• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.8-16
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• 2021

This article aims to introduce the inception and operation of the COVID-19 International Collaborative Research Project, the world's first coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) open data project for research, along with its dataset and research method, and to discuss relevant considerations for collaborative research using nationwide real-world data (RWD). COVID-19 has spread across the world since early 2020, becoming a serious global health threat to life, safety, and social and economic activities. However, insufficient RWD from patients was available to help clinicians efficiently diagnose and treat patients with COVID-19, or to provide necessary information to the government for policy-making. Countries that saw a rapid surge of infections had to focus on leveraging medical professionals to treat patients, and the circumstances made it even more difficult to promptly use COVID-19 RWD. Against this backdrop, the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) of Korea decided to open its COVID-19 RWD collected through Korea's universal health insurance program, under the title of the COVID-19 International Collaborative Research Project. The dataset, consisting of 476 508 claim statements from 234 427 patients (7590 confirmed cases) and 18 691 318 claim statements of the same patients for the previous 3 years, was established and hosted on HIRA's in-house server. Researchers who applied to participate in the project uploaded analysis code on the platform prepared by HIRA, and HIRA conducted the analysis and provided outcome values. As of November 2020, analyses have been completed for 129 research projects, which have been published or are in the process of being published in prestigious journals.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.63-70
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• 2016

Background: Selective health benefit was introduced for decreasing economic burden of patients. Medical devices with economic uncertainty have been covered as selective health benefit by National Health Insurance since December 2013. We aimed to analyze impact of selective health benefit to medical expenditure and provider behavior focused on electrosurgery (ultrasonic shears, electrothermal bipolar vessel sealers) for gastric cancer patients covered since December 2014. Methods: We used the National Health Insurance claims data of 2,698 patients underwent gastric cancer surgery between August 2014 and March 2015. Medical cost and patient sharing per inpatient day were analyzed to verify that covering electrosurgery increased medical expenditure and changed provider behavior from open surgery to endoscopic or laparoscopic surgery. Additionally, we analyzed the claim rate of medical device or goods relating gastric endoscopic and laparoscopic surgery. Results: Medical cost and patient sharing per inpatient day were increased after covering electosurgery as selective health benefit (39,724/1,421 won). However, there were no medical expenditure increases after adjusting claim of electosurgery and patient sharing was decreased 1,057 won especially. The coverage of selective health benefit did not increase the claim rate of medical device or goods related endoscopic or laparoscopic surgery, either. Conclusion: Covering electosurgery decreased patient economic burden and did not change of provider behavior. Expanding selective health benefit is needed to decrease economic burden of severe patients. Further study should evaluate the long term effect with accumulated data.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.71-78
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• 2016

The value of using health insurance claim database is continuously rising in healthcare research. In studies where comorbidities act as a confounder, comorbidity adjustment holds importance. Yet researchers are faced with a myriad of options without sufficient information on how to appropriately adjust comorbidity. The purpose of this study is to assist in selecting an appropriate index, look back period, and data range for comorbidity adjustment. No consensus has been formed regarding the appropriate index, look back period and data range in comorbidity adjustment. This study recommends the Charlson comorbidity index be selected when predicting the outcome such as mortality, and the Elixhauser's comorbidity measures be selected when analyzing the relations between various comorbidities and outcomes. A longer look back period and inclusion of all diagnoses of both inpatient and outpatient data led to increased prevalence of comorbidities, but contributed little to model performance. Limited data range, such as the inclusion of primary diagnoses only, may complement limitations of the health insurance claim database, but could miss important comorbidities. This study suggests that all diagnoses of both inpatients and outpatients data, excluding rule-out diagnosis, be observed for at least 1 year look back period prior to the index date. The comorbidity index, look back period, and data range must be considered for comorbidity adjustment. To provide better guidance to researchers, follow-up studies should be conducted using the three factors based on specific diseases and surgeries.

• Journal of Korean Medical Science
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• v.33 no.53
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• pp.343.1-343.8
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• 2018

Background: Linkage of public healthcare data is useful in stroke research because patients may visit different sectors of the health system before, during, and after stroke. Therefore, we aimed to establish high-quality big data on stroke in Korea by linking acute stroke registry and national health claim databases. Methods: Acute stroke patients (n = 65,311) with claim data suitable for linkage were included in the Clinical Research Center for Stroke (CRCS) registry during 2006-2014. We linked the CRCS registry with national health claim databases in the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA). Linkage was performed using 6 common variables: birth date, gender, provider identification, receiving year and number, and statement serial number in the benefit claim statement. For matched records, linkage accuracy was evaluated using differences between hospital visiting date in the CRCS registry and the commencement date for health insurance care in HIRA. Results: Of 65,311 CRCS cases, 64,634 were matched to HIRA cases (match rate, 99.0%). The proportion of true matches was 94.4% (n = 61,017) in the matched data. Among true matches (mean age 66.4 years; men 58.4%), the median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score was 3 (interquartile range 1-7). When comparing baseline characteristics between true matches and false matches, no substantial difference was observed for any variable. Conclusion: We could establish big data on stroke by linking CRCS registry and HIRA records, using claims data without personal identifiers. We plan to conduct national stroke research and improve stroke care using the linked big database.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.45-63
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• 2005

The purposes of this study are to understand the doctors' attitude and satisfaction about the review system of national health insurance claim in Korea and to suggest the way to improve this system This study conducted a survey of the doctors registered in the medical association in Seoul city. The survey was performed as a form of self-administered questionnaire from January 2004 to February 2004. The contents of questionnaire dealt with doctors' attitude and satisfaction about the review system of medical service claim. Totally, 1,037 members replied to our survey and we analysed 981 doctors' data, excluding incomplete responses. As a result, 89.7% of repliers showed a negative attitude about the influences of the review system on improvement of medical service quality, 98.0% of repliers have had experiences that they have given distorted insufficient medical services in order to evade the curtailment of service claim. Also, 91.6% of repliers stated that they have had experiences of intentional modification or alteration of diagnostic code to shun the curtailment. Most of the doctors showed negative attitude to the curtailment procedure and the review system of service claim originally intended to be one of the quality control methods of medical service in Korea also, the development of both scientific and reasonable parameters and criteria for claim is needed. 'Through the improvement of review system for appropriate medical service, there is a need of a way to increase the satisfaction of medical service providers, and to encourage the motivation for quality control. Also, education is strongly needed to provide doctors with sufficient information about review criteria and curtailment cases.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.433-437
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• 2006

Objectives: The aim of this study is to develop a methodology for estimating a nationwide statistic for hernia operations with using the claim database of the Korea Health Insurance Cooperation (KHIC). Methods: According to the insurance claim procedures, the claim database was divided into the electronic data interchange database (EDI_DB) and the sheet database (Paper_DB). Although the EDI_DB has operation and management codes showing the facts and kinds of operations, the Paper_DB doesn't. Using the hernia matched management code in the EDI_DB, the cases of hernia surgery were extracted. For drawing the potential cases from the Paper_DB, which doesn't have the code, the predictive model was developed using the data mining technique called SEMMA. The claim sheets of the cases that showed a predictive probability of an operation over the threshold, as was decided by the ROC curve, were identified in order to get the positive predictive value as an index of usefulness for the predictive model. Results: Of the claim databases in 2004, 14,386 cases had hernia related management codes with using the EDI system. For fitting the models with applying the data mining technique, logistic regression was chosen rather than the neural network method or the decision tree method. From the Paper_DB, 1,019 cases were extracted as potential cases. Direct review of the sheets of the extracted cases showed that the positive predictive value was 95.3%. Conclusions: The results suggested that applying the data mining technique to the claim database in the KHIC for estimating the nationwide surgical statistics would be useful from the aspect of execution and cost-effectiveness.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.19-32
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• 2007

Objectives : It is necessary to monitor consumption of drugs in order to enhance promote appropriate use of drugs. Defined Daily Dose(DDD) of World Health Organization(WHO) has been used for evaluating the amount of medicine use. However, DDD of some drugs must be determined for drugs in Korea which are not listed by WHO. Our formulary follows ourself classification and DDD of some drugs must be determined since they exist only in Korea. This study was aimed to determine DDD value using RAND Appropriateness Methods and evaluate the amount of antibiotics use using DDD value. Methods : J01 antibiotics of WHO anatomical therapeutic chemical(ATC) classification were extracted from drug formulary. Antibiotics list without DDD was identified to determine their DDD with comprehensive review of references and recommendation of experts. defined. Review of reference was executed. of Expert panels were comprised of clinical pharmacist and clinical doctors. Modified Delphi Method was applied by survey and consensus meeting. Amount of antibiotic use was calculated by DDD/1000 inhabitants/day in the national level using health insurance claim data. Results : The result of 1 round, DDD values of 28 ingredients were determined from the first round of consensus meeting. With 2nd round meeting, 3 ingredients were deleted and DDD of 17 ingredients were decided. Analysis of antibiotic use in health insurance claim data showed 22.97 DDD/1000 inhabitants/day in 2003 year. Conclusion : This study can contribute to the establishment of DDD assignment and thus quantifying drug uses.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.138-144
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• 2009

The purpose was to implement drug utilization review (DUR) for whom were diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD) population using health insurance claim data. This study constructed drug utilization database using Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) database and selected contraindicated drugs with kidney based on previously developed drug utilization guide and reviewing other countries' examples. Main outcome measures were the proportion of prescription for 1 or more drugs of concern. The cohort included 115,948 subjects, who were diagnosed with chronic kidney disease. Inappropriate drugs with CKD patients was some used, and the most commonly prescribed classes were aluminum drugs. However it is difficult to find problems with inappropriate drug because claims data doesn't have laboratory data. Based on the result of retrospective drug utilization review study, more studies should be analysed drug utilization patterns and monitoring system should be developed.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.393-401
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• 2000

Objectives : To evaluate the impacts of the DRG payment system on the behavior of medical insurance claimants. Specifically, we evaluated the case-mix index, the numbers of diagnosis and procedure codes utilized, and the corresponding rate of diagnosis codes before, during and after implementation of the DRG payment system. Methods : In order to evaluate the case-mix index, the number of diagnosis and procedure codes utilized, we used medical insurance claim data from all medical facilities that participated in the DRG-based Prospective Payment Demonstration Program. This medical insurance claim data consisted of both pre-demonstration program data (fee-for-service, from November, 1998 to January, 1999) and post-demonstration program data (DRG-based Prospective Payment, from February, 1999 to April, 1999). And in order to evaluate the corresponding rate of diagnosis codes utilized, we reviewed 820 medical records from 20 medical institutes that were selected by random sampling methods. Results : The case-mix index rate decreased after the DRG-based Prospective Payment Demonstration Program was introduced. The average numbers of different claim diagnosis codes used decreased (new DRGs from 2.22 to 1.24, and previous DRGs from 1.69 to 1.21), as did the average number of claim procedure codes used (new DRGs from 3.02 to 2.16, and previous DRGs from 2.97 to 2.43). With respect to the time of participation in the program, the change in number of claim procedure codes was significant, but the change in number of claim diagnosis codes was not. The corresponding rate of claim diagnosis codes increased (from 57.5% to 82.6%), as did the exclusion rate of claim diagnosis codes (from 16.5% to 25.1%). Conclusions : After the implementation of the DRG payment system, the corresponding rate of insurance claim codes and the corresponding exclusion rate of claim diagnosis codes both increased, because the inducement system for entering the codes for claim review was changed.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.291-303
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• 2012

As respiratory tract infections (RTI) account for about 60% of all antibiotic prescriptions in outpatient care setting, there are significant concerns about emerging resistance that are largely due to the excessive or inappropriate use of antibacterial agents for viral respiratory infections. This study was aimed to develop retrospective drug utilization review (DUR) program of antibiotics for RTIs using Delphi methods. Retrospective DUR criteria of antibiotics for RTIs were identified based on clinical practice guidelines and opinion of experts. Expert panel members were clinical doctors and pharmacists and Delphi method was applied by survey on 16 members of panels. The claim data from Korean Health Insurance Review & Assessment (HIRA) were used to examine trends in outpatient antibiotic prescription between Janunary to December of 2008. As results, Quality index for RTI was assessed for the claim type, antibiotics use of quantity, duration, number and cost. Antibiotic prescription rate for RTIs, Defined Daily Dose (DDD), and duration of antibiotics use were more recognized as significant quality index by experts' opinion. Use of first line agents suggested by guidelines was low and duration of antibiotics use was shorter compared to the recommendations. Antibiotics were over prescribed for RITs. However, dose and duration of antibiotics were under-used.