OBJECTIVES In Korea, a large portion of tuberculosis (TB) patients are diagnosed and treated in private institutes. Laboratory tests are crucial for TB control. There are many possible problems using laboratory tests in the private sector. In this study, we aimed to investigate the characteristics and trends of utilizing laboratory tests for TB and mycobacterial diseases in the private sector b...

BACKGROUND Taiwan's National Health Insurance (NHI), implemented in 1995, substantially increased the number of health care facilities that can deliver free prenatal care. Because of the increase in such facilities, it is usually assumed that women would have more choices regarding prenatal care facilities and thus experience reduction in travel cost. Nevertheless, there has been no research ex...

Thisstudyexaminestime-sensitiveapplicationsofdataminingmethodstofacilitateclaimsreview processing and provide policy information for insurance decision-making vis-à-vis theTaiwan NationalHealthInsurance(NHI)databases.Inordertoobtainthebestpaymentmanagement,ahybrid mining(HM)approach,whichhasbeengroundedontheextantknowledgeofdataminingprojects...

Background This study was conducted to determine the scale and the nature of the economic burden caused by strokes and to use the results as an evidential source for determining the allocation of South Korea stroke cases in 2015.   Methods For research subjects, the study analyzed demographic characteristics and economic burden based on data from national health insurance (NHI) claims for inpat...

OBJECTIVES Many economically advanced countries have attempted to minimize public expenditures and pursue privatization based on the principles of neo-liberalism. However, Korea has moved contrary to this global trend. This study examines why and how the Korean health care system was formed, developed, and transformed into an integrated, single-insurer, National Health Insurance (NHI) system. ...

BACKGROUND The South African government intends to contract with 'accredited provider groups' for capitated primary care under National Health Insurance (NHI). South African solo general practitioners (GPs) are unhappy with group practice. There is no clarity on the views of GPs in group practice on contracting to the NHI. OBJECTIVES To describe the demographic and practice profile of GPs in ...

This study aims to present an overview of the evolutionary policy process in reforming the health care system in Taiwan, through dissecting the forces of knowledge, social-cultural context, economic resources and political system. We further identify factors, which had a significant impact on health care reform policies in Taiwan through illustrative policy examples. One of the most illuminatin...

Teenage mothers are at high risk for maternal and neonatal complications. This study aimed to evaluate the socioeconomic circumstances of teenage pregnancy, and determine whether these increased risks remained after adjustment for socioeconomic circumstances in Korea. Using the National Health Insurance Corporation database, we selected women who terminated pregnancy, by delivery or abortion, f...

BACKGROUND The present study measured the performance of the Papanicolaou (Pap) test and detection of cervical carcinoma in situ (CIS) and cancer in participants of organized cervical cancer screening in South Korea, and examined differences in the proportion of CIS according to socio-demographic factors. METHODS Data were obtained from the National Cancer Screening Program and National Healt...

Urban poor societies were a vulnerable group. Once they are sick, fall deeper into poverty. National Health Insurance (NHI) is way the government initiated to overcome this situation. We analyzed factor related NHI membership among urban societies. The study population included everyone living in examined sample of 3455 participants, and five characteristics: NHI, age, gender, education, employ...