• Health Policy and Management
• /
• v.19 no.4
• /
• pp.53-65
• /
• 2009

Purpose: This study was conducted to identify the prenatal heath care utilization and expenditure among pregnant women. Method: This was a 5-month follow-up study using a stratified sampling and the data were drawn from the "nationwide claim database of Korean National Health Insurance Corporation". Result: This study found that pregnant women were first diagnosed with pregnancy when they were 7.1 weeks pregnant, received 12.7 times of prenatal examinations and 10.6 times of ultrasonogram. It was revealed that 67.5% of the subjects continued to receive prenatal care at the same medical institutions from the diagnosis of pregnancy to the delivery. The study also showed that the total expenditure of prenatal care per pregnant woman was 700,000 Korean Won (KRW) on average and the insurance coverage rate stood at only 20%. Pregnant women living in metropolitan area spent more on prenatal healthcare expenditure than those who living in medium-sized city or rural area. Conclusion: The results of this study implies that the government needs to provide pregnant women with continuous support by increasing health insurance coverage for prenatal care. Especially, it is considered to provide more support to the pregnant women residing in medically underserved areas.

• The Journal of the Society of Korean Medicine Diagnostics
• /
• v.18 no.3
• /
• pp.187-204
• /
• 2014

Objectives This study examined the perception and current utilization of Korean medical clinics in South Korea, focusing on university students in their 20s who live in Seoul. In addition, this study investigated methods for improving positive perception on korean medical clinics. Methods The questionnaire consisted of preference, reliability, professionalism, and modernity of korean medical clinics based on previous researches. The data was collected from 203 students of 6 different universities in Seoul through a direct survey from 4th September to 7th September 2013. The collected data were analyzed by the frequency analysis. Results According to the survey, the university students in Seoul have few chances to visit korean medical clinics, and they do not have enough information about korean medical treatment. Also, only few of them have recognized existence of research on korean medical treatment, and most of them request that korean medical care need to be scientifically proven. Conclusion The study implied that if the perception of preference, reliability, professionalism, and modernity regarding korean medical clinics develops by promoting research achievements, an increasing number of university students in their 20s will take korean medical care.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
• /
• v.27 no.3
• /
• pp.272-283
• /
• 2016

Purpose: This is a comparative study using secondary data from the Korean national long term care (LTC) insurance. Methods: Visiting nursing (VN) service users (n=666) and non-users (n=4,375) were extracted and compared in terms of medical expenditures, length of hospitalization, and annual number of ambulatory care visits to investigate effects of VN services in LTC. Results: Total health care expenditures were compared between the two groups and it was found that VN service users spent about $ 1700 than non-users for their medical costs between 2009 and 2011. The average length of in-hospital stay for VN service users was 19.4 days shorter than that of non-users. However, using VN services did not significantly influence the annual number of ambulatory care visits. Conclusion: The study has found that VN services are effective ways of providing community-based LTC services. We recommend LTC policy makers to further utilize VN services to deliver cost effective health care services.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.47 no.6
• /
• pp.327-335
• /
• 2014

Objectives: Several epidemiological studies on medical care utilization prior to suicide have considered the motivation of suicide, but focused on the influence of physical illnesses. Medical care expenditure in suicide completers with non-illness-related causes has not been investigated. Methods: Suicides motivated by non-illness-related factors were identified using the investigator's note from the National Police Agency, which was then linked to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment data. We investigated the medical care expenditures of cases one year prior to committing suicide and conducted a case-control study using conditional logistic regression analysis after adjusting for age, gender, area of residence, and socioeconomic status. Results: Among the 4515 suicides motivated by non-illness-related causes, medical care expenditures increased in only the last 3 months prior to suicide in the adolescent group. In the younger group, the proportion of total medical expenditure for external injuries was higher than that in the older groups. Conditional logistic regression analysis showed significant associations with being a suicide completer and having a rural residence, low socioeconomic status, and high medical care expenditure. After stratification into the four age groups, a significant positive association with medical care expenditures and being a suicide completer was found in the adolescent and young adult groups, but no significant results were found in the elderly groups for both men and women. Conclusions: Younger adults who committed suicide motivated by non-illness-related causes had a higher proportion of external injuries and more medical care expenditures than their controls did. This reinforces the notion that suicide prevention strategies for young people with suicidal risk factors are needed.

• Health Policy and Management
• /
• v.31 no.4
• /
• pp.531-543
• /
• 2021

Background: Population aging is a serious problem in Korea. And we have experienced a rapid increase in the health expenditures of the elderly. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the effect of having a usual source of care (USC) for the elderly. Methods: This study used the Korea Health Panel Survey data of 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, and 2018. The sample was the person who answered the USC questions among the elderly. The panel logit model was used to analyze the determinants of having USC and the panel simultaneous equation model was used to analyze the effect of having USC among the elderly on the medical expenses, medical utilization, and subjective health status. Results: The estimation result shows that age, income, marriage, and so forth turn out to be the factors of having USC. Having the clinic level USC is estimated to reduce the health care utilization and the health expenditure and to improve the subjective health status. Conclusion: It is expected that the result of our analysis will provide evidence for encouraging having USC.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
• /
• v.3 no.2
• /
• pp.1-23
• /
• 1999

The purpose of this paper is to survey the current status of service utilization in oriental medicine, to identify the determinants of consumers' decision in the service utilization, and then suggest policy implications for promoting the consumers' utilization. A multiple regression model was adopted to analyze the factors that influence consumer's decision in purchasing the oriental medical services. Data used in this research relied on National Survey Data conducted by Korea Institute of Health and Social Affairs, and sampling survey. The results could be summarized as follows.: 1. the number of visits to oriental medical institutions has shown an overall increase during the last decade since the inception of health insurance for oriental medical services. It still, however, revealed a relatively iow figure to western medical services. 2. the main factors, after controlling demographic variables, that determine consumers' selection between oriental medical services and western medical services are considered to be price, belief in effectiveness of services, waiting time for service. Implications for policy recommendation include 1. to reduce a barrier to service utilization by discounting dramatically the price of herb medicine, which is believed to be crucial in expanding market share, 2. to encourage consumer's belief in clinical effectiveness through a specialization in competitive services compared with wertern medicine, 3. to keep the affirmative image among consumers alive through an active participation of oriental medical doctors in community activities, 4 to change the health care system in favor of oriental medicine in the long run.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.30 no.4 s.59
• /
• pp.764-778
• /
• 1997

To find the medical insurance utilization of workers when suffering from low back pain, an analysis was made toward the data of medical insurance benefits matched with the general characteristics of 10,183 workers, who were registered continuously from 1993 to 1995 at a medical insurance cooperation for industrial workers. The results were as follows; 1. The period prevalence of the medical insurance utilization for low back pain for 3 years from 1993 to 1995 was calculated as 17.1% for male workers and 19.4% for female workers. Most common cause of utilization was other dorsopathies including the herniation of lumbar discs. 2. The utilization rate increased significantly as the present age and the age joining the company got older(p<0.001). As the duration of employment got longer, the utilization rate of the male showed the tendency to increase and that of the female increased significantly(p<0.05). Among male workers employed at cement and concrete manufacturing companies showed higher utilization rate and among female laborers showed significantly higher utilization rate than clerical workers(p<0.01). 3. Annual utilization rate for low back pain didn't show any difference, but the portion of other dorsopathies among cause of utilization showed the tendency to increase from 1993 to 1995. 4. The mean number of claims for outpatient medical care for low back pain differed significantly by age, working duration, type of industries, income level(p<0.05), and the mean of total visiting days for care of low back pain differed significantly by working duration. In conclusion, considering the fact that the medical insurance utilization for low back pain increased annually and other dorsopathies including the herniation of dorsopathies were increasing, an effective preventive or management program for low back pain toward worker employed at industries were required.

• Journal of Home Health Care Nursing
• /
• v.26 no.1
• /
• pp.36-50
• /
• 2019

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to analyze the status quo of hospital-based home care utilization in Korea from 2008 to 2017. Methods: Data from a total of 1,396 medical institutions, 350,390 patients, and 3,563 home care nurses were analyzed using claim data from the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service. Results: The number of hospital-based home care agencies decreased from 177 in 2008 to 115 in 2014. This number started to increase in 2015 and reached 179 in 2017. The number of hospital-based home care patients declined from 35,056 in 2008 to a low of 26,848 in 2013. This number started to increase in 2014 and reached 67,863 in 2017. Essential hypertension was the most common disease among hospital-based home care patients from 2008 to 2015. The number of hospital-based home care visits declined from about 500,000 in 2008 to a low of 362,000 in 2013. This number started to increase in 2014 and reached 658,000 in 2017. Conclusion: It is necessary to vigilantly monitor hospital-based home care agencies, patients, and the utilization of services. This may help establish platforms for providing community and home-based nursing services for the super-aged society in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
• /
• v.30 no.1
• /
• pp.65-81
• /
• 2013

Objectives: The present study was carried out to develop and evaluate comprehensive health care program to prevent infectious disease and promote health in child-care centers by Doctor of Korean medicine. Methods: A nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design study was conducted on 568 children and 85 child care teacher at 12 child care facilities for 12 weeks from July to October 2012. The program was consist of management, education, screening under concepts of traditional preventive medicine, Yangsaeng and Chimibyeong. Children's medical utilization due to infectious disease and attendance means functional status were measured by reports from parents. The Difference in difference(DID) estimator was applied data analysis, and added Zero-inflated negative binomial regression model. Also, attitudes on the infection of teacher was measured and analyzed through t-test. Results: After the intervention, the total medical utilization due to infectious disease decreased, but not significantly. Total absence, early leave and lateness decreased significantly. But, Attitude on the infection of child care teacher was not changed. The parent's satisfaction showed positive overall. Conclusions: The intervention program may be effective in preventing infectious disease and managing health in child-care center partially. To measure long-term effect, long-term study improved is requested.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
• /
• v.19 no.2
• /
• pp.260-269
• /
• 2008

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify differences in health status and the utilization of long-term care service between urban and rural aged residents in Korea. Methods: Through convenience sampling, 1,405 elders (829 from urban areas and 576 from rural areas) were selected during March 1 to May 31 in 2004. All the subjects agreed to participate and filled out the survey questionnaire after signing the consent form. The instruments utilized in this study were the impairment of physio-sensory function, ADL IADL, cognitive function, and psycho-social function scale. This instrument was developed by modifying the scab developed by Gurland & Wilder (1984). Data was analyzed using the SPSS Win program. Results: There were significant differences in economic status, duration of living and type of medical insurance between rural and urban elderly(p<.05). Physio-sensory functions (t=4.53. p<.001), ADL (t=3.61. p<.001), IADL (t=2.45, p=.014), cognitive functions (t=-2.63. p=.024) and psycho-social functions (t=3.69. p<.001) were significantly different between the two groups. The utilization of long-term care facility in the urban elderly was significantly higher than that in the rural elderly ($x^2=10.14$, p<.001). Conclusion: Considering these findings. the need for long-term care should be assessed by residence characteristics. Because of different utilization of long term care facility according to the elderly's needs, long-term care services should be considered the residence characteristics.