• Quality Improvement in Health Care
• /
• v.2 no.1
• /
• pp.58-67
• /
• 1995

Background: This paper describes an effort to provide baseline informations for appropriate utilization of emergency room in a tertiary hospital. Methods: Authors have evaluated that the admissions in the emergency room were medically necessary by objective criteria, Appropriateness Evaluation Protocol(AEP), for one month in a tertiary hospital. Data were analysed by chi-square test and multiple logistic regression to exmaine statistical significances at the level of 0.05. Results: The prevalence of inappropriate decisions for admission was found to be 47.8%(154/322). Whether the physician decided the patient to admit or not was affected by type of services, number of departments involved, patients' medical condition, route of visit, and a day of the week visited. Level of appropriateness of admission is significantly related to patients' age, type of services, and a day of the week visited. Conclusion: We found that substantial proportion of admissions through emergency room are medically unnecessary and that non-medical factors are related to physician's for admission decisions and level of appropriateness of admission. This suggests that policy measures be required to relieve the overcrowding problem and to reduce non-emergent utilization of emergency room in a tertiary hospital.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
• /
• v.37 no.2
• /
• pp.84-95
• /
• 2012

Background: In Korea, private health insurance has neglected to induce externality on national health insurance by moral hazard. Therefore, we conducted this study in order to explore the influence of private health insurance on unnecessary medical utilization among patients with cervical or lumbar sprain. Method: The study examined a population of 449 patients (admission, 384; out-patient; 85) diagnosed with simple cervical or lumbar sprain without neurological symptoms at 20 small hospitals or clinics in Gwangju and Jeollanam provinces from Jul. 1 to Aug. 31 2008. The data were collected using structured, self-administrated questionnaire which collected information such as whether or not the patient was admitted (as a dependent variable), whether or not they had private health insurance (as a independent variable), and covariates such as socio-demographic characteristics, the factors related to the sprain, and characteristics of the insurance provider. Results: From hierarchical multiple logistic regression analysis, it was found that the admission rate of patient with private health insurance was higher than that those without it (Odds ratio=3.31, 95% Confidence interval; 1.14-9.58), meaning that private health insurance was an independent factor influencing the admission of patients with these conditions. Other determinants of admission were patient age and physician referral. Conclusions: This study is the first empirical study to explore the influence of private health insurance on inducing moral hazard in admission services, specifically among patients with cervical or lumbar sprain. Regulation of benefits provided by private health insurance may be necessary, as the effect of this moral hazard may mean existence of externality.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
• /
• v.17 no.8
• /
• pp.290-300
• /
• 2017

This study concerns whether the public spirit of medical services, which is the foundational goal of national hospitals, is being realized. To derive results regarding this question, it is necessary to identify the determinants that influence the choice of national hospitals. The data are based on the number of cases of medical service use among the data for 6 years from 2008 to 2013 in the Korea Medical Panel, and the subjects were limited to those who were 18 years old or older. In the final analysis, 14,365 cases of hospitalization service uses were employed. For the research method, Andersen's behavioral model theory was applied, and predisposing, enabling, and individual factors were determined to be variables. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to analyze the determinants of national hospital choice factors. It was found that the rate of use of national hospitals was very low, with 5.23% for hospitalization services. Furthermore, socioeconomically vulnerable people, such as the elderly, low-income people, the national meritorious and medical care beneficiaries, chronic patients, and disabled patients are more likely to choose national hospitals than private hospitals. Therefore, for the appropriate management of medical service use for low-income vulnerable groups, it is necessary to discuss the enhancement of primary medical care in national healthcare.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
• /
• v.11 no.5
• /
• pp.270-279
• /
• 2011

This study to analyze differences of cancer patient's health utilizations in medical aid program and national health insurance by analysing health insurance claims data, and identify effects of health care systems. The majors results of the research were as follows. First, cancer patients in medical aid program more used total medical expenditures than in national health insurance mostly by many outpatient visits and long term hospitalization. Second, results of multiple regression, cancer patients in medical aid program more used total expenditures and inpatient expenditures. But, outpatient expenditures weren't different, cancer patients in medical aid program more visited medical institutions and hospitalized long term periods than in national health insurance. Therefore, it is too early to conclude that moral hazard is in health utilizations of medical aid program, because cancer patients in medical aid program many use in benefits for many nonbenefit burdens.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.30 no.2 s.57
• /
• pp.437-461
• /
• 1997

Because of a significant improvement in the economic situation and development of scientific techniques in Korea during the last 30 years, the life expectancy of the Korean people has lengthened considerably and as a result, the number of the elderly has markedly increased. Such an increase of the number of aged population brought about many social, economic, and medical problems which were never seriously considered before. This study was conducted to assess the trend of medical care utilization and medical expenditure of the elderly. The data of each patient in the study were taken from computer database maintained for administrative purpose by the Korea Medical Insurance Corporation. The study population was 132,670 who were 60 years old or more and registered in Korean Medical Insurance Corporation from 1989 to 1993. The study subjects were predominantly female(56.3%) and 10,000-20,000 Won premium group(50.6%). The following are summaries of findings : The total increase of the number of inpatient cases was 40.5% from 1989 through 1993. The average annual increase was 3.7% in inpatient medical expenditures per case, 4.4% in inpatient medical expenditures per day and 0.08% in length of stay per case from 1989 through 1993. Cataract was the most prevalent disease of 10 leading frequent diseases in all ages from 1989 through 1993. The case mix in 1993 compared to 1989 revealed that cataract and ischemic cerebral disease were increased whereas essential hypertension and pulmonary tuberculosis were decreased . The average annual increase of medical expenditures was 3.8% in general hospitals, 6.3% in hospitals and 2.4% in clinics. From 1989 through 1993, medical expenditures used by high-cost patients accounted for about 14% to 20% of all expenditures for inpatient care, while they represented less than 2.5% of the elderly population. Time series analysis revealed that total medical expenditures and doctor's fee for inpatient will be progressively increased whereas drug expenditures for inpatient will be decreased. And there will be no change in length of stay. Based on the above results, the factors increasing medical cost and utilization should be identified and the method of cost containment for the elderly health care should be developed systematically.

• Proceedings of the KAIS Fall Conference
• /
• 2010.11b
• /
• pp.755-758
• /
• 2010

본 연구의 목적은 지방 환자의 서울 지역 입원진료의 추이를 파악하고 그 요인을 규명하는 데 있다. 이를 위해 2005년 및 2008년 환자조사 입원자료를 이용하였으며, 서울지역 거주 환자를 제외하고 2005년 333,280명, 2008년 419,873명을 연구대상으로 하였다. 자료분석은 기술통계, 카이제곱 검정, 로지스틱 회귀분석을 실시하였다. 2005년 대비 2008년 성별, 연령별, 의료기관 유형 등 일반적 특성의 분포는 유사한 것으로 나타났다. 지방 환자의 서울지역 이용은 다소 증가한 것으로 나타났으며, 서울 지역 입원진료는 남자, 중장년층 건강보험환자가 타기관에서 의뢰되어 외래를 통해 입원하며, 주 거주지가 경기, 강원, 충북, 충남, 제주지역 순으로, 광역시는 상대적으로 낮았다. 질병군별로는 선천성 기형, 신생물, 종양이나 수술후 추후치료, 눈 질환, 혈액 조혈 면역기 질환, 근골격계 질환 순으로 지방환자의 서울지역 의료기관 입원 이용률이 높았다. 그러나 상대적으로 지방 입원진료 확률이 높은 노년층, 의료급여, 응급경유, 질병군별로 중증도가 높은 환자가 혼재되어 있어 있을 가능성이 있어 향후 중증도 보정에 대한 심층 연구가 필요한 것으로 판단된다.

• Journal of the Health Care and Life Science
• /
• v.9 no.1
• /
• pp.95-102
• /
• 2021

This study analyzed all medical institutions located in the Yeongbuk area of Gangwon Province by dividing the use of medical institutions by "including nursing hospitals" and "excluding nursing hospitals" from 2003 to 2017. As a result, high blood pressure, dementia, musculoskeletal diseases, small-scale mechanical diseases, and other diseases were accounted for in the use of hospitalization for the elderly (including nursing hospitals) in the Yeongbuk region. In the case of hospitalization use of the elderly population (excluding nursing hospitals), blood and circulation machine diseases, digestive and urinary system diseases, mental diseases, and other diseases, including high blood pressure, were shown in the order. Therefore, the treatment and health care of the elderly are very important, and the expansion of public health organizations is necessary to establish governance with local medical institutions, organizations, universities, etc. Based on this, health projects should be carried out at a preventive level to maintain a healthy life for senior citizens in Yeongbuk, Gangwon-do.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
• /
• v.4 no.2
• /
• pp.222-228
• /
• 1997

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
• /
• v.21 no.4
• /
• pp.67-68
• /
• 2015

• Journal of Digital Convergence
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.413-422
• /
• 2012

In this study, we developed the severity-adjusted length of stay (LOS) model for acute myocardial infarction patients using data from the hospital discharge survey and proposed management of medical quality and development of policy. The dataset was taken from 2,309 database of the hospital discharge survey from 2004 to 2006. The severity-adjusted LOS model for the acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients was developed by data mining analysis. From decision making tree model, the main reasons for LOS of AMI patients were CABG and comorbidity. The difference between severity-adjusted LOS from the ensemble model and real LOS was compared and it was confirmed that insurance type and location of hospital were statistically associated with LOS. And to conclude, hospitals should develop the severity-adjusted LOS model for frequent diseases to manage LOS variations efficiently and apply it into the medical information system.