Mortality and Disparities of Acute Myocardial Infarction and Stroke in Korea, 2008-2019.

Purpose: Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and stroke are leading global causes of death and can be used to assess acute care quality. We examined the 30-day mortality trends after emergency department admission for AMI and stroke in Korea from 2008 to 2019, focusing on regional and income disparities.

Materials And Methods: The AMI and stroke patients admitted to hospitals in Korea were collected from the claims data.

An epidemic of cataract surgery in Korea: the effects of private health insurance on the National Health Insurance Service.

Objectives: In Korea, the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) covers essential healthcare expenses, including cataract surgery. To address concerns that private health insurance (PHI) might have inflated the need for such procedures, we investigated the extent of the PHI-attributable increase in cataract surgery and its impact on NHIS-reimbursed expenses.

Methods: This retrospective, observational study uses nationwide claims data for cataract surgery from 2016 to 2020.

Developing Core Elements and Checklist Items for Implementing Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs in Korean General Hospitals: A Modified Delphi Survey.

Background: Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) aim to optimize antimicrobial use by minimizing the spread of antimicrobial resistance. The core elements for implementing ASPs in healthcare facilities have been developed by the World Health Organization, international research group and government agencies of various countries. However, to date, there is no documented core elements for implementation of ASP in Korea.

Core Elements for Implementing Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs in Korean General Hospitals.

Currently, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major threat to global public health. The antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) has been proposed as an important approach to overcome this crisis. ASP supports the optimal use of antimicrobials, including appropriate dosing decisions, administration duration, and administration routes.

Preliminary Results of Teleconsultations Temporarily Allowed during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Purpose: During the COVID-19 pandemic, Korea has temporarily expanded coverage of teleconsultation to ensure access to essential health services. As a preliminary study, we investigated service utilization patterns and the characteristics of doctors and patients involved in these temporary teleconsultation services.

Materials And Methods: Using national health insurance claims data from February 23, 2020 to June 30, 2020 from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, 228269875 cases were identified.

Nurse Staffing and Health Outcomes of Psychiatric Inpatients: A Secondary Analysis of National Health Insurance Claims Data.

Purpose: The present study investigated the association between nurse staffing and health outcomes among psychiatric inpatients in Korea by assessing National Health Insurance claims data.

Methods: The dataset included 70,136 patients aged 19 years who were inpatients in psychiatric wards for at least two days in 2016 and treated for mental and behavioral disorders due to use of alcohol; schizophrenia, schizotypal and delusional disorders; and mood disorders across 453 hospitals. Nurse staffing levels were measured in three ways: registered nurse-to-inpatient ratio, registered nurse-to-adjusted inpatient ratio, and nursing staff-to-adjusted inpatient ratio.

Association of Nurse Staffing With Nosocomial Infections of Very Low-Birth-Weight Infants.

Prior studies have reported inconsistent findings regarding the relationship between nurse staffing and nosocomial infections in very low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants. Little is known about whether similar associations occur in Korea. The purpose of this study was to identify the nurse staffing of neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) in Korea and to verify the association between nurse staffing and nosocomial infections among VLBW infants in NICUs.

Projections of Demand for Cardiovascular Surgery and Supply of Surgeons.

Background: While demand for cardiovascular surgery is expected to increase gradually along with the rapid increase in cardiovascular diseases with respect to the aging population, the supply of thoracic and cardiovascular surgeons has been continuously decreasing over the past 10 years. Consequently, this study aims to achieve guidance in establishing health care policy by analyzing the supply and demand for cardiovascular surgeries in the medical service area of Korea.

Methods: After investigating the actual number of cardiovascular surgeries performed using the National Health Insurance claim data of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, as well as drawing from national statistics concerning the elderly population aged 65 and over, this study estimated the number of future cardiovascular surgeries by using a cell-based model.

Development of Models for Regional Cardiac Surgery Centers.

Background: This study aimed to develop the models for regional cardiac surgery centers, which take regional characteristics into consideration, as a policy measure that could alleviate the concentration of cardiac surgery in the metropolitan area and enhance the accessibility for patients who reside in the regions.

Methods: To develop the models and set standards for the necessary personnel and facilities for the initial management plan, we held workshops, debates, and conference meetings with various experts.

Results: After partitioning the plan into two parts (the operational autonomy and the functional comprehensiveness), three models were developed: the 'independent regional cardiac surgery center' model, the 'satellite cardiac surgery center within hospitals' model, and the 'extended cardiac surgery department within hospitals' model.

The Association Between Treatment Frequency and Treatment Outcome for Cardiovascular Surgeries.

Background: This study analyzed the association between the volume of heart surgeries and treatment outcomes for hospitals in the last five years.

Methods: Hospitals that perform heart surgeries were chosen throughout Korea as subjects using from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. The treatment outcome of the heart surgeries was defined as the mortality within 30 postoperative days, while the annual volume of the surgeries was categorized.

Imbalance in Cardiovascular Surgery Medical Service Use Between Regions.

Background: This study uses the relevance index to understand the condition of regional medical service use for cardiovascular surgery and to identify the medical service use imbalance between regions.

Methods: This study calculated the relevance index of 16 metropolitan cities and provinces using resident registration address data from the Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs and the 2010-2014 health insurance, medical care assistance, and medical benefits claims data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. We identified developments over the 5-year time period and analyzed the level of regional imbalance regarding cardiovascular surgery through the relative comparison of relevance indexes between cardiovascular and other types of surgery.

Reoperation rate after surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis without spondylolisthesis: a nationwide cohort study.

Background Context: Lumbar spinal stenosis is one of the most common degenerative spine diseases. Surgical options are largely divided into decompression only and decompression with arthrodesis. Recent randomized trials showed that surgery was more effective than nonoperative treatment for carefully selected patients with lumbar stenosis.

Reoperation rate after surgery for lumbar herniated intervertebral disc disease: nationwide cohort study.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study using national health insurance data.

Objective: To provide a longitudinal reoperation rate after surgery for lumbar herniated intervertebral disc (HIVD) disease, and to compare the reoperation rates of surgical methods.

Summary Of Background Data: Herniated intervertebral disc disease is the most common cause of lumbar spinal surgery.

[Association between prophylactic antibiotic use and surgical site infection based on quality assessment data in Korea].

Objectives: To examine the prophylactic antibiotic use in reducing surgical site infection.

Methods: This was a retrospective study for patients aged 18 years and older who underwent gastrectomy, cholecystectomy, colectomy, cesarean section and hysterectomy. The data source was quality assessment data of the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service gathered from medical records of 302 national hospitals.

Effect of allergic rhinitis on the use and cost of health services by children with asthma.

Purpose: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is common among children with asthma and exacerbates asthma symptoms. To assess the incremental utilization and cost of asthma-related health services due to concomitant AR among asthmatic children.

Materials And Methods: Asthma-related claims were extracted from the Korean National Health Insurance (NHI) claims database, which covers 97% of the population.

[Cost-of-illness study of asthma in Korea: estimated from the Korea National Health insurance claims database].

Objectives: We estimated the asthma-related health care utilization and costs in Korea from the insurer' s and societal perspective.

Methods: We extracted the insurance claims records from the Korea National Health Insurance claims database for determining the health care services provided to patients with asthma in 2003. Patients were defined as having asthma if they had > or =2 medical claims with diagnosis of asthma and they had been prescribed anti-asthma medicines.

Association of hospital procedure volume with post-transplant survival for allogeneic bone marrow transplantation.

Objective: To examine the association between hospital procedure volume and treatment outcomes following allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (allo-BMT).

Methods: Out of 1, 050 patients who received allo-BMTs between 1998 and 2000 in 21 Korean hospitals, 752 with first allo-BMT and complete data were included in this study. Study subjects were divided into the following three groups according to cumulative hospital experience of all-BMTs during the study period: low (< 30 cases), medium (30-49) and high (> or =50 cases) volume.