chen L, et al. 2016. The Taiwan Mechanical Ventilation Performance Database System: one off-line inquiry package for the PC system, and two Apps for the Android system and the iOS system. To be available at a website of National Health Research Institutes.

We have generated a series of articles to provide insightful information on conditions affecting prognosis following invasive mechanical ventilation use, in order to advance knowledge for better decision-making on invasive mechanical ventilation use, as well as more effective secondary prevention for reducing incidence of invasive mechanical ventilation.

1. Shih CY, Hung MC, Lu HM, Chen L, Huang SJ, Wang JD. Incidence,life expectancy and prognostic factors of cancer patients under prolonged mechanical ventilation: A nationwide analysis of 5,138 cases during 1998-2007. Critical Care 2013; (4).
2. Lu HM, Chen L, Wang JD, et al. Outcomes of prolonged mechanic ventilation: a discrimination model based on longitudinal health insurance and death certificate data. BMC Health Services Research 2012; 12(article number 100.)
3. Chao CT, Hou CC, Wu VC, Lu HM, Wang, CY, Chen L, Kao, TWl. The impact of dialysis-requiring acute kidney injury on long-term prognosis of patients requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation: Nationwide population-based study. PloS one 2012; (12)
4. Lai CC, Wang CY, Lu HM, Chen L, et al. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in Taiwan – A population-based study. Respiratory Medicine 2012; 106(11): 1566-74.
5. Hung MC, Lu HM, Chen L, et al. Life expectancies and incidence rates of patients under prolonged mechanical ventilation: A population-based study during 1998 to 2007 in Taiwan. Critical Care 2011; (2):R107.

We have devoted efforts to investigating socioeconomic inequality in prognosis and incidence of acute severe clinical conditions, as well as socioeconomic inequality in healthcare use for severe chronic diseases, aiming to identify targets of inequality reduction.

1. Wang CY, Wang JY, Teng NC,…, Chen L, et al. The secular trends in the incidence rate and outcomes of Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest in Taiwan-A nationwide population-based study. PloS one 2015; 10(4):e0122675.
2. Chen YJ, Yang CC, Huang LC, Chen L, Hwu CM. Increasing trend in emergency department visits for hypoglycemia from patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Taiwan. Primary Care Diabetes 2015; 9(6): 490-6.
3. Hsu CC, Lee CH, Wahlqvist ML,…, Chen L, Shih SF, Shin SJ…et al. Poverty increases type 2 diabetes incidence and inequality of care despite universal health coverage. Diabetes Care 2012; 35(11): 2286-92.

We have produced a series of policy reports on healthcare workforce management and development, aiming to throw light onto future scenarios of healthcare workforce misdistribution and directions of modification action plans.

1. Hsiung CA. 2016. Research of Healthcare Manpower Development-Ophthalmologist, Physical Therapist and Medical Radiation Technologist. (in process)
2. Hsiung CA. 2016. Research of Psychologist Manpower Development.
3. Hsiung CA & Yeh MC. 2016. Evaluation of Nursing and Midwife Workforce for Next Decade.
4. Hsiung CA. 2015. Impact Evaluation of Resident Physicians Applying to Labor Standard Act.
5. Hsiung CA. 2014. Workforce Projection for Physicians, Surgeons, Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Pediatricians, and Emergency Medical Specialists, and Study of Medical Students’ Career Preference.
6. Hsiung CA. et al., 2013. Workforce Projection for Doctor of Medicine in Taiwan.
7. Chang Y-H, Shiu M-N, Hsiung CA. Planning and evaluation in health workforce development: Projection for the pharmacy workforce in Taiwan. Journal of the Formosan Medical Association 2013; 112(12): 733-4.
8. Hsiung CA. et al., 2012. The traditional Chinese Doctor Workforce: Human Resource Development and Forecasting.
9. Chen L. et al., 2012. Workforce Projection for Respiratory Therapists.
10. Hsiung CA. 2011. Workforce Projection for Pharmacist in Taiwan, 2011-2020.
11. Pan WH. et al., 2011. Workforce Projection for Dietician in Taiwan, 2011-2020.