• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.248-254
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• 2023

Objectives: Measuring the quality of care is paramount to inform policies for healthcare services. Nevertheless, little is known about the quality of primary care and acute care provided in Korea. This study investigated trends in the quality of primary care and acute care. Methods: Case-fatality rates and avoidable hospitalization rates were used as performance indicators to assess the quality of primary care and acute care. Admission data for the period 2008 to 2020 were extracted from the National Health Insurance Claims Database. Case-fatality rates and avoidable hospitalization rates were standardized by age and sex to adjust for patients' characteristics over time, and significant changes in the rates were identified by joinpoint regression. Results: The average annual percent change in age-/sex-standardized case-fatality rates for acute myocardial infarction was -2.3% (95% confidence interval, -4.6 to 0.0). For hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke, the age-/sex-standardized case-fatality rates were 21.8% and 5.9%, respectively in 2020; these rates decreased since 2008 (27.1 and 8.7%, respectively). The average annual percent change in age-/sex-standardized avoidable hospitalization rates ranged from -9.4% to -3.0%, with statistically significant changes between 2008 and 2020. In 2020, the avoidable hospitalization rates decreased considerably compared with the 2019 rate because of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Conclusions: The avoidable hospitalization rates and case-fatality rates decreased overall during the past decade, but they were relatively high compared with other countries. Strengthening primary care is an essential requirement to improve patient health outcomes in the rapidly aging Korean population.

• Archives of Craniofacial Surgery
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.254-259
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• 2021

Background: Prophylactic antibiotics are commonly used in craniofacial surgeries. Despite the low risk of surgical site infection after nasal surgery, a lack of consensus regarding the use of antibiotic prophylaxis in the closed reduction of nasal bone fractures has led to inappropriate prescribing patterns. Through this study, we aimed to investigate the status of prophylactic antibiotic use in closed reductions of nasal bone fractures in Korea. Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted using data from the National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort of Korea from 2005 to 2015. We analyzed the medical records of patients who underwent closed reduction of nasal bone fractures. The sex, age, region of residence, comorbidities, and socioeconomic variables of the patients were collected from the database. Factors that affect the prescription of perioperative antibiotics were evaluated using multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: A total of 3,678 patients (mean±standard deviation of age, 28.7±14.9 years; 2,850 men [77.5%]; 828 women [22.5%]) were included in this study. The rate of antibiotic prescription during the perioperative period was 51.4%. Approximately 68.8% of prescriptions were written for patients who had received general anesthesia. The odds of perioperative prophylactic antibiotic use were significantly higher in patients who received general anesthesia than who received local anesthesia (odds ratio, 1.59). No difference was found in terms of patient age and physician specialty. Second-generation cephalosporins were the most commonly prescribed antibiotic (45.3%), followed by third- and first-generation cephalosporins (20.3% and 18.8%, respectively). In contrast, lincomycin derivatives and aminoglycosides were not prescribed. Conclusion: The findings of this study showed that there was a wide variety of perioperative antibiotic prescription patterns used in nasal bone surgeries. Evidence-based guidance regarding the prescribing of antimicrobial agents for the closed reduction of nasal bone fractures should be considered in future research.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.117-123
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• 2018

Background: Prostatitis, one of the most common diseases of the prostate, is a complex disease with various clinical features. This study aims to analyze the utilization and prescribing patterns of antibiotics in Korean patients with prostatitis between 2008 and 2015. Methods: We used the National Health Insurance Database complied from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA). The outcomes included the number of claims, number of patients, medical cost, and length of stay for each year. In addition, the prescribing patterns of antibiotics, including fluoroquinolone, and low-dose use of ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin were investigated. Results: The total number of patients and medical cost increased by 9.5% and 51.7% from 2008 to 2015, respectively. Most prostatitis patients were classified as chronic prostatitis patients. The prescribing proportion of antibiotics for chronic prostatitis outpatients decreased from 71.0% to 66.9% from 2008 to 2015, and fluoroquinolone accounted for more than half of the total antibiotics. Over 80% of prescription of levofloxacin and ciprofloxacin was identified to be for low-dose use. Conclusion: Most of the patients with prostatitis experienced pain relief and condition improvement after antibiotic treatment; however, chronic prostatitis and chronic pelvic pain syndrome recur easily. Therefore, active disease management and further studies are needed to enhance our understanding of effective treatment for prostatitis.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.401-410
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• 2020

Purpose: This study was performed to identify the prevalence of menstrual disorders in Korean women based on body mass index (BMI) and lifestyle factors, by utilizing the Korean National Health Insurance Database. Methods: A retrospective observational study design was used for the secondary data analysis. Data of women aged 15 to 49 years who were diagnosed with menstrual disorders were extracted from The National Health Insurance Service-National Health Screening Cohort in Korea from 2009 to 2016. The age-standardized prevalence rate of menstrual disorders was calculated using SAS version 9.4, and a Chi-square test and Cochran-Armitage test were performed. Results: In total, 2,219,445 cases were extracted from the database. The prevalence of menstrual disorders significantly increased from 8.6% to 11.6% (Z=135.16, p for trend <.001) over the past eight years. In particular, it was higher in underweight women than in women with normal weight across all years (Z=-4.18~-14.72, p<.001). Moreover, statistically significant differences in the prevalence of menstrual disorders were found to be associated with drinking and smoking in all years and with physical activity levels in part (p<.05~.001). Conclusion: These findings present compelling evidence on the prevalence of menstrual disorders based on a national database. Since the prevalence of menstrual disorders has steadily increased and differs based on BMI and lifestyle factors, educational and clinical interventions are necessary to promote risk awareness and appropriate behavioral changes among Korean women.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.158-170
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• 2019

Purpose: This study investigated the association between health status and tooth loss based on data from the National Health Insurance Service-Health Examinee Cohort in 2002-2015. Methods: Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were applied to a longitudinal retrospective database, which was updated and newly released in 2018, to assess the association between health status and tooth loss while adjusting for potential confounders among sociodemographic and economic factors (sex, age, household income, insurance, and presence of disability), general and oral health status (body mass index [BMI], smoking and drinking status, periodic dental visits and scaling, and brushing before sleep), and comorbid disease (hypertension, diabetes mellitus [DM], and Charlson comorbidity index [CCI]). Results: Among 514,866 participants from a South Korean population, 234,247 (45.5%) participants satisfying the inclusion criteria were analyzed. In the adjusted multivariate analysis, sex, age, household income, insurance, presence of disability, BMI, smoking and drinking status, periodic scaling, tooth brushing before sleep, DM, and CCI showed statistically significant associations with the loss of at least 1 tooth. The risk of experiencing a loss of ${\geq}4$ teeth was associated with an increase in age (in those 50-59 years of age: hazard ratio [HR], 1.98; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.93-2.03; in those 60-69 years of age: HR, 2.93; 95% CI, 2.85-3.02; and in those 70-79 years of age: HR, 2.93; 95%, CI 2.81-3.05), smoking (HR, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.65-1.73), and DM (HR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.38-1.48). Conclusions: The results of this study showed that the risk of experiencing tooth loss was related to multiple determinants. DM and smoking were especially significantly associated with tooth loss.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.415-426
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• 2012

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate trends in home-visit nursing care by agencies' characteristics under the national long-term care insurance system. Methods: Cochran-Mantel-Haenzel tests were conducted, using data drawn from the nationwide long-term care insurance claim database of the Korean National Health Insurance Corporation from 2009 to 2011. Results: The number of home-visit nursing care agencies has decreased continuously since 2009. There were also similar trends in the total amount of service provided by home-visit nursing care agencies, the number of recipients, the number of employees, and payments. This study showed that there were statistically significant differences in the trends in home-visit nursing care by agencies' characteristics. Despite the overall downward trend, there were some increases in the percentage of home-visit nursing care provided by agencies which were established by individuals, located in large cities, and which combined home-visit care with home-visit bathing. Conclusion: Home-visit nursing care agencies are responsible for providing community-based healthcare services. For past three years, however, they have not been utilized to their full potential. Understanding the trends in home-visit nursing care by agencies' characteristics is important to develop utilization strategies for home-visit nursing care.

• Journal of Obesity & Metabolic Syndrome
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.23-27
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• 2017

Background: In Korea, the prevalence of obesity has steadily increased, and the socioeconomic burden of obesity has increased along with it. In 2015, the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) signed a memorandum of understanding with the Korean Society for the Study of Obesity (KSSO), providing limited open access to its databases so that the status of obesity and obesity management could be investigated. Methods: Using NHIS databases, we analyzed nationwide population-based studies for obesity using the definition of obesity (body mass index ${\geq}25kg/m^2$) in subjects over the age of 20. Age and sex standardization were used for all data. Results: The KSSO released the 'Obesity Fact Sheet 2016' using the 2006-2015 NHIS Health Checkup database. The prevalence of obesity steadily increased from 28.7% in 2006 to 32.4% in 2015, and the prevalence of abdominal obesity also steadily increased from 18.4% in 2009 to 20.8% in 2015. The prevalence of class II obesity steadily increased from 2006 to 2015, such that the total prevalence was 4.8% in 2015 (5.6% in men and 4.0% in women). The highest prevalence of obesity was found in Jeju Island, while the lowest prevalence was found in Daegu City. The highest prevalence of abdominal obesity was also found in Jeju Island, while the lowest prevalence was found in Gwangju City. Conclusion: Based on the Obesity Fact Sheet 2016, a strategy for reducing the prevalence of obesity is needed, especially in Korean men.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.41-49
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• 2022

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of nurses staffing level on patient health outcomes in intensive care units (ICUs) in Korea. Methods: The study was retrospective in nature. Information on patients and their outcomes, as well as nurse cohort data, were obtained from Korea's National Health Insurance Service Database. The observation period was from January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2018, and data for 2,964,991 patients were analyzed. Independent variables included patient' age and sex and hospital type, intensivist, and nurses staffing level. Results: The mortality rate in ICUs was significantly higher at tertiary hospitals with a level 3~4 (HR, 1.21; 95% confidence interval, 1.19~1.22) or level 5~9 nurse staffing (HR, 1.31; 95% confidence interval, 1.27~1.34) compare to that of tertiary hospitals with a 1~2 level. 28-day mortality rate was also higher at general hospitals with a level 3~4 (HR, 1.13; 95% confidence interval, 1.12~1.14), level 5~6 (HR. 1.34; 95% confidence interval, 1.32~1.36), level 7~9 nurse staffing (HR, 1.38; 95% confidence interval, 1.38~1.42), using level 1~2 as reference. Conclusion: Nurses staffing level is a key determinant of healthcare-associated mortality in critically ICUs patients. Policies to achieve adequate nurse staffing levels are therefore required to enhance patient outcomes.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.47-55
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• 2017

Background: This study purposed to analyze the effects of metabolic syndrome on the total medical charge of patients. Methods: 2013 National Health Insurance Service sample research database (eligibility database, medical database, and health examination database) was used for this study. Gamma regression was applied to analyze the effects of metabolic syndrome on the total medical charge and logistic regression was used to determine the probability of medical charge which was higher than the third quartile. Sociodemographic characteristics (age and household income), health behavior factors (smoking, drinking, exercise, and body mass index), and disease related factors (family history and metabolic syndrome) were included as the independent variables. Results: people who had metabolic syndrome spent more medical expenses than those without metabolic syndrome both in man and woman group. The standard regression coefficient was 0.09 (p< 0.001) in man with metabolic syndrome and 0.16 (p< 0.001) in woman. In addition, woman with metabolic syndrome spent more than the third quartile of medical charge. The odds ratios was 1.04 (p= 0.16) for man with metabolic syndrome and 1.18 (p= 0.013) for woman. Conclusion: people with metabolic syndrome spent more medical charge, so it will need to consider policy interventions for preventing the incidence and management of metabolic syndrome in Korean people.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.96-105
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• 2017

Purpose: The National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort and medical checkup data from 2002 to 2013 were used to evaluate the association between periodontal surgery for the treatment of periodontitis (PSTP) and vasculogenic erectile dysfunction (VED). Methods: Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were applied to a longitudinal retrospective database to assess the association between PSTP and VED while adjusting for the potential confounding effects of sociodemographic factors (age, household income, insurance status, health status, residence area, and smoking status) and comorbidities (diabetes mellitus, angina pectoris, cerebral infarction, and myocardial infarction). Results: Among the 7,148 PSTP within the 268,296 recruited subjects, the overall prevalence of VED in PSTP was 1.43% (n=102). The bivariate analysis showed that VED was significantly related to PSTP (odds ratio [OR], 1.99; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.38-2.06; P<0.001), and this was confirmed in the multivariate analysis after adjusting for sociodemographic factors and comorbidities (OR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.06-1.58; P=0.002). Conclusions: Subjects with a history of periodontal flap surgery had a significantly higher risk of VED, after adjusting for potential confounding factors. Further studies are required to identify the key mechanisms underlying the association between severe periodontal disease and VED.