INTRODUCTION To test the hypothesis that the distribution of healthcare services is according to health need can be achieved under a rather open access system. METHODS The 2001 National Health Interview Survey of Taiwan and National Health Insurance claims data were linked in the study. Health need was defined by self-perceived health status. We used Concentration index to measure need-relate...

BACKGROUND The Korean healthcare system is composed of costly and inefficient structures that fail to adequately divide the functions and roles of medical care organizations. To resolve this matter, the government reformed the cost-sharing policy in November of 2011 for the management of outpatients visiting general or tertiary hospitals with comparatively mild diseases. The purpose of the pres...

INTRODUCTION This study assessed whether patient portals influence patients' ability for self-management, improve their perception of health state, improve their experience with primary care practices, and reduce healthcare utilization. METHODS Patients participating in a nurse-led care coordination program received personalized training to use the portal to communicate with the care team. Da...

The purpose of this study was to evaluate healthcare utilization and referral patterns for pain management services in a racially and ethnically diverse population. A study-specific mail survey was directed at African- (N=324) and Caucasian Americans (N=300) receiving chronic pain treatment at a tertiary care pain center to address their healthcare access, referral, and utilization patterns. Ov...

BACKGROUND Indonesia still faces challenges in maternal health. Specifically, the lack of information on community-level maternal morbidity. The relatively high maternal healthcare non-utilization in Indonesia intensifies this problem. OBJECTIVE To describe the burden of community-level maternal morbidity in Indonesia. Additionally, to evaluate the extent and determinants of missed opportunit...

OBJECTIVES Parental socioeconomic status (SES) exerts a substantial influence on children's health. The purpose of this study was to examine factors determining children's private health insurance (PHI) enrolment and children's healthcare utilization according to PHI coverage. METHODS Korea Health Panel data from 2011 (n=3085) was used to explore the factors determining PHI enrolment in child...

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between diabetes and depression and investigate the effects of comorbid diabetes and depression on healthcare utilization. METHODS The study sample included 10,179 Korean adults aged ≥ 45 years. The presence of diabetes was assessed by asking participants if the participants had ever been diagnosed with diabetes. Depression was ...