• Journal of Society of Occupational Therapy for the Aged and Dementia
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.1-11
• /
• 2018

Objective : The aim of this study was to compare the sociodemographic characteristics, depression, quality of life, and unmet medical need in elders with and without limitation of activity by aging or dementia. Method : The data were used for raw data of seventh national health and nutrition examination survey (2016). We compared sociodemographic characteristics, depression, quality of life, and unmet medical needs between elders with limitation of activity by aging or dementia (n = 32) and elders without limitation of activity (n = 1201). Result : Elders with limitation of activity were significantly older than elders without limitation of activity (p<.001), income was lower (p<.05) and married status had more bereavement (p<.001). The elders with limitation of activity had higher depression (p<.001) and lower quality of life (p<.001) than elders without limitation of activity. Unmet medical need was greater than elders without limitation of activity (p<.001). Conclusion : Elders with limitation of activity showed that they did not receive enough medical services than elders without limitation of activity. These results suggest that the welfare system for the health care of population with aging or dementia needs to be improved.

• Health Policy and Management
• /
• v.25 no.1
• /
• pp.11-21
• /
• 2015

Background: The objective of this research is to investigate and provide analysis of the economic participatory change affecting the unmet needs of health care in Korean adults. Methods: We used Korea health panel 4th and 5th data of 10,261 adults. The method of investigation is threefold. First, We identified the regional factors affecting unmet needs of health care. Second, we analyzed the effect of economic participatory change as it affects the unmet needs of health care. Third, we also investigated whether there were discernable differences between the age subgroups. Results: It was determined that influencing factors included sex, education, economic level, and health status. And after the subgroup analysis of age, we found that the economic participatory change was associated with the economical unmet needs of health care especially for those over 40 years of age. Also the population are facing unemployment enduring particular economic hardship in meeting their medical needs. Conclusion: This study finds that there are some policy recommendations for the sake of medical service equality. Medical welfare policy for those 40 years of age and older has been identified as an area that needs improvement. And considering that those 40 years of age and older are facing unemployment enduring particular economic hardship in meeting their medical needs, this study finds a need for government sponsored medical stipends or subsidizing of medical premiums, co-payment, and other fees.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
• /
• v.18 no.3
• /
• pp.182-187
• /
• 2018

As the elderly population increases, they are increasingly affected by oral health problems. Therefore, efforts are being made to improve the oral health of older people, alleviate mental discomfort, and reduce unmet dental needs. This study was conducted to confirm the relationship between the National Health Insurance Elderly Denture Coverage and the unmet dental need for the edentulous elderly, as part of the protection policy. We analyzed the 2011 and 2013 Community Health Survey data of the edentulous elderly, aged 75 years or older, before 2012. In order to more precisely confirm the effects of the denture donation policy on unmet dental care, basic life recipients who were subject to the free elderly prosthetic project were excluded from the analysis. The final analysis included 20,400 subjects. According to our investigation of the factors that affect the unmet dental needs of the elderly, the National Health Insurance Elderly Denture Coverage did not affect unmet dental needs. The statistically significant variables that affected the unmet dental needs of the elderly were education and income levels, which are representative socioeconomic status variables. The lower the level of education, the unhealthier the dental care experience, and income levels showed a similar tendency. The elderly who have a low socioeconomic status are more likely to experience unmet dental needs because they lack the knowledge and socioeconomic ability to pay for dental care. Therefore, the policy for health protection of the entire elderly population should be continuously expanded. In addition, the socioeconomically vulnerable groups may have health problems due to the restriction of medical use, which may lead to quality of life deterioration.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Dental Administration
• /
• v.8 no.1
• /
• pp.30-36
• /
• 2020

This study is conducted on 1,725 elderly people over 65 years of age using 2018 data obtained from the 7th National Health and Nutrition Survey (KNHANES) data. In this study, an analysis is performed considering the general characteristics of the elderly and their oral health status (authoring discomfort, speech problems, etc.) to confirm the relationship between the elderly's unmet dental experience and depressive experience. The results of this study showed that depressive experiences by the elderly resulted in unmet dental medical experiences, and it was also found that the income level and the complaint of chewing discomfort had an effect. Based on these results, it is believed that oral health policies should be developed to improve the unmet dental medical experience by considering the socio-economic level of the elderly and depressive experiences. This policy development is expected to lead not only to the improvement of oral health for the elderly, but also to improve the quality of life for the elderly through health promotion.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
• /
• v.8 no.1
• /
• pp.221-229
• /
• 2017

The purpose of this study is to identify the convergence factors affecting the unmet health needs of the indigent elderly. The data the study is the Korean medical panel of 2011 and the parameters belonging to each factors were selected based on the Anderson model. We analyzed the general characteristics using frequency analysis and the correlations between variables using cross analysis. Finally, logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the factors affecting unmet health needs. The indigent elderly with no education and elementary school graduates were 1.5 times more likely to experience unmet health needs than the poverty elderly with high school graduates. The indigent elderly who does not work for income, who were employers and self-employeds were 1.5 times more likely to experience unmet health care need than unpaid family workers. The indigent elderly with disabilities in activites of daily living were 2.9 time more likely to experience unmet health care needs than the indigent elderly with no disability in activites of daily living. The results of this study confirm that the increase in the economic burden of medical care for the indigent elderly can lead to the unmet health needs.

• Health Policy and Management
• /
• v.32 no.2
• /
• pp.237-243
• /
• 2022

Unmet healthcare is an important indicator to measure accessibility of healthcare services. To examine the latest status of unmet healthcare needs in South Korea, four different data which is composed of nationally representative sample of South Korean population were used; the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES, 2007-2020), the Community Health Survey (CHS, 2008-2020), the Korea Health Panel Survey (KHP, 2011-2018), and the Korean Welfare Panel Study (KOWEPS, 2006-2020). The proportion of individuals reporting unmet healthcare needs were 6.4% (KNHANES), 5.4% (CHS), and 12.2% (KHP). Annual percentage change (APC) which identifies trend for the follow-up period was -9.9%, -9.1%, and -5.5%, respectively. The proportion of individuals reporting unmet healthcare needs due to cost were 1.0% (KNHANES), 0.4% (CHS), 2.2% (KHP), and 0.4% (KOWEPS). The APC was -11.3%, -17.0%, -12.2%, and -21.2%, respectively. Overall, the low-income and the elderly population reported a higher rate of unmet health care needs. Although the overall experience rate of unmet medical care due to cost decreased over the past decade, the disparity between the lowest and highest income groups still remained in 2020. Disparity between income levels and age groups is a challenge to address in healthcare system, and these results suggest the need for adequate health coverage for the low-income and the elderly populations.

• Health Policy and Management
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.24-34
• /
• 2014

Background: Bankrupted households have recently been increased due to excessive medical expenditure in Korea. They have not been protected from economic risk when household's member has severe diseases that need a lot of money for treatment. Purpose of this study examines policy effect by comparing unmet needs' change of policy object households and non-object groups. Methods: We used Korea Health panel 2nd 4th data collected by Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs and National Health Insurance Service. Analysis subjects were 381 households (pre-policy) and 393 households (post-policy) that had cancer and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Since it was major concern that estimates benefit strengthening policy started by certain time, we setup comparing households which had diabetes, hypertension disease. Comparison subjects were 393,247 households, respectively and we evaluated policy effect using difference in difference (DID) model. Results: Although unmet needs of policy object households were higher than non-object groups, policy execution variable affected negative direction. But interaction-term which shows pure effect of policy was not statistically significant. We utilized multi-DID model to examine factors affecting unmet needs causes. Copayment assistance policy did not significantly affect households that responded to 'economic reason,' and 'no have time to visit' for unmet needs causes. Conclusion: The second copayment assistance policy did not significantly give positive effect to beneficiary households than non-beneficiary groups. When we consider that primary purpose of public insurance guarantee high medical expenditure occurred by unexpected events, it needs to deliberate on switch of benefit strengthening policy that can assist vulnerable people. Also, we suggest that government forward a policy covering non-reimbursable medical expenses as well as switch of benefit strengthening direction because benefit policy do not affect non-covered medical cost which accounts for quarter of total health expenditure.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
• /
• v.35 no.2
• /
• pp.151-164
• /
• 2010

Objective:Korea has 3,170 islands with about 188,000 inhabitants. These inhabitants' needs for health services might go unmet because of geographic isolation, slimmer availability of health services, and higher proportion of the elderly compared with the mainland population. Unmet health service needs might result in serious health problems for these island residents. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate their unmet health service needs and related factors from population of Nowha island. Methods: The survey was conducted from July 30 to August 1 by trained interviewers. Target population were residents in Nohwa island and the sampling method was incomplete quota sampling. General characteristics, socioeconomic status, utilization of health service, and unmet medical service needs were investigated. First univariate and then multivariate logistic analyses were done for the statistical analysis. Results: 324 residents were surveyed and the proportion of unmet health services needs was 26.5%. People living alone and of female sex had increased health services needs based on univariable analysis. From the multivariate analysis, those living alone increased the health services needs. Self-determined low socioeconomic status and medical aid increased the proportion of unmet medical needs, but these were not statistically significant. Conclusion:In Nowha island, those who are elder, and of lower socioeconomic status had much higher unmet medical needs. The results suggest the need for more social support by qualified health services to solve this unmet medical needs problem.

• Journal of Industrial Convergence
• /
• v.17 no.4
• /
• pp.77-86
• /
• 2019

The purpose of this study was to identify the effect of Home Health Nursing based Respiratory Management Program (HHNbRMP) on unmet healthcare need and healthcare resource utilizations of patients applying the home mechanical ventilator in the home with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The subjects of this study were 40 patients placed in an experimental group(n=19) and a control group(n=21), respectively. This HHNbRMP based on Cox's interaction model was consisted of cognitive assent (education, specialized medical care, case management), internal motivation (airway clearance, thoracic and air accumulated exercise) and psychological response (meditation & active listening). The intervention was applied to experimental group during 12 weeks. As variables was measured at baseline, twelve, twenty-four weeks and healthcare unmet need, resource utilizations (admission, out patient department, emergency room) was measured at 24 weeks. The data were analyzed by t-test, ANOVA and Repeated Measures ANCOVA. This intervention was not effective the unmet healthcare need. But the admission in to the hospital among the healthcare resource utilizations variables showed a significant difference at twenty-four weeks(t=4.17, p=.049). This results suggest that applying this program tailored to patients condition, utility of medical resource would be decreased, specially admission.

• Journal of Technologic Dentistry
• /
• v.33 no.4
• /
• pp.413-425
• /
• 2011

Purpose: This study conducted a survey on the elderly with physical debilities, who are in a medically vulnerable social class, to examine closely their demo-sociological characteristics, unmet needs, dental states, and living qualities and satisfaction levels relating to oral health and social supports to them, and also to prepare the basis for effective public medical policies and health improvement programs aimed at improving the quality of life for the elderly with physical debilities. Methods: Twenty-two elderly care facilities within Jeju Special Self-Government Province participated in the survey. Between 11 January and 5 March 2010, a total of 250 elderly persons(65 and over) with physical debilities were interviewed and their dental health was checked. Results: The results of the survey are as follows. The need for social support for dental care of the elderly with physical debilities was high in the medical institution-supported service (49.6%). The unmet needs for physical care were high in bathing (49.6%) and using public transportation (71.6%). More than half of these surveyed had ten or fewer teeth. The survey found that 31.6% of the participants experienced problems eating, due to poor dental health. Concerning quality of life, 30.5% of those surveyed experienced physical pain. Conclusion: In summary, the ages of the survey participants directly relates to the degree of behavioral debility experienced. The more debility a participant exhibits, the greater is the need for social support and dental care. The dental health of a participant directly relates to a higher quality of life. Good dental health of a participant translate to better quality of life. In light of the fact that the elderly with physical debilities suffer from a lack of accessibility to medical care and worse oral health than do other elderly persons, it is essential to increase accessibility to medical institutions that can provide such services as door to door dental care. Current insurance policies, funding for denture insurance, and free denture and denture-upgrade programs desperately need to be expanded. Therefore, to improve effectively the quality of life for the elderly with physical debilities civil dental medical resources should be encouraged to provide inclusive and prevention-focused medical care. In the public domain, door to door dental care services and cooperation with civil dental care resources need to be improved to increase impartial accessibility to dental medical institutions.