Use of Western Medicine and Traditional Korean Medicine for Joint Disorders: A Retrospective Comparative Analysis Based on Korean Nationwide Insurance Data
Table 1
General characteristics of patients and hospitals.
Category
2011
2012
2013
2014
Total
(%)
(%)
(%)
(%)
(%)
Patient total
268,048
(100)
273,752
(100)
278,170
(100)
280,048
(100)
1,100,018
(100.0)
Gender
Male
111,101
(41.4)
113,592
(41.5)
115,219
(41.4)
116,730
(41.7)
456,642
(41.5)
Female
156,947
(58.6)
160,160
(58.5)
162,951
(58.6)
163,318
(58.3)
643,376
(58.5)
Age (yr)
≦29
64,226
(24.0)
64,564
(23.6)
63,712
(22.9)
63,696
(22.7)
256,198
(23.3)
30–39
27,303
(10.2)
27,272
(10.0)
27,047
(9.7)
27,176
(9.7)
108,798
(9.9)
40–49
42,286
(15.8)
41,452
(15.1)
41,118
(14.8)
40,898
(14.6)
165,754
(15.1)
50–59
53,565
(20.0)
56,005
(20.5)
58,252
(20.9)
58,201
(20.8)
226,023
(20.5)
60–69
44,704
(16.7)
46,016
(16.8)
46,949
(16.9)
47,162
(16.8)
184,831
(16.8)
70–79
35,964
(13.4)
38,443
(14.0)
41,092
(14.8)
42,915
(15.3)
158,414
(14.4)
Medical insurance
National Health Insurance
255,160
(95.2)
261,381
(95.5)
266,015
(95.6)
268,135
(95.7)
1,050,691
(95.5)
Medicaid
12,828
(4.8)
12,298
(4.5)
12,069
(4.3)
11,817
(4.2)
49,012
(4.5)
Others
60
(.0)
73
(.0)
86
(.0)
96
(.0)
315
(.0)
Lesion of
M17
141,148
(52.6)
143,697
(52.4)
145,346
(52.3)
147,274
(52.6)
577,465
(52.5)
M75&
16,677
(6.2)
16,401
(6.0)
17,223
(6.2)
16,858
(6.0)
67,159
(6.1)
S63
46,659
(17.4)
47,900
(17.5)
48,776
(17.6)
49,269
(17.6)
192,604
(17.5)
S93
63,564
(23.7)
65,754
(24.0)
66,825
(24.0)
66,647
(23.8)
262,790
(23.9)
Severity
0
157,575
(74.4)
154,798
(74.4)
151,540
(74.3)
115,851
(58.4)
579,764
(70.5)
1
37,600
(17.7)
37,236
(17.9)
36,331
(17.8)
49,180
(24.8)
160,347
(19.5)
2
11,630
(5.5)
11,245
(5.4)
11,097
(5.4)
21,684
(10.9)
55,656
(6.8)
3+
5,041
(2.4)
4,792
(2.3)
4,874
(2.4)
11,556
(5.8)
26,263
(3.2)
Surgery
No
264,211
(98.6)
269,325
(98.4)
273,412
(98.3)
275,029
(98.2)
1,081,977
(98.4)
Yes
3,837
(1.4)
4,427
(1.6)
4,758
(1.7)
5,019
(1.8)
18,041
(1.6)
Patient total
268,048
(100.0)
273,752
(100.0)
278,170
(100.0)
280,048
(100.0)
1,100,018
(100.0)
Type of medicine
Traditional
64,453
(24.1)
63,426
(23.2)
63,234
(22.7)
61,159
(21.8)
252,272
(22.9)
Both
40,901
(15.3)
40,824
(14.9)
41,482
(14.9)
40,793
(14.6)
164,000
(14.9)
Western
162,550
(60.7)
169,502
(61.9)
173,454
(62.4)
178,096
(63.6)
683,602
(62.2)
Hospital
Tertiary and General Hospital
13,100
(4.9)
14,125
(5.2)
14,911
(5.4)
16,109
(5.8)
58,245
(5.3)
Hospital
25,672
(9.6)
29,657
(10.8)
30,968
(11.1)
32,111
(11.5)
118,408
(10.8)
Western Clinic
1,912
(.7)
2,138
(.8)
2,268
(.8)
2,320
(.8)
8,638
(.8)
Long-term care hospital
145,278
(54.2)
146,694
(53.6)
149,037
(53.6)
151,146
(54.0)
592,155
(53.8)
Traditional Hospital
1,631
(.6)
1,631
(.6)
1,628
(.6)
1,583
(.6)
6,473
(.6)
Traditional Clinic
80,423
(30.0)
79,507
(29.0)
79,357
(28.5)
76,779
(27.4)
316,066
(28.7)
Region
Seoul (Urban)
52,548
(19.6)
53,682
(19.6)
54,538
(19.6)
54,907
(19.6)
215,675
(19.6)
Metropolitan city
68,101
(25.4)
70,626
(25.8)
72,117
(25.9)
72,436
(25.9)
283,280
(25.8)
Other (Rural)
147,399
(55.0)
149,444
(54.6)
151,515
(54.5)
152,705
(54.5)
601,063
(54.6)
Ownership
Public
1,894
(.7)
1,916
(.7)
2,018
(.7)
2,120
(.8)
7,948
(.7)
Corporation
20,395
(7.6)
22,750
(8.3)
23,386
(8.4)
24,272
(8.7)
90,803
(8.3)
Private
245,726
(91.7)
249,084
(91.0)
252,765
(90.9)
253,654
(90.6)
1,001,229
(91.0)
Number of beds
≦5
254,565
(95.0)
261,339
(95.5)
265,257
(95.4)
266,216
(95.1)
1,047,377
(95.2)
6–12
8,455
(3.2)
7,626
(2.8)
7,959
(2.9)
8,635
(3.1)
32,675
(3.0)
13–17
2,195
(.8)
2,444
(.9)
2,401
(.9)
2,542
(.9)
9,582
(.9)
18≦
2,820
(1.1)
2,343
(.9)
2,552
(.9)
2,655
(.9)
10,370
(.9)
Number of Western doctors per 100 beds
≦4
172,528
(64.4)
257,710
(94.3)
260,076
(93.7)
260,036
(93.0)
950,350
(86.5)
5–11
70,428
(26.3)
11,177
(4.1)
12,686
(4.6)
14,624
(5.2)
108,915
(9.9)
12–19
13,829
(5.2)
2,055
(.8)
1,897
(.7)
2,451
(.9)
20,232
(1.8)
20≦
11,231
(4.2)
2,469
(.9)
2,976
(1.1)
2,474
(.9)
19,150
(1.7)
Number of traditional doctors per 100 beds
0
262,580
(98.0)
270,211
(99.3)
274,766
(99.4)
276,741
(99.4)
1,084,298
(99.0)
1≦
5,436
(2.0)
1,796
(.7)
1,753
(.6)
1,686
(.6)
10,671
(1.0)
edical insurance type divided into National Health Insurance, Medicaid, and others. Others include veterans and beneficiaries who receive care free of charge as a government expenditure. hen one patient had multiple joint diseases, the most frequent disease is indicated. case involving one or more of the other three joint disorders which were included in this study. everity was measured using the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), defined as the sum of weights related to each condition for which a patient submitted claims. ospital type is the type of medical institution most frequently visited.
