Hospitalization Rates for Chronic Diseases Decrease, Stroke Mortality Lowest Among OECD Members

Ministry of Health and Welfare Analyzes "OECD Health at a Glance 2025"
High Antibiotic Prescription Rates and Need for Improvement in Mental Health Quality

The quality of healthcare in South Korea has improved, as evidenced by a decrease in hospital admission rates due to chronic diseases and the lowest 30-day mortality rate after stroke hospitalization among OECD member countries. However, the antibiotic prescription rate has sharply increased since 2022, making it the second highest among OECD countries, and mental health indicators still fall short of the average.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on November 26 the results of its analysis of domestic healthcare quality indicators, based on the "Health at a Glance 2025" report published last month by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

According to the Ministry, the quality of healthcare in South Korea has improved compared to the past in most indicators, including acute care, hospitalization rates for chronic diseases, outpatient drug prescriptions, mental health, integrated care, and end-of-life care.

In the area of acute care, the 30-day case fatality rate for ischemic stroke (the percentage of patients who died in the hospital within 30 days of admission) was 3.3%, maintaining less than half the OECD average of 7.7%, and ranking among the lowest among member countries together with Japan and Norway. In contrast, the 30-day case fatality rate for acute myocardial infarction was 8.4%. Although this rate has continuously improved since 2016, it remains higher than the OECD average of 6.5%.

Hospitalization rates for chronic diseases have also improved, with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) admission rates at 141 per 100,000 people, and congestive heart failure admission rates at 76 per 100,000 people, both lower than the OECD averages of 155 and 210 per 100,000, respectively.

On the other hand, the diabetes hospitalization rate was 159 per 100,000 people, which is about half the 319 per 100,000 recorded in 2008, but still higher than the OECD average of 111 per 100,000. The lower limb amputation rate, which is used to assess the long-term quality of diabetes management, was 12 per 100,000 people (3 major amputations, 9 minor amputations), lower than the OECD average of 23 per 100,000, indicating relatively positive outcomes in preventive management.

The total volume of outpatient antibiotic prescriptions reached 25 defined daily doses (DDD) per 1,000 inhabitants per day, a significant increase since 2022 and much higher than the OECD average of 16 DDD.

The long-term prescription rate of benzodiazepines for adults aged 65 and older was 11.5 per 1,000 people prescribed medication in this age group, lower than the OECD average of 27. However, the prescription rate for long-acting benzodiazepines was 98.3 per 1,000, about 2.3 times higher than the OECD average of 42. In addition, the total volume of opioid (narcotic analgesic) prescriptions was 0.87 DDD per 1,000 inhabitants per day, which is much lower than the OECD average of 17 DDD, ranking as the second lowest among member countries. The antipsychotic prescription rate for patients aged 65 and older (45.9 per 1,000 people prescribed medication in this age group) has been steadily increasing, but remains lower than the OECD average of 54.

In the field of mental health, the mortality rate for patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder was 4.3 times higher than that of the general population, and for those diagnosed with schizophrenia, it was 4.9 times higher. Both figures exceed the OECD averages of 2.7 and 4.1 times, respectively. The suicide rate within one year after discharge among patients with mental illness was also 6.9 per 1,000 people, higher than the OECD average of 3.4 per 1,000.

In the area of integrated care, indicators measure whether patients with chronic diseases receive effective and continuous care from various healthcare providers. The one-year post-discharge mortality rate for ischemic stroke patients was 15.5%, similar to the OECD average of 15.0%. The prescription rates of antihypertensive and antithrombotic agents after discharge for secondary prevention of ischemic stroke, which indicate the quality of integrated care between hospitals and the community, were 73.8% and 90.8%, respectively, both higher than the OECD averages of 78% and 73%.

The proportion of deaths occurring in medical institutions, an indirect indicator of the quality of end-of-life care, was 38.6%, lower than the OECD average of 49%.