The strategic alliance of the biotechnology firm

This article applies the relevant theories of firm organization and inter-firm relationships in the high-tech environment to explain the institutional reasons that firms choose between internal or external approaches. Particularly, this study tries to understand to what extent and in what way strategic alliances have impacts on individual firms' organizational structure, financial structure and firms' activities. Also it tries to find out what type of firms tend to benefit most from alliances, and thus use more inter-firm agreements. The theoretical findings are that due to liquidity constraint and asymmetric information reasons, young, research-intensive firms need to use more alliances to survive in the fast changing high-technology industry. The empirical analysis employs 3 year panel data and finds that the results are consistent with the theoretical predictions.

The Impact of Cost-Containment Schemes on Outpatient Services for Schoolchildren with Refractive Errors in Taiwan—A Population-Based Study

Objectives: Extant research on cost-sharing finds no impact on health care utilization when the amount is insubstantial. This research investigates the effects on nonacute outpatient services for schoolchildren with refractive errors in Taiwan and discusses the potential harm caused by cost sharing and relevant cost containment policies. Methods: Longitudinal claims data from the National Health Insurance database are employed. District demographic information is also used for aggregate-level analyses. Interventional modeling is conducted on pooled individual-level data with a Poisson model and negative binomial models. Generalized least square modeling is performed on aggregate district-level data to elucidate the impacts of cost sharing and the reimbursement rate with controls for patient and institutional characteristics, district socioeconomic factors, and competitiveness among institutions. Results: The findings of this study show that cost sharing does not significantly affect children’s utilization of outpatient services in the patient-level analyses. However, it significantly decreases the service volume based on the results of district aggregate analyses. There are potentially marginal patients in society, and they are more likely to be girls in poorer families, whose chances of seeking medical care significantly decrease when cost sharing increases. Conclusions: The gap in health inequity can be widened when stringent cost-containment policies are implemented. The offset effect caused by delayed care may also result in higher health care expenditures later. Cost sharing for children should be separately and prudently designed to better protect them from deprivations caused by changes in health policies

Study of Patients’ Willingness to Pay for a Cure of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Taiwan

Objectives: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is one of the fastest growing causes of death worldwide. However, few studies, if any, have been conducted that have investigated patient profiles in Asia. This paper analyzes patient willingness to pay (WTP) as a function of patient disease severity, health-related quality of life (HRQL), and smoking behavior in Taiwan. Study Design: A cross-sectional survey was conducted using in-person interviews with COPD patients. A hypothetical scenario was designed and presented to ascertain each subject’s willingness to pay (WTP) for a cure for COPD. Methods: A survey of subjects with COPD was performed in Taiwan. The contingent valuation method (CVM) was employed to measure patient financial burden, which was analyzed along with covariates that included various types of health-related quality of life (HRQL), severity level, and demographic background. Multivariate regression and simulation methods were employed for analysis. Results: A total of 142 subjects were interviewed, with an average annual WTP of approximately $1422 USD (or 42,662.37 NTD, New Taiwan Dollars). The annual WTP for patients 55 years of age or younger,$5709.06, was the highest and equivalent to approximately one-third of Taiwan average annual personal income or quadruple the spending amount of the Taiwan National Bureau of Health Insurance (NBHI) for each COPD patient. Current cigarette smokers were willing to pay a substantially higher amount than former smokers and nonsmokers, which reflects a psychological desire for redemption in COPD patients. Conclusions: The results of this study provide directions for the relevant authorities regarding the alleviation of suffering as a result of COPD. Appropriate health promotion measures, such as measures to reduce tobacco usage, early diagnosis, and active treatment, may be necessary to contain the escalating costs related to COPD and to prevent this epidemic from worsening

Demographics, Socioeconomic Context, and the Spread of Infectious Disease: The Case of COVID-19

Importance: Due to the evolving variants of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), it is important to understand the relationship between the disease condition and socioeconomic, demographic, and health indicators across regions. Background: Studies examining the relationships between infectious disease and socioeconomic variables are not yet well established. Design: A total of 3042 counties in the United States are included as the observation unit in the study. Two outcome variables employed in the study are the control of disease spread and infection prevalence rates in each county. Method: Data are submitted to quantile regression, hierarchical regression, and random forest analyses to understand the extent to which health outcomes are affected by demographics, socioeconomics, and health indicators. Results: Counties with better control of the disease spread tend to have lower infection rates, and vice versa. When measuring different outcome variables, the common risk factors for COVID-19 with a 5% level of statistical significance include employment ratio, female labor ratio, young population ratio, and residents’ average health risk factors, while protective factors include land size, housing value, travel time to work, female population ratio, and ratio of residents who identify themselves as mixed race. Conclusions: The implications of the findings are that the ability to maintain social distancing and personal hygiene habits are crucial in deterring disease transmission and lowering incidence rates, especially in the early stage of disease formation. Relevant authorities should identify preventive factors and take early actions to fight infectious diseases in the future

The Effectiveness of Drinking and Driving Policies for Different Alcohol-Related Fatalities: A Quantile Regression Analysis

To understand the impact of drinking and driving laws on drinking and driving fatality rates, this study explored the different effects these laws have on areas with varying severity rates for drinking and driving. Unlike previous studies, this study employed quantile regression analysis. Empirical results showed that policies based on local conditions must be used to effectively reduce drinking and driving fatality rates; that is, different measures should be adopted to target the specific conditions in various regions. For areas with low fatality rates (low quantiles), people’s habits and attitudes toward alcohol should be emphasized instead of transportation safety laws because “preemptive regulations” are more effective. For areas with high fatality rates (or high quantiles), “ex-post regulations” are more effective, and impact these areas approximately 0.01% to 0.05% more than they do areas with low fatality rates