Healthcare Costs for Acute Hospitalized and Chronic Heart Failure in South Korea: A Multi-Center Retrospective Cohort Study

PURPOSE: Although heart failure (HF) is recognized as a leading contributor to healthcare costs and a significant economic burden worldwide, studies of HF-related costs in South Korea are limited. This study aimed to estimate HF-related costs per Korean patient per year and per visit. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective cohort study analyzed data obtained from six hospitals in South Korea. Patients with HF who experienced ≥one hospitalization or ≥two outpatient visits between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2013 were included. Patients were followed up for 1 year [in Korean won (KRW)]. RESULTS: Among a total of 500 patients (mean age, 66.1 years; male sex, 54.4%), the mean 1-year HF-related cost per patient was KRW 2,607,173, which included both, outpatient care (KRW 952,863) and inpatient care (KRW 1,654,309). During the post-index period, 22.2% of patients had at least one hospitalization, and their 1-year costs per patient (KRW 8,530,290) were higher than those of patients who had only visited a hospital over a 12-month period (77.8%; KRW 917,029). Among 111 hospitalized patients, the 1-year costs were 1.7-fold greater in patients (n=52) who were admitted to the hospital via the emergency department (ED) than in those (n=59) who were not (KRW 11,040,453 vs. KRW 6,317,942; p<0.001). CONCLUSION: The majority of healthcare costs for HF patients in South Korea was related to hospitalization, especially admissions via the ED. Appropriate treatment strategies including modification of risk factors to prevent or decrease hospitalization are needed to reduce the economic burden on HF patients.

Socioeconomic and Employment Status of Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis in Korea / 한국역학회지

OBJECTIVES: This study investigates the prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by gender and socio-economic characteristics. It also explores the differences in the employment status between RA patients and the general population without RA in Korea. METHODS: We analyzed data from the Fourth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES IV) conducted from 2007 to 2009. Prevalence rates were estimated for female and male patients with RA in terms of age, residence, education, income level, and occupation type. The female respondents aged 45 to 64 were divided into the RA population and the non-RA population in order to compare the employment status between the two groups. RESULTS: The annual physician-diagnosed RA prevalence rate was 1.45%. The prevalence rate was 2.27% for women and 0.62% for men. Individuals with RA had a significantly lower employment rate than individuals without RA (41.7 vs. 68.1%). The main reason for non-employment among RA patients was health-related problems (47.1%). There was statistically significant difference in employment type among the two groups. The experience rates for sick leave and sick-in-bed due to RA were 1.7 and 3.9%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Middle- and old-aged women accounted for the majority of the Korean RA population, which had a significant lower employment rate compared to the population without RA for both sexes. RA resulted in considerable productivity loss in Korea.