Statistics have shown that the quality level of healthcare in South Korea has improved in most indicators. However, the mortality rate of patients with mental illnesses remains high, indicating a need for continuous improvement measures in the mental health sector.
On the 28th, the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced an analysis of the current status of healthcare quality in South Korea through healthcare quality indicators included in the OECD's "Health at a Glance 2023," published on the 7th. The OECD collects key indicators on the health and healthcare system performance of each member country and publishes statistics every two years. The Ministry analyzed and compared South Korea's past and present status and that of other countries in seven areas: acute care, chronic disease hospitalization rates, outpatient drug prescriptions, mental health, patient experience, integrated care, and end-of-life care.
Looking at detailed indicators by sector, in the acute care area, the 30-day fatality rate for acute myocardial infarction, a representative disease of acute care, was 8.4%, showing continuous improvement every year. However, it was higher than the OECD average (7.0%). The 30-day fatality rate for ischemic stroke was 3.3%, the fourth lowest among OECD countries (average 7.9%).
In the chronic disease hospitalization rate area, the hospitalization rates for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (99.7 cases per 100,000 population) and congestive heart failure (79.1 cases per 100,000 population) were lower than the OECD averages (asthma and COPD 129.1 cases, congestive heart failure 205.6 cases). The hospitalization rate for diabetes was 196.1 cases per 100,000 population, higher than the OECD average (102.4 cases).
The prescription rate of first-choice antihypertensive drugs for diabetic patients was 80.8%, showing a continuous increasing trend but still lower than the OECD average (84.0%). The total outpatient antibiotic prescription volume improved to 16.0 DDD per 1,000 population per day, close to the OECD average (13.5 DDD). DDD (Defined Daily Dose) is a standard unit measuring drug consumption, where 1 DDD represents the average daily dose for a 70kg adult.
In the mental health sector, the excess mortality ratios for patients with bipolar affective disorder and schizophrenia were 4.2 and 4.6, respectively, higher than the OECD averages (2.3 and 3.5). The suicide rate within one year after discharge for patients with mental illnesses was also high at 7.0 per 1,000 population, compared to the OECD average of 3.8%. This indicates a need to further improve healthcare quality in the mental health area.
In the patient experience area, 81.4% of patients who had outpatient visits responded that the consultation time with their doctor was sufficient, which is close to the OECD average of 82.2%. The percentage of patients who said the doctor explained things in an easy-to-understand manner was 88.0%, slightly lower than the OECD average of 90.6%. In the integrated care area, the quality level was measured by assessing outcomes such as improvements in patients receiving integrated care from multiple healthcare providers for chronic diseases. The one-year post-discharge mortality rate for ischemic stroke patients was 14.4%, lower than the OECD average of 15.5%.
Among the end-of-life care indicators, the proportion of deaths occurring in medical institutions was 69.9%, the highest among OECD countries (average 49.1%). However, this indicator is greatly influenced by each country's healthcare system and various sociocultural conditions, limiting its objectivity.
Kim Seondo, Director of Information and Statistics at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, said, "The healthcare quality statistics included in the OECD Health at a Glance are calculated based on common standards among OECD countries, making them important foundational data when policy departments plan their strategies."
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