• Health Policy and Management
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.328-334
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• 2021

Background: This study was conducted to investigate factors related to unmet medical needs of medical care in adult diabetes patients and to suggest factors related to unmet medical in Korea. Methods: This study used data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHNES) 2014-2017. The subjects of the study were conducted on patients with unmet medical needs experience among the patients and analyzed using the IBM SPSS ver. 25.0 program (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Results: Overall, 10.9% of patients had unmet medical needs. Being female, less educated, and lower medical aid were related to unmet medical needs. And subjects with poor subjective health and higher stress level were more likely to report unmet medical needs. Conclusion: Although comprehensive health insurance coverage, 10.9% of people with diabetes experienced unmet healthcare needs. The results of this study suggest that socioeconomic factors such as low education and medical aid were associated with unmet medical needs.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.62-72
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• 2023

Based on the basic ideology of health care, this study realized the seriousness of annual unmet medical need and conducted a study to confirm the relationship between the subjective perception of regional healthcare environment and unmet medical needs. The independent variable was classified into attitude 'satisfaction' and 'unsatisfaction' toward regional healthcare, and the dependent variable was classified as whether unmet medical needs occurred annually. Based on previous studies, the control variables were selected as demographic and socioeconomic characteristics that can affect the occurrence of unmet medical care annually and characteristics related to health behavior. Descriptive statistics were conducted for each variable on the extracted sample, and multivariate survey logistic regression analysis was conducted to confirm the association between variables. As a result, more unmet medical needs occurred annually than those who were satisfied with the medical services in the area where they lived. In addition, more unmet medical need occurred annually in "unsatisfied" households compared to households "satisfied" with local medical services. In residential areas, women live in "metropolis" and "rural areas" compared to "urban," women live in men, lower education levels, and poor subjective health levels, and less satisfied with local medical services. As such, the impact of environmental factors in the community on the use of health and medical services is one of the major areas of interest in the field of health science, such as health policy and social dynamics. Therefore, hospitals in each region need to make efforts in terms of hospital management to increase the overall satisfaction of medical services in the region by continuously monitoring the attitude of residents to achieve universal health security, and policymakers should also be interested and propose new policies.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.125-132
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• 2023

Objectives: This study used the 2018 Korea Health Panel Survey data to analyze factors affecting employment status and income relating to unmet dental and medical care needs. Additionally it investigated measures to reduce oral health inequality among various socioeconomic classes. Methods: Descriptive statistics for the subjects' unmet dental and medical care needs were calculated through chi-square test analysis, and multivariate logistic regression analysis was applied to identify factors affecting the unmet dental and medical care needs. The odds ratio and 95% confidence interval were calculated for each level. These data were analyzed using STATA 17.0 SE (64-bit) version, and the statistical significance level was set to p<0.05. Results: As a result of unmet dental and medical care needs according to general characteristics, the lower the education level (p<0.001), the higher the age (p<0.001) and the lower the household equalization income (p<0.024) and the smoker status (p<0.003) were, respectively. Factors that have a statistically significant impact on unmet dental and medical care needs were divorce, separation and bereavement (p<0.001) in individuals than in married persons, and being smokers than non-smokers (p<0.009). The frequency of unmet dental and medical care needs were found to be lower in the cases of a high school graduate than an elementary school graduate (p<0.018), and of higher household equalization income (p<0.001) than the lowest household equalization income, respectively. Conclusions: It was found that various factors such as age, education level, household equalization income, employment status, type of working hours type, and smoking status affect unmet dental and medical care needs.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.17-27
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• 2023

Objectives : This study aimed to analyze the factors influencing Korean medical utilization among persons with unmet healthcare needs. Methods : This study utilized Korea Health Panel data in 2019, with 10,771. We performed a t-test and ANOVA on the difference in general characteristics between Korean medical utilization and unmet healthcare needs. Logistic regression analysis and generalized linear model analysis were conducted to analyze on factors affecting the Korean medical utilization by people with unmet healthcare needs. Results : Among people with unmet healthcare needs, the variables influencing Korean medical utilization were western medical utilization, gender, education level, musculoskeletal disease, and other chronic diseases. The more people with unmet healthcare needs, the more likely they were to use Korean medicine. As a result of logistic regression analysis, the influencing factors on Korean medical utilization were analyzed for people with unmet healthcare needs, and the higher the household income, the more musculoskeletal diseases, and the higher the probability of using Korean medicine. Conclusions : Korean medicine has a large proportion of musculoskeletal disease, so it was found that musculoskeletal diseases have an impact. In addition, considering that household income is an important factor in the influencing factor of unmet healthcare needs, it is necessary to increase the use of Korean medicine by those with low household incomes.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.81-93
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• 2015

This study investigated the prevalence of unmet needs for health care among Korean adults and related factors. Using data from the 2012 Korea Health Panel, 1,896 adults aged 65 and over and two age groups(Young-Old(66-74) and Old-Old($65{\leq}$)) were analyzed to identify these factors. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the main factors associated with unmet medical needs. According to the results of this study, the factors influencing unmet medical needs with regard to economic factors were Subjective Health Status(young-old), Disability(young-old), Activity Limitation(young-old), Education Level(old) and Economic Activity(old). The factors influencing unmet medical needs were factors of attitude, information, and disease. factors were Disability(young-old), Activity Limitation(young-old), Education Level(old) and Economic Activity(old). Therefore, further research that investigates unmet needs depending on age group in the elderly would suggest helpful policy implications.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.17 no.12
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• pp.535-543
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• 2019

This study was conducted to investigate factors related to Unmet Medical Needs of Injury Patient and to suggest factors, and the subjects of the study were conducted on 2,169 patients with Unmet medical needs experience among those who responded to the National Health and Nutrition Survey. Data were frequency percentage, Chi-square test, and multiple regression analysis, which were analyzed using SPSS/WIN 23.0 Program. The more stressed, the more depressed, the more thingking of suicide, the more factors related to unmet medical needs. It is expected that this will contribute to improving the medical utilization system and making policy decisions to prevent Unmet medical needs in the future.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.26 no.11
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• pp.201-208
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• 2021

The purpose of this study is to investigate factors affecting unmet medical care in elderly hypertensive patients. The purpose of this study was to understand the reasons for unmet medical care in elderly hypertensive patients over 65 years of age and to identify the characteristics of each type to improve the medical use system and to contribute to policy making so that unmet medical care does not occur. Using data from the 7th period of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2016, 2017), 23 sample households were selected using the phylogenetic extraction method among appropriate households and analyzed using the SPSS 18.0 Program. As a result of the study, the unmet medical care of those who had suicidal thoughts compared to those who had not had suicidal thoughts in the past year, when females were higher than males, had worse subjective health status, those who did not subscribe than those who had private insurance, and those who had smoked in the past year. The experience rate was high. This is considered to be able to contribute to improving the medical service system and making policy decisions so that unmet medical care does not occur in the future.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.117-129
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• 2016

Objectives : This study investigated the prevalence of unmet health care needs among Korean adults and related factors. Methods : The study participants were adults over the age of 20 mental health experience from the Korea Health Panel in 2012(n=4,730). Statistical analysis methods used in this study were the ${\chi}^2$-test, Logistic Regression Analysis and other basic statistics such frequency-and percentage using SPSS version 22.0. Results : (1)Significant variables of stress: Factors were age, economic activity, subjective health status, and activity limitation. (2)Significant variables of depression: Factors were age, income class(low) and activity limitation. (3)Significant variables of suicidal impulse: Factors were age, chronic diseases, income class, and activity limitation. Conclusions : Stress, depression, and suicidal impulse can be unmet medical factors; therefore improvement measures and mental health counseling programs in response to suicide impulses, should be developed. Thus there is a need for a health sciences approach.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.35-47
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• 2018

Background: The purpose of this study is to elucidate the context of medical experience and the perception of unmet healthcare of elderly people with chronic diseases based on in-depth interview data. Methods: We carried out in-depth interviews with 10 elderly people with chronic diseases using semi-structured questionnaires based on literature review. The in-depth interview data were analyzed using thematic analysis; one qualitative research methodology, three core meaning categories, and four attributes associated with unmet healthcare were ultimately derived. Results: The context of the medical experience were based on the following three categories: (1) discomfort due to diseases and high medical needs, (2) the poor community medical environment and difficulties in accessing to metropolitan medical institutions, and (3) inconvenience caused by long waiting time and side effects of medicine. In addition, the elderly with chronic disease realized the unmet healthcare as (1) the availability related to the desired medical institutions at the right time, (2) the affordability related to their economic capacity, (3) the effectiveness of the medical services they experienced, and (4) the appropriateness related to receiving medical services in a pleasant environment. Conclusion: The perception of unmet healthcare among the elderly with chronic disease is the result of interaction of multi-level and multi-dimensional factors related with their medical experience.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.273-294
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• 2023

Background: Most developed countries are working to improve their universal health coverage systems. This study investigates regional disparities in unmet healthcare needs and their causes in South Korea. Additionally, it compares the unmet healthcare needs rate in South Korea with that of 33 European countries. Methods: The analysis incorporates information from 13,359 adults aged 19 or older, using data from the Korea Health Panel. The dependent variables encompass the experience of unmet healthcare needs and the three causes of occurrence: "burden of medical expenses," "time constraints," and "lack of care." The primary variable of interest is the region of residence, while control variables encompass 14 socio-demographic, health, and functional characteristics. Multivariable binary logistic regression analysis, accounting for the sampling design, is conducted. Results: The rate of unmet healthcare needs in Korea is 11.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 11.0%-13.3%), which is approximately 30 times higher than that of Austria (0.4%). The causes of unmet healthcare needs, ranked in descending order, are "lack of care," "time constraints," and "burden of medical expenses." Predictive probabilities for experiencing unmet healthcare needs and each cause differ significantly between regions. For instance, the probability of experiencing unmet healthcare needs due to "lack of care" is approximately 10 times higher in Gangwon-do (13.5%; 95% CI, 13.0%-14.1%) than in Busan (1.3%; 95% CI, 1.3%-1.4%). The probability due to "burden of medical expenses" is approximately 14 times higher in Seoul (4.1%; 95% CI, 3.6%-4.6%) compared to Jeollanam-do (0.3%; 95% CI, 0.2%-0.4%). Conclusion: Amid rapid sociodemographic transitions, South Korea must make significant efforts to alleviate unmet healthcare needs and the associated regional disparities. To effectively achieve this, it is recommended that South Korea involves the National Assembly in healthcare policy-making, while maintaining a centralized financing model and delegating healthcare planning and implementation to regional authorities for their local residents-similar to the approaches of the United Kingdom and France.