• Annals of Geriatric Medicine and Research
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.125-130
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• 2016

Background: Conventionally, elderly hip fracture patients are assessed by orthopedists to decide whether they need geriatric intervention. We aimed to evaluate the effect of perioperative geriatric intervention on healthcare outcomes in patients undergoing surgery for hip fractures. Methods: Our care model for hip fracture surgery resembles a combination of a routine geriatric consultation model and a geriatric ward model. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients aged ${\geq}65years$ undergoing surgery for hip fracture at a single tertiary hospital from January 2010 to December 2013. We assessed comorbidity, indwelling status, fracture type, and mode of anesthesia. We also evaluated in-hospital expenditure, duration of admission, disposition at discharge and 1-year mortality as clinical outcomes. We developed a propensity score model using the variables of age, cholesterol, and creatinine and examined the effect of perioperative geriatric intervention on intergroup differences of clinical variables. Results: Among 639 patients, 138 patients received the geriatric intervention and 501 patients received the usual care. Univariate analysis showed that factors such as age; Charlson comorbidity index; and serum levels of cholesterol, albumin, and creatinine differed significantly between these 2 groups. There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of 1-year mortality, disposition at discharge, and in-hospital expenditure in the propensity matched model. However, the duration of hospitalization was shorter in the intervention group ($8.9{\pm}0.8days$) than in the usual care group ($14.2{\pm}3.7days$, p=0.006). Conclusion: This care model of geriatric intervention for patients with hip fracture is associated with reduced hospitalization duration.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.205-215
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• 2022

Background: The purpose of this study is to identify the factors infecting the medical care utilization from a new perspective by newly classifying the categories of administrative districts using the urban decline index and medical vulnerability index as indicators. Methods: This study targeted 150,940 people who used medical services using the 2015 cohort database (DB), 2010-2015 urban regeneration analysis index DB, and 2014-2015 public health and medical statistics DB. The decline of the region was classified using the urban decline index typed using k-means clustering and the medical vulnerability index typed using the quantile score calculation. Regression analysis was performed 3 times with medical expenditure, length of stay, and the number of outpatient visits as dependent variables. Results: There were 37 stable region (47.4%), 29 health vulnerable region (37.2%), and 12 decline region (15.4%). The health vulnerable region had lower medical expenditure, fewer outpatient visits, and a higher length of stay than the stable region. The decline region was all higher than the stable region but had no significant effect. Conclusion: The factors that cause the health disparity between regions are not only factors related to individual health behavior but also environmental factors of the local community. Therefore, there is a need for a systematic alternative that properly considers the resources within the community and reflects the characteristics of the population.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.101-118
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• 2008

Japanese national health expenditure was 8.0% of GDP in 2004, and it was lower than average of OECD countries. But it has increased rapidly in recent years. Japan has relatively many acute care beds and high-price medical equipments, and the average length of stay is long. Japanese government is trying healthcare reform to contain healthcare expenditure, increase the efficiency of management and improve the quality of healthcare. As healthcare policies for hospitals such as DPC (Diagnosis Procedure Combination) for acute care beds, reduction of long-term care beds, and functional differentiation and liaison among healthcare institutions are implemented, the number of hospitals in financial difficulties is increasing. The serious situation urges hospitals to adapt to changes and search new directions of management. They need to establish and implement appropriate positioning strategy, and increase management efficiencies. Korean healthcare system has similarities with Japanese in many aspects. The recent reform and changes in Japanese healthcare system and hospitals give suggestions to Korean hospitals as to how they can prepare for environmental changes and improve management.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.21-28
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• 2008

The purposes of this study are to quantify energy expenditure by measuring oxygen consumption while performing occupational therapy activities most commonly used for adult hemiplegia patients, to recommend a optimal dosage of exercise by comparing energy expenditure according to the recovery stage, and to suggest a precaution in the treatment of patients with cardiac disorders. According to Brunnstrom recovery stages in hand function, subjects were allocated to group I(3rd and 4th Brunnstrom recovery stages) and group II(5th and 6th Brunnstrom recovery stages). Outcome measures included oxygen consumption, energy expenditure rate, and heart rate during each activity and in recovery period after the activity. Occupational activities including sanding activity, putty activity, and skateboard activity were carried out for all patients. In sanding and putty activities, there were significant differences of oxygen consumption and energy expenditure during the activity between groupⅠandⅡ(p<0.05), but there were not significant differences of oxygen consumption, energy expenditure and heart rate in the recovery period(p>0.05). In skateboard activity, there were no significant differences in oxygen consumption, energy expenditure and heart rates between the two groups during the activity and in the recovery period(p>0.05). The findings indicates that cardiovascular demands for basic activities usually peformed for a treatment may be depended on the physical recovery of patients with hemiplegia. Therefore, therapeutic activities for patients should be selected with the great care.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.44-55
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• 2019

Purpose: To investigate whether changes in Medical Aid (MA) status are associated with unmet need and catastrophic health expenditure (CHE). Methods: Data from the 2010 to 2014 Korea Health Panel (KHP) were used. The impact of changes in annual MA status ('MA to MA,' 'MA to MA Exit,' 'MA Exit to MA,' and 'MA Exit to MA Exit') on unmet need (all-cause and financial) and CHE (10% and 40% of household capacity to pay) were examined using the generalized estimating equation (GEE) model. Analysis was conducted separately for MA type I and II individuals. Results: In 1,164 Medical Aid type I individuals, compared to the 'MA to MA' group, the 'MA to MA Exit' group had increased likelihoods of all-cause and financial unmet need. This group also showed higher likelihoods of CHE at the 10% standard. The 'MA Exit to MA Exit' group showed increased likelihoods at the 10% and 40% CHE standards. In 852 type II recipients, the 'MA to MA Exit' group had higher likelihoods of CHE at the 10% standard. Conclusions: Type 1 MA exit beneficiaries had higher likelihoods of all-cause and financial unmet need, along CHE at the 10% standard. Type I 'MA Exit to MA Exit' beneficiaries also showed higher likelihoods of CHE at the 10% and 40% standards. In type II recipients, MA exit beneficiaries had higher likelihoods of CHE at the 10% standard. The results infer the importance of monitoring MA exit beneficiaries as they may be vulnerable to unmet need and CHE.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.97-108
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• 2011

Objective: This study aimed to analyze the utilization of Oriental medical services and its determinants among the elderly. Method: Data from a Korean longitudinal study of aging was used. Regression analysis was used to find the determinants of the utilization of medical care. Results: People with low education and low income were more likely to use Oriental medical services. Determinants of using Oriental health service were sex, marriage, income, subjective health condition, activity restriction due to pain, and chronic disease. Among them, only subjective health condition and activity restriction due to pain were significant determinants of frequency of and expenditure on Oriental medical services. Especially, activity restriction due to pain was a significant factor in the use of Oriental medical services, but not in the use of Western medical services. Conclusion: Treatment related to pain was closely associated with Oriental medical services. These treatments need to be developed with scientific and clinical evidence.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.129-137
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• 2020

Objectives: Using the annual data from the 2016 Korean Health Panel, this study aims to identify the factors that affect the dental utilization and expenditure of patients with chronic diseases, and to provide basic data to explain the inequality gap in dental utilization. Methods: The dental utilization and expenditure of 3,557 patients with chronic diseases were analyzedfor frequency using the SPSS Windows version 23.0 (SPSS Inc. IL, USA). Analysis of the factors that affect dental utilization and expenditure were performed using a multiple regression analysis. The level of statistical significance was 0.05. Results: The frequency of dental utilization in patients with chronic diseases was high for subjects who were younger than 65 years and those whose education level was below high school. The frequency of dental utilization was relatively lower for subjects who did not have disabilities and those with healthier subjective health status. The dental expenditure of patients with chronic diseases was higher in subjects who were younger than 65 years and those with greater household income. Conclusions: The above findings suggest that a plan is needed to control dental utilization by efficiently managing chronic diseases, and that a policy-based plan is needed to devise ways to supplement the uninsured medical expenses of dental care.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.25-52
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• 1993

Variation in the utilization of medical services is a very important issue in cost containment and quality assurance of health care. Practice variation directly affects health care expenditure especially in fee-for-service system, which is the payment system of health insurance in Korea. In addition to cost issue it is generally accepted that variations in medical practice and the cost of inpatient care suggest the possibility of inappropriate quality of care. This study is to closely examine the patterne and degrees of variation in cost structure of inpatient care among types of hospital and individual hospitals in some tracer diseases, and also to inquire into the service items which contribute much to the variation of total medical care cost. Foru common diseases, i.e. Cesarean Section, appendectomy, cataract extraction and pediatric pneumonia, were selected as tracer diseases. In most tracer diseases there were statistically significant differences in total medical care cost among hospitals in same type of hospital as well as among types of hospital(p<0.01). When total medical care cost were subdivided into the types of service, cost of medication and diagnostic examination varied the most prominenly. When the cost of medication were subdivided again, cost of parenteral antibiotics showed the most prominent variation. Of total medical care cost, medication was most contributory to the variation of total medical care cost(58.1~82.3%), and cost of antibiotics was most contributory to the variation of medication cost(63.9~92.2%). The results of study implicated that reducing the variation of medication may plays a significant role in containing the cost of inpatient care. In order to sort out the factors affecting practice variations including drug prescription pattes further researches are required.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.31-37
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• 1976

This study was conducted for the purpose of obtaining basic information on the patterns of medical care expenditures, and identifying some determinants of medical care expenditures in the rural Korea. Nine guns were chosen from the eight provinces, excluding Cheju island. One gun in each province and two villages were selected from the each myon or ub within the selected guns. The total number of households was 1,789 and the sample size was 9,826 non-institutionalized people. Followings are the major findings of the study : 1) Medical care expenditures increase proportionally with age in terms of cost per patient, per episode of illness, per treated case, and per person. Averagely, it cost 2,756 won per patient, 2,614 won per spell of illness, 4,361 won per treated case, and 413 won per person. 2) Medical care expenditures increase proportionally with educational level of patients. College graduates spent the most, 4,726 won per patient, 5,987 won per treated case, and 670 won per person. 3) The male spent a little more than the female in terms of per patient, per episode, and per person. For example, a male spent 23 won more than a female. 4) Those who were suffering from illnesses longer than 1 year spent three times more than that had illnesses of less than 1 year duration. 5) The simple correlation coefficient between activity restriction and medical care expenditures was the highest among others, 0.491. The next was 0.294 between duration of illness and medical care expenditures. 6) Attempts are made to identify the explanatory variables in medical care expenditures. Thirty one per cent of the variances in tile expenditures can be accounted for by the selected 15 predictors. Those predictors belonged to clinical renditions, such as activity restriction, duration of illness, and nature of conditions, are proved to be the most potent independent variabes. Level of education and monthly family income are also significant in terms of beta coefficient. Further studies are called for to unreveal the determinants of medical expenditures.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.29-48
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• 2012

The purpose of this study is to analyze medical expenses by decedents in their last year of life and compare them with those by survivors during the year 2008. This study is conducted firstly in Korea, except some studies focusing on medical cost of decedents from specific diseases. To study this, national health insurance(NHI) claims data was used with medicaid claims data. The study group(decedents) was selected from the insurance entitlement file who were dropped out from January to December of 2008. The control group(survivors) was selected from the entitlement file by stratified sampling with keeping age-sex composition of the study group. The medical expenses of decedents during one year before death were measured and compared with those of survivors by sex and age. And the medical expenses were analyzed by causes of death, and also the expenses were examined by each item of medical services. On average, the medical expense amounted to 11 million Korean Won per decedent during their last year of life in 2008. The medical expense per decedent was 9.3 higher than that of survivor. The death-related expense of under the age 35 was about 16 million Won, compared with 4 million Won in the case of over the age 95, in average. The death-related expense is higher in younger ages. This means that more medical resources are put in to save life in younger ages. Total death-related expenditure took 8.3 percent in total NHI expenditures. Of the death-related medical expenses, the largest one was injection-related cost which shares twenty five percent, and the second largest one was hospitalization charges, and then the third one was surgery cost. The results of this study suggested that we should pay attention to the medical expenses in the last of year of life when we study health care expenditure in Korea. In addition, we have to deliberate health care policy to cope with medical expenditures before death in more efficient way.