- 8130 cases of influenza over 2-year period (2015 through 2017) among the beneficiaries of the Third-Party Payers Contracted with GlobeMed Lebanon
- 7% of influenza deaths happened in the elderly over 65 years
- Swine flu tests are essential for the elderly suffering from flu symptoms
Beirut 15 November, 2018: A study conducted by the medical team at GlobeMed Lebanon, one of the companies within GlobeMed Group, the leading healthcare management group in the Middle East and Africa, about Influenza cases among beneficiaries of the third party payers contracted with GlobeMed Lebanon, revealed that 8130 cases were admitted to hospitals due to Influenza symptoms over 2-year period (2015 through 2017) with a mortality rate reaching 5.7% in the elderly population and 0.4% in the younger group under 65 years of age.
The study comes in the midst of global reports urging the need to properly diagnose the symptoms of influenza, especially in the elderly, and conduct all the necessary tests, including swine flu (H1N1), for proper treatment prescription. Hence, this will prevent the incidence of complications particularly among the elderly. In this regard, most third party payers contracted with GlobeMed Lebanon provides the insurance cover for influenza H1N1 tests as well as the flu vaccine for beneficiaries holding insurance policies with inpatient or outpatient cover.
Under the supervision of Dr. Helene Bekhazi, the Medical Director at GlobeMed Lebanon, the study demonstrated that over 76.5 % of the cases belonged to the age group under 65, and 23.5% over 65 years. The study team found that nearly 2.3% (44 patients out of 1915) in the elderly group had been tested for H1N1. Five cases were found positive, requiring a special treatment protocol which resulted in the recovery of all cases. In contrast, only 3.1 % of the age group under 65-year-old (196 patients out of 6215) were tested for H1N1, 11 of which were found positive. All these cases were recovered except for one case.
As for the mortality rate, it reached 5.7% among the elderly and 0.4% under 65 years. However, it is notable that all these cases were not tested for H1N1. Although the study cannot confirm or deny the presence of H1N1 flu in any of these cases, but it draws a question mark regarding the procedures followed to diagnose influenza and accordingly the tests required by healthcare providers. Since different types of flu share common symptoms, the patient or doctor cannot diagnose the H1N1 flu based on the complaint of the patient only; tests and laboratory tests are required to diagnose the H1N1 or any other type of influenza.
GlobeMed Lebanon encourages all its clients’ beneficiaries to take the flu vaccine and conduct all the necessary tests of influenza, particularly that most third-party payers working with GlobeMed Lebanon provide the required coverage for such tests.
About GlobeMed Lebanon sal
Backed up by 26 years of experience and know-how, GlobeMed Lebanon sal is the leading healthcare benefits management and Third-Party Administration (TPA) Company in Lebanon. The company is part of a network of 12 franchised companies spread across the Middle-Eastern and African territories, in Lebanon, Ivory Coast, Iraq, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Bahrain, Jordan, Palestine, Egypt and Nigeria. The region’s fastest growing group in healthcare now offers international and automated cross border services to over 3.2 million lives, through a network that exceeds 500,000 medical providers worldwide.
GlobeMed Lebanon offers support to insurance companies, mutual funds, and large employer schemes with highly advanced tools and services, such as underwriting & policy administration, providers’ network management, approvals & claims processing, settlement to providers and reconciliation, customer services and business intelligence services. It also offers a complete standalone PBM solution designed to improve the value of pharmacy benefits plans. Moreover, GlobeMed Lebanon provides innovative and comprehensive services to manage its clients’ complex needs, such as actuarial and international health services.
With impeccable human and technical skills GlobeMed Lebanon offers its stakeholders state-of-the-art solutions and tailor-made services. In fact, and over the past 26 years, the company has lived up to its promise of improving healthcare services to more than 33 client insurers and 400,000 insured members. It is now registered under number 955 with a paid-up capital of 210,000,000 Lebanese Pounds.
Inspired by its aim to move from sick care to healthcare, and to instill a culture of prevention in society, GlobeMed Lebanon provides stakeholders with GoodCare Clinics, an open network of quality physicians and health professionals who create wellness programs that are designed to improve health and fitness through the promotion of a balanced lifestyle and a healthy workplace environment, as well as the early detection of diseases.