ABSTRACT
Background@#This study aims to measure regional healthcare differences in Korea, and define relatively underserved areas. @*Methods@#We employed position value for relative comparison index (PARC) to measure the healthcare status of 250 areas using 137 indicators in five following domains: healthcare demand, supply, accessibility, service utilization, and outcome. We performed a sensitivity analysis using t-SNE (t-distributed stochastic neighboring embedding). @*Results@#Based on PARC values, 83 areas were defined as relatively underserved areas, 49 of which were categorized as moderate and 34 as severe. The provincial regions with the most underserved areas were Gyeongbuk (16 areas), Gangwon (13), Jeonnam (13), and Gyeongnam (12). @*Conclusion@#This study suggests a relative comparison approach to define relatively underserved areas in healthcare. Further studies incorporating various perspectives and methods are required for policy implications.
ABSTRACT
Catastrophic health expenditure refers to measure the level of the economic burden of households due to medical expenses. The purpose of this study was to examine the proportion of households that experienced catastrophic health expenditure between 2006 and 2019 using available data from the National Survey of Tax and Benefit (NaSTaB), Korea Health Panel (KHP), and Households Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES). Trend test was used to analyze the proportion of households with catastrophic healthcare expenditure. The households experienced a catastrophic health expenditure of 2.44% in 2019 using the NaSTaB data. Trend analysis was significant with the decreasing trend (annual percentage change [APC], -4.49; p<0.0001) in the proportion of households with catastrophic health expenditure. Also, the results of the 2017 KHP and the 2016 HIES showed 2.20% and 2.92%. The trend was significantly increased in the KHP (APC, 1.79; p<0.0001) and the HIES (APC, 1.43; p<0.0001). Therefore, this study suggests that further public healthcare interventions to alleviate the burden of catastrophic health expenditure, especially for low-income households, are needed.
ABSTRACT
Catastrophic health expenditure refers to measure the level of the economic burden of households due to medical expenses. The purpose of this study was to examine the proportion of households that experienced catastrophic health expenditure between 2006 and 2019 using available data from the National Survey of Tax and Benefit (NaSTaB), Korea Health Panel (KHP), and Households Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES). Trend test was used to analyze the proportion of households with catastrophic healthcare expenditure. The households experienced a catastrophic health expenditure of 2.44% in 2019 using the NaSTaB data. Trend analysis was significant with the decreasing trend (annual percentage change [APC], -4.49; p<0.0001) in the proportion of households with catastrophic health expenditure. Also, the results of the 2017 KHP and the 2016 HIES showed 2.20% and 2.92%. The trend was significantly increased in the KHP (APC, 1.79; p<0.0001) and the HIES (APC, 1.43; p<0.0001). Therefore, this study suggests that further public healthcare interventions to alleviate the burden of catastrophic health expenditure, especially for low-income households, are needed.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE@#. The purpose of this study was to investigate survival rates of the implants used in implant assisted removable partial dentures (IARPDs). @*MATERIALS AND METHODS@#. The study was conducted on 21 patients who were treated with IARPDs. The mean follow-up period for IARPD patients ranged from 12 to 185 months (mean 47.9 months). A total of 58 implants were used for IARPDs in two different modalities: 41 for surveyed crowns and 17 for overdentures. The survival of implants was determined by clinical and radiographic evaluations considering relevant factors: location, RPD classification, opposing dentition, splinting, and implant diameter. @*RESULTS@#The survival rate of total 58 implants was 93.1%: 95.1% for implants supporting surveyed crowns and 88.2% for implants used in overdentures. Considering only the implants supporting surveyed crown, regular diameter implants showed a higher survival rate than narrow or wide diameter implants. @*CONCLUSION@#The survival rate of the implants used in IARPDs was 93.1% (surveyed crown: 95.1%, overdenture: 88.2%).
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify clinical complications in removable partial denture (RPD) with implant-supported surveyed prostheses, and to analyze the factors associated with the complications such as location of the implant, splinting adjacent prostheses, the type of retentive clasps, Kennedy classification, and opposing dentition. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective clinical study was carried out for 11 patients (7 male, 4 female), mean age of 67.5, who received RPD with Implant-supported surveyed prostheses between 2000 and 2016. The mechanical complications of 11 RPDs and 37 supporting implant prostheses and the state of natural teeth and peripheral soft tissue were examined. Then the factors associated with the complications were analyzed. RESULTS: The average of 3.4 implant-supported prostheses were used for each RPD. Complications found during the follow-up period of an average of 42.1 months were in order of dislodgement of temporary cement-retained prostheses, opposing tooth fracture/mobility, screw fracture/loosening, clasp loosening, veneer porcelain fracture, marginal bone resorption and mobility of implant, artificial tooth fracture. Complications occurred more frequently in anterior region compared to posterior region, non-splinted prostheses compared to splinted prostheses, surveyed prostheses applied by wrought wire clasp compared to other clasps, and natural dentition compared to other removable prostheses as opposing dentition. There were no significant differences in complications according to the Kennedy classification. CONCLUSION: All implant-assisted RPD functioned successfully throughout the follow-up. However, further clinical studies are necessary because the clinical evidences are still not enough to guarantee the satisfactory prognosis of implant-assisted RPD for long-term result.