• Health Policy and Management
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.53-83
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• 1993

A small number of high cost patients usually spend a larger proportion of scarce health resources. Korea is no exception. Under the national health insurance, 12% of the insured persons have consumed approximately half of the national health insurance expenditures. Therefore, it is necessary to identify the characteristics of the high cost patient group, if we would like to reduce them. This study has defined high cost patients as those who have spent one and half million won and over per 6 months. The study reveals that high cost users are those who have a longer length of stays(LOS), 40days of LOS in the 6 months, have multiple admissions, 2 to 3 admissions per 6 months and are the elderly patients. They have spent 814.126won per on the average, and commonly suffered from malignant neoplasms, circulatory diseases, fracture, diabetes mellitus, etc. Unlike the case of western developed countries, early readmissions are not the major causes of high cost spending in Korea. Undoubtedly, a lengthy admission is the main cause of large spending. Health policies should vigorously be explored to respond appropriately. There are evidences that hospital beds are often misused. As the Korean health care system is lacking in a mechanism of patient evaluation under the fee-for-service remuneration system, an idea of progressive patient care needs to be tested. The Goverment should set up health policy to diversify the role of long-term care facilities and encourage people to establish them. Further studies are needed to identify factors influencing large medical bills necessary for formulating the health policy on cost containment.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.283-290
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• 2014

Background: This study aimed to examine the relationship between home-visit nursing services and health care utilization under the public long-term care insurance program in Korea. Methods: We analyzed the long-term care need assessment database and the long-term care and the health insurance claim databases of National Health Insurance Service between July 2011 and June 2012. The sample includes a total of 20,065 home-visit nursing recommended-older beneficiaries who use home-visit nursing and/or home-visit care, based on a standard benefit model developed by the Health Insurance Policy Institute of National Health Insurance Service. The beneficiaries were categorized into home-visit nursing use and non-use groups, and the home-visit nursing use group was again divided into high-use and low-use groups home-visit nursing, based on their total annual home-visit nursing expenditure. Two-part models and negative-binomial regression models were used for the statistical analysis. Results: The home-visit nursing use was negatively associated with the number of outpatient visit and cost, while adjusting for all covariates. The home-visit nursing use was also negatively associated with the inpatient cost among the high home-visit nursing use group. Conclusion: The findings implies home-visit nursing use prevents health care utilization. Further studies and policy strategies that can promote and strengthen home-visit nursing services under the public long-term care insurance are necessary in Korea.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.325-337
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• 2023

Background: While there are many studies estimating the effects of private health insurance on various types of health care utilization, few have examined how such effects change in conjunction with important policy reforms in national health insurance (NHI). This study examined how the effect of private health insurance (supplemental and fixed cash benefit) on high-cost outpatient imaging test utilization changed following the expansion of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) coverage in 2018, which is a key example of the NHI benefit expansion policy in recent years. Methods: Data from the 2017 and 2019 Korea Health Panel Survey, which contained information about healthcare utilization before and after the expansion of MRI coverage in 2018, were used. The incremental effect of private health insurance on high-cost outpatient imaging test utilization for each period were quantified and compared, with special attention given to the type of private health insurance. Results: While people with supplemental private health insurance were more likely to use high-cost outpatient imaging tests than those without, both before and after the expansion of MRI coverage, the incremental effect increased from 1.6% points in 2017 to 2.5% points in 2019. Conclusion: Benefit expansion in NHI does not necessarily reduce disparities in the use of health care between private health insurance subscribers and non-subscribers. The results of our study also suggest that the path through which private health insurance affects healthcare utilization may not be limited to the price mechanism alone but can be more complex.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.401-414
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• 2005

Purpose: This study was to evaluate the utilization of health care service and to provide supportive data for health care policy making in one urban area in Korea. Method: This study tested the significance of public health service using the database of an university hospital and public health center from Feb. 2000 to Dec. 2004. Data were analyzed by multidimensional analysis and data mining technique and produced the information on the classification of utilization characteristics by main disease and the total cost of use and disease association with the users of the public health center. Results: The Results were as follows: 1) Top 10 diseases in the area accounted for 22.4% of total frequency for the most recent 5 years in university hospital, while 59.0% in public health center. 2) There were significant correlations between university hospital and public health center user's insurance type and place of residence: It showed higher use of public health center for free service beneficiaries residing in Seoul than residents in nearby or local area. The medical insurance types for hospital users were more various than those for public health center users. 3) The use of hospital for patients of hypertension, diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidemia was tended to concentrate in mostly autumn and winter since August 2000, while the cost of using public health center for those patients has been steadily reduced since July 2000. 4) As a result of cluster analysis, there were classified into three homogeneous groups according to the total cost of using public health service, age, and the frequency of use. 5) The association analysis on patients with chronic disease in public health center produced a detailed information on accompanying diseases related to the incidence rate of disease of high frequency due to aging, information on drug abuse and immune disease. Conclusion: The health care policy for local community should be evaluated continuously. And the policy to build an integrated data warehousing by public health indicator system and to enhance the faithfulness of data is required.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.24-32
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• 2018

Purpose: To determine traits related to pregnancy and delivery, length of stay, health care cost, postpartum discomfort, and satisfaction with medical service of puerperas giving birth in midwifery clinic and hospitals. Methods: This study used a comparative survey design. Data were collected from a total of 140 postpartum mothers composed of 70 mothers who gave births in two hospitals and another 70 mothers who delivered in one midwifery clinic. Results: Delivery in midwifery clinic had higher Apgar score at 1 minute and 5 minutes after birth than hospital. Those who delivered in midwifery clinic had shorter stay in the clinic, fewer health care cost, less postpartum discomfort in physical, environmental, social, and cultural areas, higher satisfaction with medical services than those who delivered in hospitals. Conclusion: Results of this study can be used as a basis for studies on giving birth in midwifery clinic and hospitals. They might increase the autonomy of women in giving birth with positive effect on the delivery experience of the mother and her spouse.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.449-457
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• 2004

Purpose: The aim of this study was to analyze economical efficiency of home care service by comparing a cost-utility ratio(CUR) between home care and hospitalization. Method: The analytic framework of this study was constructed in 5 stages: Identifying the analytic perspectives, measurement of costs, measurement of utility, analysis of CUR, and sensitivity test. Data was collected by reviewing medical records, home care service records, medical fee claims, and other related research. Result: The mean of the annual total cost was 23,317,636 Won in home care and 73,739,352 Won in hospital care. QALY was 0.389 in home care and 0.474 in hospital care, so CUR was 299,712,545 QALY in home care and 777,841,266 QALY in hospital care. Conclusion: The findings affirmed that home care had an economical efficiency in the aspect of utility compared to hospitalization. Therefore, the findings of this study can be used to develop a governmental health policy or to expand the home care system. In addition, the cost-utility analysis framework and process of this study will be an example model for cost-utility analysis in nursing research. Therefore, it will be used as a guideline for future research related to cost-utility analysis in nursing.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.899-905
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• 2015

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the regional difference of chronic periodontal care services in Korea by the analysis of 2010 raw data from Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. Methods: The subjects were the chronic periodontitis patients over 35 years old from dental care facilities in Korea. The study population was 278,319 including 264,994 claims made by dental clinics, 8,084 by dental hospitals, 3,509 by general hospitals, and 1,732 by tertiary hospitals. Results: There was a significant difference in medical care cost benefit between the provinces(p<0.0001). The age groups showed a clear difference in the patient charge, cost of insurance, and medical care cost benefit(p<0.0001). In consideration of the first visit or revisit, there were differences in the rate of prescription, dental examination, and surgical procedures of the chronic periodontal patients from dental facilities. The radiographic use rate in the tertiary hospitals was 2.6 times higher than that of the dental clinic in the treatment of the new chronic periodontal patients. Conclusions: The use of dental services in the periodontitis is influenced by the types of medical services facility, cost of medical insurance, and patient charge. In consideration of cost benefit analysis, prevention is the most important care for the periodontitis. Regional difference in peridontitis is cause by the use of medical services and quality of treatment.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.84-94
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• 2001

Background : in order to adapt to changes of the medical environm interests that is drawn in ambulatory surgery are increased as a method of approaching a patients' satisfaction and cost-effective management. The purpose of this study is to a assess the operation which is able to perform through ambulatory care unit, to identify the problem in ambulatory surgery, and to increased the opportunity of ambulatory surgery with safety. Methods : Between May 13th, 1998 and June 30th, 2000, we performed surgical treatment through ambulatory care unit, and evaluate the results of them. The sorts of operation, duration of stay in the hospital, total cost of treatment, satisfaction of patients and safety if anesthesia were assessed. Results : We performed ambulatory surgery without serve complications and the patients were satisfied with surgical treatment through ambulatory care unit. In comparison of ambulatory and admission surgery, there was a reduction of cost to 16.7~25.3% in ambulatory surgery. Also, the duration of admission was 2 days shorter than admission surgery. Conclusions : According to our results, the surgical treatment through ambulatory care unit is safe and useful method that increase the quality of medical service, satisfaction of patients and reduce the cost of treatments.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.70-95
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• 1991

The ageing problem of the population has been emerging in Korea since 1970's so that it is expecting the elderly 65 years and over among the total population from $4.5\%$ in 1988 to be $6.3\%$ in year 2000. This study was conducted to provide secure policy development in coming years for the aged on medical and health care aspects based on the examining current status of the aged problems and health care policies and systems. The study divided into four parts; The first part examined the medical insurance program and public assistance program of the health services in relation to the aged. The second part emphasized on reduction of medical care cost for the aged. The third part studied the regular health check-up program and health education for the aged. The fourth part examined the chronic disease management programs for the aged and strategies of the health care service quality improvement and specialized programs. The following recommendations made as the results of the study. 1. At present, the medical insurance program and public assistance program for the medically indigent is not appropriate to the elderly because it is a part of general medical insurance program so that Health Security Law for the Aged is proposed. 2. Medical cost will be increased due to the high occupancy rate of hospital beds and long stay of the elderly so that it is recommended to develop an early discharge program, home health care program, Health hospice and an althernative programs. 3. At present, a regular health check-ups for the elderly is not included in medical insurance program so that it is recommended to be included in the insurance program and at the same time health education program thoroughly developed for the aged. 4. To make proper medical and nursing services on chronic diseases for the elderly, it is recommended manpower development, specialized clinics or hospitals, nursing homes and an equivalent long term care facilitices should be established on the community based and a research institutions also to be related to supper the care programs.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.589-599
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• 2001

The purpose of this study was to analyze the relation amongst health status, health care costs. health service utilization among the low income elderly who were 60 years of age or older, earning a half of the average Korean family income. The cross-sectional descriptive survey research we conducted used families randomly sampled nationwide. The data were collected from July 12 to August 7, 1999 and the total sample was 1.259 household members (421 households). These were the major findings. 1. As for the health status. 72.4% of respondents fell ill in the last 1 month; 54% of respondents had chronic disease. 2. As for the health care cost. the cost of hospitalization and the medical treatment were 1.069,000 won and 226.000won. respectively. 59.3% of respondents experienced a burden from the monthly health care expenses. 3. As for the health service utilization for the last 3months. 28.5% of respondents didn't utilize the health service. In addition, 22.2% of respondents gave up a medical treatment because of economic situation (88.8%). 4. The statistically significant determinants of health service utilization are old age, female, living with a spouse, unemployed state, medicare, and more days sick. 5. It is shown conclusively that equity and efficacy of the health care policy are to be considered for lower income older adult.