About 60% of Korean Hospitals Providing Breast Cancer Care Receive Top Rating
More than Half of Grade 1 Hospitals Located in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province
Approximately 6 out of 10 hospitals in South Korea that provide breast cancer treatment received a top (Grade 1) rating. Similar to other aspects of healthcare, more than half of the Grade 1 breast cancer treatment hospitals were concentrated in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province.
On August 21, the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) announced that it had evaluated 139 hospitals that billed for breast cancer treatment (29,142 cases) in 2023. Of these, 81 hospitals, accounting for 58.3% of the total, received a Grade 1 rating. In contrast, 9 hospitals (6.5%) received the lowest Grade 5 rating.
By hospital type, 40 out of 44 tertiary general hospitals received a Grade 1 rating, while 4 received Grade 2. Among general hospitals, 41 were rated Grade 1, 8 were rated Grade 2, and 6 were rated Grade 3.
Of the 81 hospitals that received a Grade 1 rating, 48 (59.3%) were located in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province, with 24 in each region.
The 30-day readmission rate after breast cancer surgery was 0.57%, and the mortality rate after breast cancer surgery was 0.05%, indicating favorable treatment outcomes. The proportion of patients who underwent surgery within 30 days of a confirmed breast cancer diagnosis was 78.3%.
Additionally, HIRA evaluated the performance of 175 hospitals that treated liver cancer (10,052 cases). The 30-day readmission rate after liver cancer surgery was 1.99%, and the mortality rate after liver cancer surgery was 1.09%, both relatively low. The proportion of patients who underwent surgery within 30 days of a confirmed liver cancer diagnosis was 90.4%, higher than that for breast cancer.
Since 2011, HIRA has been conducting adequacy assessments of medical benefits for cancer, the leading cause of death in South Korea. In July 2022, the evaluation method shifted from a surgery-centered approach to a patient- and outcome-centered approach.
The evaluation results of hospitals by region can be checked on the HIRA or Hospital Assessment Integrated Portal websites.
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