The Ecology of Medical Care in Korea

Abstract

This study aimed to describe the ecology of medical care in Korea. Using the yearly data of 2012 derived from the Korea Health Panel, we estimated the numbers of people per 1,000 residents aged 18 and over who had any health problem and/or any medical care at a variety of care settings, such as clinics, hospitals, and tertiary hospitals, in an average month. There was a total of 11,518 persons in the study population. While the number of those who had any health problem in an average month was estimated to be 939 per 1,000 persons, the estimated numbers of ambulatory care users were 333 at clinics, 101 at hospital outpatient departments, 35 at tertiary hospital outpatient departments, and 38 for Korean Oriental medical providers. The number of people who used emergency care at least once was 7 per 1,000 persons in an average month. The numbers of people hospitalized in clinics and hospitals were 3 and 8, respectively, while 3 persons were admitted to tertiary hospitals. There was a gap between the number of people experiencing any health problem and that of those having any medical care, and primary care comprised a large share of people’s medical care experiences. It was noteworthy that more patients received ambulatory care at tertiary hospitals in Korea than in other countries. We hope that discussion about care delivery system reform and further studies will be encouraged.

Building primary care in Japan: Literature review

“…Among 4548 national‐representative participants, during a one month period, per 1000 inhabitants, 794 people report at least one symptom, 447 used an over‐the‐counter drug, 265 visited a physician's office, 70 visited a hospital outpatient clinic (60 community‐based and 10 university‐based), 6 were hospitalized, and 4 visited a hospital emergency department . The results were similar to other East Asian countries …”

Reduced liver cancer mortality with regular clinic follow‐up among patients with chronic hepatitis B: A nationwide cohort study

“…Because > 99% of the population of the ROK is covered by the NHIS and access to medical care is guaranteed, this low rate of regular follow-up is alarming. 23,24 Patients who were female, >60 years of age, of low socioeconomic status, disabled, lived in a rural area, had a high comorbidity rate, or did not have cirrhosis were more likely to miss regular follow-up. Some of these factors are established predictors of inadequate surveillance.…”

The ecology of medical care in Shanghai

“…The first type of subjective health feedback is closely related to local health awareness and the macro environment, so there is a huge difference in the number of reported cases per 1000 people in different countries. The South Korean health ecosystem (2012) [ 27 ] study estimated that 939 people reported cases per thousand, the Japanese health ecosystem (2013) [ 4 ] study estimated 794, the Taiwan health ecosystem (2005) [ 28 ] estimated 503, and the Hong Kong health ecosystem (2002) [ 29 ] estimated 567. In the second category, the utilization of out-patient services varied greatly.…”