Study Design and Population
DISEASES
Enrollment in Taiwan’s National Health Insurance program is mandatory for all residents; it is run by the Taiwanese government and covers 99% of Taiwan’s population. The National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) is comprehensive and includes information on medical procedures, prescriptions, and diagnoses in outpatient, inpatient, and emergency care. Individual medical records included in the NHIRD are anonymized to protect patient privacy. Diseases in the NHIRD were diagnosed and recorded using the 