• 대한예방한의학회지
• /
• 제28권2호
• /
• pp.67-83
• /
• 2024

Background : Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has profoundly impacted all aspects of life, from disease prevalence to the utilization of medical services. In Republic of Korea, there exists both a duty and a right for Korean Medicine to treat epidemic diseases. However, no studies have been conducted to examine changes in the utilization of Korean Medicine during the pandemic. This study aims to identify the differences in the utilization of Korean Medicine before and after COVID-19. Method : This study analyzed data from the Health Insurance Statistics of the National Health Insurance Service and the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service from 2016 to 2022. To compare the utilization of Korean Medicine with Western medicine, the analysis was limited to the clinic level. Results : The top 10 most frequently treated conditions in Korean Medicine from 2016 to 2022 remained consistent, primarily involving musculoskeletal diseases, with the exception of functional dyspepsia. Visits to Korean Medicine clinics have declined, while visits to Western Medicine clinics recovered. Despite the overall decline in visits, certain Korean Medicine services increased in frequency, especially in precipitator-simulated acupuncture, indirect moxibustion (moxa burner), pricking cupping (two areas), warming meridian sinew, and complex Chuna therapy (80% as out-of-pocket expenses). Although the relative value units in Korean Medicine services varied, the fees for all services, except for precipitator-simulated acupuncture, increased. Conclusion : These findings indicate that COVID-19 has affected the utilization of Korean Medicine. Further studies are needed to explore the broader impact of epidemics on medical services and to develop policies to address these changes.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• 제23권2호
• /
• pp.185-193
• /
• 1990

The purpose of this study is to observe the pattern of change in medical care utilization over time in early years of insurance coverage. The source of data is the benefit records file of a voluntary medical insurance society for covering the four-year period, from 1982 to 1985. The measure of medical care utilization used in this study is the age-sex standardized percentage of the enrollee who have visited a physician over total analytical population during a three-month period. For six cohorts by the year of enrollment ($1979{\sim}1984$), the relationship between the utilization and duration of insurance coverage was examined controlling for the calender year and season. In the analysis, logistic multiple regression and residual analysis were employed. It was observed that medical care utilization rapidly increased during the early stage of insurance coverage, and after then increased at a slower rate over time to become almost stable in about twenty months.

• 한국병원경영학회지
• /
• 제19권4호
• /
• pp.57-68
• /
• 2014

Since the introduction of National Health Insurance(NHI) in 1977, it has grown rapidly and contributed to extend patient's access to the health care services. However, limited coverage for health care services of NHI has been ongoing challenge and private health insurance(PHI) has been rising as an alternative source of enhancing coverage and saving out-of-pocket(OOP) expenditure for patients. In this study, after controlling for socio-demographic, economic, health related variables, we identified the patients' healthcare utilization and subsequent OOP expenditure depending on their PHI enrollment and their enrollment types(fixed benefit, indemnity, fixed benefit plus indemnity). Data were collected from the 2010 Korean Health Panel. The unit of analysis was a member of household(n=13,324). Of the 13,324 cases, 70.7% of patients held PHI, in detail, fixed benefit(47.0%), indemnity(3.6%), fixed benefit plus indemnity(20.1%). Major findings showd that patients who enrolled in PHI used more outpatient services(outpatient visit, number of physician visit, number of examination) and spent more OOP expenditure than non-PHI patients. There were also differences of healthcare utilization and OOP expenditure among the types of PHI. In addition, PHI patients used more inpatient services(inpatient use, number of hospitalization, LOS), but there was no significant difference between PHI and non-PHI patients with regard to the OOP expenditure. Thus, we could not find any distinct relationship between the types of PHI and patients' tertiary hospital use. Policy-makers should need careful political deliberation for monitoring the effect of PHI on health care utilization and subsequent expenditure not only to improve patients' coverage but also to save their OOP expenditures.

• 보건행정학회지
• /
• 제9권2호
• /
• pp.40-54
• /
• 1999

The purpose of this study is to compare the health service utilization patterns between up and myun and to find the determinants of utilization. For this purpose. this study used different versions of utilization rates. such as crude utilization rates. utilization rates adjusted for population composition. and age-sex adjusted utilization rates. Data used in this analysis were the Community Health Interview Survey which was conducted by interviewing 741 households from August 31 to September 11, 1998 in HongCheon-Gun. KangWon-Do. The major findings of the analysis are summarized as follows: 1. There was a statistically significant difference in the level of health service utilization between up and myun. Depending upon the unit of analysis employed (those who were interviewed vs those who were sick). the difference between up and myun was reversed. 2. Determinants of health service utilization are analyzed using logistic regression. The result showed that predisposing factor influenced health service utilization in rural areas, while the enabling factor didn't.

• 보건의료산업학회지
• /
• 제13권2호
• /
• pp.67-79
• /
• 2019

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to analyze the factors affecting the utilization of emergency medical services and characteristics of emergency medical services according to age group among elderly individuals. Methods: This study conducted t-test and linear regression analysis on data of 1,960,575 participants to achieve the objective. Results: Analysis of the factors affecting the use of emergency medical services showed statistically significant correlation in all age groups. As the age of elderly people increased, the use of emergency medical service increased. Conclusions: Emergency medical policies are needed, such as coordinators with expert knowledge of medical and health administration and specialist emergency room operations that can provide specialized medical service for older patients.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• 제36권4호
• /
• pp.325-331
• /
• 2003

Objectives : To analyze medical service utilization and trends among the elderly in the last year of life. Method : The subjects of this study were People that had died at the age sixty-five and above between January $1^{st}$ and June $30^{th}$ 2000 The names of the deceased and their dates of death were collected from the data of the funeral-expenses-receivers of the National Health Insurance Corporation (NHIC). This data was merged with that of the individual medical expenses of the NHIC. Results : In the first half of 2000, 84.2% of the funeral-expenses-receivers (53,063) utilized medical services during the year prior to their death; 51.0% (27,042) were female and 49.0% (26,021) male. In the last twelve months of life, the medical fees, the number of days receiving medical services and the number of days receiving medicine were 3,107,935 Won, 47.88 and 153.21, respectively, for each person. As the age of the groups increased, the level of medical service utilization decreased; the change was more obvious in female group. The level of medical service utilization during the twelve months prior to death drastically increased around the time of death. Conclusions : This study, from an analysis of the level of medical service utilization prior to death, shows a concentrated volume of medical services during a certain time period prior to death.

• 한국치위생학회지
• /
• 제20권5호
• /
• pp.611-621
• /
• 2020

Objectives: This study aimed to verify the impact of dental health care insurance coverage policy by analyzing the changes in dental care utilization and expenditures over 5 years from 2012 to 2016, when the dental health insurance coverage expansion policy was implemented. From the national cohort data collected by the Korea Health Panel Survey, a retrospective study was conducted for all household members using dental services. Methods: This study statistically verified the difference in the dependent variables by frequency analysis, chi-square test, t-test, and one-way analysis of variance (SPSS version 22, IBM Co. USA, p<0.05). Results: The annual utilization rate steadily increased from 23.4% to 26.1% between 2012 and 2016. Although there were differences in utilization rates by gender, age, and income level, patients kept using the dental services in 2016 regardless of the type of health insurance. The average annual copayment for patient expenditures (out-of-pocket amount) increased from ￦463,844 to ￦537,401 in 2012 and 2016, respectively. Of the dental care expenditures over 5 years, the ratio of uninsured expenses by the elderly decreased from 38.5% to 25.9%, and the national health insurance service coverage increased from 40.3% to 49.1%. Conclusions: Although this policy did not reduce overall patient expenditures, it has been found that there was a positive effect on the elderly and low-income groups; it increased the utilization and access to dental services.

• International Journal of Knowledge Content Development & Technology
• /
• 제11권1호
• /
• pp.49-64
• /
• 2021

This research paper delved into the availability and utilization of library portal services for research in university libraries in Nigeria. Two research questions and two null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. A structured questionnaire was used for data collection. The study was carried out in Nnamdi Azikiwe Library, University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) and Felix Aghagbo Nwako Library, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Library (UNIZIK), Awka. A total of 70 professionals (librarians and system analysts) in these libraries supplied data for the study. Data collected was analyzed using mean and standard deviation. These were used to answer the research questions while the null hypotheses were tested using t-test statistic at 0.05 level of significance and 68 degree of freedom. Major findings showed that portal services available in the library showed that the areas of availability of library portal services in Nnamdi Azikiwe Library, U.N.N. includes Agriculture, Health Sciences, Engineering, Environmental Sciences and information about institution, Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities, Natural Sciences. In Festus Aghagbo Nwako Library, Awka, the areas of Portal Library Services include Career Development, Federal Government Programs, Environmental Sciences, Biological Sciences, Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities, Engineering, and Health Sciences. Findings on extent of utilization of portal services available in the libraries indicated that portal services are utilized to a low extent in the university libraries. Furthermore, librarians did not significantly differ in their opinions on the availability of library portal services and on the extent of utilization of library portal services in the libraries under study. It is therefore recommended that provisions should be made by the universities and library management to provide and update required portal services in addition to creating enabling environment for enhanced access and utilization of these services. The governments must make an effort to provide funds for policy implementation, necessary technology training for librarians and users, and develop general information infrastructure.

• 보건행정학회지
• /
• 제24권3호
• /
• pp.283-290
• /
• 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.

• Child Health Nursing Research
• /
• 제14권2호
• /
• pp.146-154
• /
• 2008

Purposes: The purposes of this study are to describe the health problems experienced by VLBW premature infants and their health care services utilization during the first year of life Method: Eighteen mothers of VLBW premature infants completed a survey questionnaire, asking socioeconomic/demographic information, health/developmental problems experienced by their infants, and their use of health care services. Results: Of the 18 infants, 78% experienced respiratory problems such as cold/running nose and wheezing during the first year and 33% experienced gastrointestinal problems such as vomiting, diarrhea and constipation. Twelve (67%) infants visited the emergency department at least one time and 10 infants (56%) were hospitalized at least once during their first year of age. Interestingly, infants without chronic lung disease visited the emergency department more than infants without chronic lung disease (p=.213). Infants living in non-disadvantaged neighborhoods were hospitalized more than infants living in disadvantaged neighborhoods (p=.000). Conclusions: Health care providers should initiate educating mothers, particularly those living in disadvantaged neighborhoods, about post-NICU discharge health care needs of their VLBW premature infants while their infants were still in the NICU so that unnecessary visits to the emergency department and rehospitalizations can be possibly prevented.