Trends in Treatment Patterns for Degenerative Lumbar Diseases in Korea: A Nationwide Population-based Retrospective Cohort Study from 2008-2016 |
Suyeon Park1, Hyungki Park2, Poonghoon Lee5, Jiwoong Park3, Mungyu Kim4, Jaechil Chang2 |
1Departments of Biostatistics, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea 2Department of Neurosurgery, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea 3Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea 4Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea 5Healthcare Data Convergence Department, Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service, Wonju, Korea |
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Abstract |
Objective Degenerative lumbar disease(DLD) is a major spinal disease in elderly patients. The need for treatment of DLD should be a very important part of national health care as the aging of society accelerates. The purpose of this study was to predict the future demand for treatment of DLD in Korea through big data research using health insurance claim data.
Methods This study group was defined as patients receiving spinal therapy for DLD from 2008 to 2016. Spinal treatments were defined and classified as physiotherapy, non-surgical interventions, and surgery. We analyzed the number of patients, the number of treatments, the cost of treatments by year and the rate per 100,000 people.
Results The number of patients treated for DLD increased by 46.7% from 2,628,989 in 2008 to 3,856,219 in 2016. The number of spinal treatments increased by 44.7%. The total cost of spinal treatment increased by 97.2%. The number of patients increased to 519,549(53.4%) with the highest rate from 65 years old and over. The highest rate of increase in the number of treatment was 4,725,229(50.2%) in the 65 years and older group. The cost increased the most, at 117.0% increase, for the 65 years and older group.
Conclusion The greatest reason for the increase in the cost of treatment for DLD in Korea is to be the increase in the elderly population size. Korea is facing a super aged society and needs to study cost-effective treatments and economic policy for degenerative spinal diseases. |
Key Words:
National health insurance, Lumbar vertebrae, Degenerative, Treatment, Past trend |
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