Eunhee Lee

Economic burden of acute coronary syndrome in South Korea: a national survey

BackgroundAcute coronary syndrome (ACS) is highly prevalent in Korea and is the third-leading cause of death in Korea; however, the economic cost of ACS on Korean society has not been investigated. This study examined the economic effect of ACS on the Korean population during the period 2004 to 2009.MethodsThe analysis used the cost of illness (COI) framework. Data on direct medical costs, direct non-medical costs, and productivity loss related to ACS morbidity and mortality were included. The Korean National Health Insurance Corporation’s claim database was used to obtain data on annual healthcare utilization and expenditures for the entire South Korean population. By using a data mining technique, we identified healthcare claims with ACS-related disease codes. Costs were estimated by using a macro-costing method.ResultsIn 2009, the prevalence of ACS in Korea was 6.4 persons per 1,000 population members and the associated mortality rate was 20.2 persons per 100,000 population members. The total cost of ACS in 2009 was USD 918.2 million. Of the total, direct medical cost was USD 425.3 million, direct non-medical cost was USD 11.4 million, and cost associated with morbidity and mortality was USD 481.5 million.ConclusionsThe results show that the total cost of ACS to the Korean society is high. Early and effective management of ACS is required to reduce ACS-associated mortality and morbidity. We suggest that further research be undertaken to determine ways to reduce the economic effects of ACS and its treatment.

Economic Burden of Osteoporotic Fracture of the Elderly in South Korea: A National Survey

BACKGROUND Osteoporotic fractures (OFs) in the elderly are common worldwide, and the predicted number of the aging population is increasing the burden of OF on health care systems. OBJECTIVES To estimate the economic burden of OF in people older than 65 years in South Korea from a societal perspective. METHODS National Health Insurance claim databases were used to analyze health care utilization and medical costs of OF in the Korean population (49 million). We identified medical claims records with a diagnosis of OF and estimated the costs from 2007 to 2011. RESULTS From 2007 to 2011, there were 244,798 patients with at least one medical insurance claim related to OF. Most patients had a single fracture (80%), whereas 20% of all patients had two or more. For fracture sites, vertebral fracture accounted for 75.6% of all fractures, followed by hip and wrist fractures. The societal cost of OF increased annually, from US

The economic burden of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease from 2004 to 2013.

88.8 million in 2007 to US

Economic Effect of Home Health Care Services for Community-dwelling Vulnerable Populations

149.3 million in 2011. Among the entire cost, the direct medical cost was US

Adequacy of Nurse Staffing Level in Integrated Nursing Care

134.9 million in 2011, which includes the cost of treatment (US

Development of Optimal Nursing Workforce Model and Its Application to Outpatients in a Tertiary Hospital

91.2 million) and long-term care (US

A Cost Benefit Analysis of Individual Home Visiting Health Care

48.1 million). The direct nonmedical cost was US

Cost-Benefit Analysis of the Tsutsugamushi Disease Prevention Program in South Korea

9.9 million in 2011. Costs associated with morbidity and mortality of OF were excluded. CONCLUSIONS The economic burden associated with OF in elderly is expected to rise with the predicted increase in life expectancy and the number of elderly in South Korea. Therefore, effective management of the disease is necessary to reduce the growth in the economic burden of OF.

Policy Issues and New Direction for Comprehensive Nursing Service in the National Health Insurance

Abstract Objectives: This study examines the epidemiology and economic impact of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) at a nationwide level in South Korea. Methods: This retrospective analysis used the societal cost-of-illness framework, consisting of direct medical costs, direct non-medical costs, and indirect costs. In order to analyze the societal costs of patients with COPD, this study used a data mining and a macro-costing method on data from a South Korean national-level health survey and a national health insurance claims database from 2004–2013. Results: The total societal cost of COPD in 2013 was estimated to be

Optimal Nursing Workforce and Financial Cost to Provide Comprehensive Nursing Service in the National Health Insurance System

439.9 million for 1,419,914 patients. The direct medical cost for COPD was