• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.356-367
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• 2021

Purpose: This study conducted an economic evaluation of hospital-based home care services for the patients who had undergone breast cancer surgery. Methods: A total of 12,483 patients over 18 years of age who had received breast cancer surgery in 26 tertiary hospitals in 2018 were analyzed with the claim data from the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service using cost-minimization analysis and societal perspectives. Results: There were 156 patients who utilized hospital-based home care services within 30 days after breast cancer surgery, and they received 2.17 (SD=1.17) hospital-based home care service on average. The average total cost was 5,250,028 KRW (SD=1,905,428) for the group receiving continuous hospital-based home care and 6,113,402 KRW (SD=2,033,739) for the group not receiving continuous hospital-based home care (p<.001). The results of the economic evaluation of continuous hospital-based home care services in patients who had undergone breast cancer surgery indicated a total benefit of 953,691,000 KRW, a total cost of 819,004,000 KRW, and a benefit-cost ratio of 1.16 in 2018. Conclusion: Continuous hospital-based home care was considered economically feasible as the total costs for the group receiving continuous hospital-based home care were lower than those of the group not receiving continuous hospital-based home care. Therefore, policy modification and financial incentives are recommended to increase the utilization of hospital-based home care services for patients who had undergone breast cancer surgery.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.51-60
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• 2008

Objectives : We examined the effect of sociodemographic factors, cancer, and psychiatric disorders on suicide by gender and age-specific patterns in South Korea. Methods : The study is a case-control study. Claim data was obtained from the national health insurance database and national death registration database. The number of people who committed suicide was 11,523, which was matched with a control group consisting of ten times as many people at 115,230 selected from the national health insurance and medical aids beneficiaries. The medical utilization of the case group was one year before death and that of the control group was from July 1,2003 to June 30, 2004. Four variables-address, economic status, presence of a psychiatric disease, and cancer-were used in multiple logistic regression analyses. Results : Living in cities or in rural areas showed a greater risk for suicide than living in a metropolitan city. Low economic status, the presence of a psychiatric disorder, and cancer were also statistically meaningful risk factors for suicide. The three major psychiatric diseases, schizophrenia, alcohol abuse, and bipolar disorder, were meaningful in all age groups, but the scale of the odds ratio differed by the age group. Only the psychiatric disorder variable was meaningful in the adolescent group, whereas a psychiatric disorder and economic status were meaningful for the young adult group, and all variables were meaningful for the middle-aged group. A psychiatric disorder and cancer were meaningful in the elderly group, economic status was meaningful for male subjects, and address was meaningful for female subjects. Conclusions : Factors such as living in city or rural areas, low economic status, the presence of a psychiatric disorder, and cancer were statistically meaningful risk factors in suicide. These factors also differed by age group. Therefore, policymakers should establish policies for suicide prevention that are relevant for each age group.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.98-110
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• 2015

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to analyze the medical cost of facial paralysis in payer perspective and to estimate the practice pattern of patient using 2011 Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service-National Patients Sample(HIRA-NPS). Methods: Basic statistical system was used for descriptive analysis of NPS dataset. A table for general information (table20) was extracted by disease code, and social demographic characteristics, distribution of the use among inpatients and outpatients, utilization of each kind of medical care institutions, medical cost were analyzed. Subgroup analysis was conducted for assuming the practice pattern of korean medicine and western medicine. Results: A total of 8,219 people and 64,345 claims data were identified as having facial paralysis. Proportion of outpatient was 95.23%, inpatient 0.84% and patient using both services 3.93%. Mean patient charges was 44,229 won per outpatient, 178,886 won per inpatient and 523,542 won per patient using both services. Utilization of korean medical care institutions was 68.81%(claims), 40.46%(patients), utilization of western medical care institutions was 31.19%(claims), 59.54%(patients). The amount charged by korean medical care institutions was 52.61% and western medical care institutions was 47.39%. Cost per claim was higher than those of the korean treatment and cost per patient of western treatment was lower than those of the korean treatment. Conclusions: The research assessed the medical cost and practice pattern associated with facial paralysis. These findings could be used in health care policy and subsequent studies.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.1-24
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• 2007

The medical fee reimbursement denied by HIRA(Health Insurance Review Agency) amounted to about 1.2% of the total medical fee claim to HIRA for reimbursement. Most of the denials stem from the inappropriate prescriptions of medical staff violating the medical fee review standards issued by HIRA. Considering the significant impacts of the standards observance behavior on the hospitals' financial viability, we attempted to analyze the predisposition factors of medical staffs' review standards observance behavior. The TPB(Theory of Planned Behavior) was adopted as the theoretical framework of the analysis. Data were collected by administrating a survey on the concepts included in TPB model to the 187 medical staff of a tertiary care hospital. Of the 187 questionaries distributed, 150 were responded resulting 80.2% of response rate. The mean differences among the groups classified by age group, years of experience, medical specialty and gender were analysis using ANOVA. The relationships among the TPB concepts were analysed by applying the Structural Equations Modeling method. The TPB model consists of three exogenous concepts (attitude toward the behavior, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control) and two endogenous concepts (intention and the behavior). The results of ANOVA indicated significant mean differences among the groups classified by the medical staff's age, years of experience, and medical specialty. The older and the more experienced had the higher mean of observance behavior score. The results of Structural Equations analysis showed that the subjective norm and perceived behavioral control had statistically significant influences on intention, but the influence of attitude to intention was not statistically significant. The influences of perceived behavioral control and intention on behavior were significant. Based on these results the theoretical and practical implications were discussed.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.178-185
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• 2018

Background: We investigated association between introduction of the diagnosis-related groups (DRG) system for anal operation and length of stay. Also, we investigated how it is different among hospitals with longer length of stay and among hospitals with shorter length of stay before introduction of the DRG system. Methods: We used data from Health Insurance Review and Assessment which were national health insurance claim data. Total 13,111 cases of anal surgery cases were included which were claimed by hospitals since July 2012 to June 2014. Two-level multivariable regression was conducted to analysis the association between length of stay and characteristics of hospital and patient. Results: Before introducing DRGs, the average length of stay was 5.41 days. After introducing DRGs, average length of stay was decreased to 3.92 days. After introducing DRGs, length of stay has decreased (${\beta}=-1.0450$, p<0.0001) and it was statistically significant. Among hospitals which had short length of stay (shorter than mean of length of stay) before introducing DRGs, effect of introducing DRGs was smaller (${\beta}=-0.4282$, p<0.0001). On contrary, among hospitals which had long length of stay (longer than mean of length of stay) before introducing DRGs, effect of introducing DRGs was bigger (${\beta}=-1.8280$, p<0.0001). Conclusion: Introducing DRGs was more effective to hospitals which had long length of stay before introducing DRGs.

• Korean Journal of Schizophrenia Research
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.60-67
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• 2021

Objectives: The optimal duration of maintenance treatment for patients with first-episode schizophrenia (FES) remains unclear. We examined the first antipsychotic treatment duration and its association with re-initiation of treatment using a nationwide claim database. Methods: Data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service database in South Korea for 2007-2016 were used. Linear regression analysis and Cox proportional hazard models were used to evaluate the associations between the duration of the first antipsychotic treatment, time to re-initiation of treatment, and occurrence of treatment re-initiation. Results: Of 30,143 patients with FES, 80.4% (n=24,231) received <2 years of the first antipsychotic treatment. In patients who discontinued treatment (n=23,030), the rate of treatment re-initiation was 74.2% (n=17,086). As the duration of the first antipsychotic treatment increased, the time to re-initiation of treatment decreased (β=-0.146, p<0.001); however, the rate of treatment reinitiation was relatively constant (hazard ratio=1.001, p<0.001). Conclusion: Long-term antipsychotic treatment was not significantly associated with the rate of treatment re-initiation but showed a negative association with the time to re-initiation of treatment. Further research is needed to better understand the optimal treatment duration for FES.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.105-116
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• 2021

Objectives Lumbar herniated intervertebral disc (L-HIVD) is common disease in which Western-Korean collaborative treatment is performed in Korea. This study aimed to analyze Western-Korean collaborative treatment utilization of Korean patients with L-HIVD using Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service's Patients Sample Data. Methods This study used the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service-National Patient Sample (HIRA-NPS) in 2018. Claim data of L-HIVD patients were extracted. The claim data were rebuilt with the operational concept of 'episode of care' and divided into Korean medicine episode group (KM), Western medicine episode group (WM) and collaborative treatment episode group (CT). General characteristics, medical expenses and healthcare utilization were analyzed. In addition, the difference of average visit day and average medical expenses between non-collaborative group (KM plus WM) and CT were analyzed by the propensity score matching method. Results A Total of 64,333 patients and 365,745 claims were extracted. The number of episodes of WM, KM and CT was 69,383 (92.97%), 3,903 (5.23%), and 1,341 (1.80%) respectively. The frequency of collaborative treatment episode was higher in women and the age of 50s. The most frequently described treatment in CT was acupuncture therapy. As a result of the propensity score matching, the number of visit days and medical expenses in the collaborative treatment group was higher than in the non-collaborative group. Conclusions The analysis of healthcare utilization of Korean-Western collaborative treatment may be used as basic data for establishing medical policies and systematic collaborative treatment model in the future.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.472-478
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• 2021

Background: Early identification of patients who are highly likely to develop severe illness among confirmed cases of coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) can be expected to lead to effective treatment. This study therefore aimed to determine whether the presence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has an impact on the exacerbation of COVID-19 symptoms. Methods: The study used the Korean National Health Insurance claim data for treatment of COVID-19 patients in 2020. NAFLD includes nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). The outcome variables used were hospitalization and the use of medical devices. Hospitalization was defined by a length of stay exceeding one day and the use of medical devices was defined as one or more uses of a ventilator or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to determine if there was a difference in the hospitalization and use of medical devices of COVID-19 patients depending on the presence of NAFLD. Results: The odds ratio of hospitalization was 1.059, indicating slightly higher odds of hospitalization for patients with NAFL or NASH compared to those without the conditions, but it was not statistically significant (0.969-1.156). On the other hand, the odds ratio of use of medical devices was high at 1.667 and was statistically significant (1.111-2.501). Conclusion: The study results found NAFLD to be a risk factor that can exacerbate symptoms in COVID-19 patients. Accordingly, it is necessary to identify NAFLD patients through preemptive screening and provide them with appropriate treatments.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.237-244
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• 2019

Background: Weekend admission is known for having association with increased mortality attributed by poor quality of care and severe patients. We investigated the association between hospital admission on weekends and the in-hospital mortality rates of patients with cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, we examined this association stratified by admission via emergency room or not. Methods: We analyzed claim data provided by the Health Insurance Review & Assessment in 2013. In total, 80,817 cardiovascular patients were included in this study, which treated in-hospital mortality (early and during total length of stay) as a dependent variable. A generalized linear mixed effects model was used. We conducted subgroup analyses stratified by admission via emergency room or not. Results: Patients who admitted on weekend showed higher in-hospital mortality both early (odds ratio [OR], 1.48; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.23-1.78) and during total length of stay (OR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.02-1.33) compared to those admitted on weekdays. Patients who were admitted to the hospital on a weekend by emergency room were more likely to experience early in-hospital mortality compared to those admitted on weekdays. Furthermore, we found that patients not admitted to the hospital through the emergency department were more likely to experience both early and total length of stay in-hospital mortality. Conclusion: Our study shows higher in-hospital mortality rates for cardiovascular patients admitted on weekends. Efforts to improve the quality of care on weekend are important to mitigate the 'weekend effect' and improve patient outcomes.

• Dementia and Neurocognitive Disorders
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.49-60
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• 2023

Background and Purpose: The National Responsibility Policy for Dementia Care was implemented in September 2017 in Korea. This study aimed to compare dementia incidence in Seoul and Gangwon-do before and after the implementation of this policy. Methods: We extracted insurance claim data from the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service for people diagnosed with diabetes, hypertension, or dyslipidemia for the first time in Seoul and Gangwon-do, Korea. We defined two enrollment groups based on the policy implementation date: 1) January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2016 (Index 1, pre-implementation), and 2) January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2018 (Index 2, post-implementation). Each group was followed up for 1 year from the time of enrollment. Then, we calculated hazard ratios to compare the incidence of dementia between the two groups, and between Seoul and Gangwon-do. Results: In Seoul, the incidence of dementia was significantly lower in Index 2 than in Index 1 (hazard ratio [HR], 0.926; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.875-0.979). However, the incidence rate did not differ between the 2 groups (HR, 1.113; 95% CI, 0.966-1.281) in Gangwon-do. In Index 1, the incidence of dementia did not differ between Seoul and Gangwon-do (HR, 1.043; 95% CI, 0.941-1.156), but in Index 2, was significantly higher in Gangwon-do than in Seoul (HR, 1.240; 95% CI, 1.109-1.386). Conclusions: After implementing the National Responsibility Policy for Dementia Care, the dementia incidence rate decreased significantly in Seoul, consistent with other studies, but not in Gangwon-do.