Comparison of patient characteristics in the injection and non-injection subgroups*
| N | Visit days per patient† (days) | Reimbursed visit days per patient‡ (days) | Benefit amount per patient§ (1000 KRW) | Treatment amount per patient¶ (1000 KRW) | Surgery rate (%) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| nLBP | IDD | SS | nLBP | IDD | SS | nLBP | IDD | SS | nLBP | IDD | SS | nLBP | IDD | SS | nLBP | IDD | SS | |
| Non-injection group | 95 199 | 35 152 | 18 769 | 7.2 | 7.5 | 7.8 | 7.9 | 9.4 | 12.0 | 131 670.4 | 216 818.0 | 278 164.9 | 177 044 | 294 237 | 366 803 | 888 (0.9%) | 1354 (3.9%) | 841 (4.5%) |
| Injection group | 6876 | 9546 | 7138 | 14.1 | 12.5 | 12.4 | 15.4 | 15.6 | 16.5 | 303 823.8 | 452 656.1 | 486 879.6 | 407 083 | 615 312 | 648 545 | 69 (1.0%) | 665 (7.0%) | 409 (5.7%) |
| Non-injection group | ||||||||||||||||||
| Gender | ||||||||||||||||||
| Male | 40 083 | 14 020 | 6527 | 6.0 | 7.3 | 7.5 | 6.7 | 10.1 | 15.5 | 114 337.4 | 230 789.5 | 301 476.3 | 156 465 | 316 138 | 400 303 | 448 (1.1) | 727 (5.2) | 340 (5.2) |
| Female | 55 116 | 21 132 | 12 242 | 8.0 | 7.6 | 7.9 | 8.7 | 8.9 | 10.1 | 144 275.8 | 207 548.6 | 265 736.1 | 192 010 | 279 706 | 348 943 | 440 (0.8) | 627 (3) | 501 (4.1) |
| Age (years) | ||||||||||||||||||
| <20 | 8933 | 788 | 44 | 3.2 | 5.2 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 6.2 | 3.3 | 64 865.7 | 159 638.6 | 146 020.9 | 90 731 | 219 760 | 185 001 | 64 (0.7) | 22 (2.8) | 2 (4.6) |
| 20–29 | 10 527 | 2860 | 210 | 4.0 | 5.6 | 2.9 | 4.3 | 7.1 | 4.0 | 87 928.4 | 181 691.9 | 85 672.5 | 125 091 | 256 533 | 126 587 | 72 (0.7) | 106 (3.7) | 2 (1) |
| 30–39 | 14 862 | 5266 | 586 | 5.0 | 6.3 | 4.3 | 5.3 | 7.9 | 9.1 | 96 429.1 | 203 134.2 | 171 943.7 | 137 494 | 283 891 | 230 779 | 111 (0.7) | 245 (4.7) | 25 (4.3) |
| 40–49 | 17 465 | 7160 | 1708 | 6.0 | 7.0 | 5.2 | 6.4 | 8.7 | 7.0 | 117 771.5 | 222 320.8 | 223 097.5 | 163 727 | 303 530 | 299 184 | 148 (0.8) | 314 (4.4) | 79 (4.6) |
| 50–59 | 19 208 | 8619 | 4258 | 7.2 | 7.5 | 6.1 | 7.8 | 9.0 | 8.6 | 131 882.9 | 216 825.3 | 225 620.7 | 183 983 | 296 830 | 304 291 | 195 (1) | 320 (3.7) | 174 (4.1) |
| 60–69 | 13 396 | 6093 | 5727 | 9.5 | 8.2 | 7.9 | 10.7 | 10.9 | 13.8 | 157 362.1 | 202 838.8 | 291 869.0 | 205 801 | 273 636 | 390 158 | 135 (1) | 191 (3.1) | 275 (4.8) |
| ≥70 | 12 408 | 4867 | 6473 | 13.3 | 9.4 | 9.7 | 15.3 | 11.8 | 13.9 | 233 606.0 | 248 595.8 | 321 709.3 | 284 758 | 316 882 | 413 017 | 163 (1.3) | 156 (3.2) | 284 (4.4) |
| Injection group | ||||||||||||||||||
| Gender | ||||||||||||||||||
| Male | 2535 | 3760 | 2383 | 12.2 | 12.1 | 12.7 | 13.5 | 16.5 | 18.8 | 261 318.1 | 454 777.8 | 508 295.5 | 358 436 | 627 258 | 682 830 | 13 (0.5) | 321 (8.5) | 154 (6.5) |
| Female | 4341 | 5786 | 4755 | 15.2 | 12.7 | 12.3 | 16.5 | 15.1 | 15.3 | 328 645.7 | 451 277.4 | 476 146.9 | 435 491 | 607 549 | 631 362 | 56 (1.3) | 344 (6) | 255 (5.4) |
| Age (years) | ||||||||||||||||||
| <20 | 71 | 86 | 6 | 7.2 | 11.7 | 4.3 | 7.5 | 16.0 | 5.5 | 174 687.2 | 444 109.2 | 244 083.3 | 242 313 | 610 245 | 329 338 | 0 (0) | 6 (7) | 0 (0) |
| 20–29 | 341 | 473 | 28 | 7.3 | 10.3 | 4.0 | 8.3 | 13.6 | 5.0 | 191 606.3 | 391 898.4 | 183 346.1 | 276 101 | 555 159 | 273 754 | 0 (0) | 34 (7.2) | 0 (0) |
| 30–39 | 672 | 1033 | 122 | 8.7 | 12.6 | 5.5 | 9.2 | 17.1 | 7.8 | 191 615.9 | 506 887.8 | 210 689.7 | 276 117 | 702 295 | 290 961 | 6 (0.9) | 97 (9.4) | 4 (3.3) |
| 40–49 | 1018 | 1643 | 445 | 9.6 | 12.2 | 8.8 | 10.1 | 15.1 | 11.1 | 219 955.0 | 464 857.9 | 392 506.9 | 310 927 | 638 448 | 534 569 | 4 (0.4) | 138 (8.4) | 19 (4.3) |
| 50–59 | 1621 | 2507 | 1391 | 11.8 | 12.1 | 9.3 | 12.7 | 14.4 | 11.7 | 267 612.6 | 421 782.8 | 376 752.8 | 372 247 | 580 843 | 525 597 | 14 (0.9) | 154 (6.1) | 67 (4.8) |
| 60–69 | 1691 | 2155 | 2356 | 15.4 | 12.2 | 12.1 | 17.1 | 15.8 | 16.5 | 317 361.9 | 443 174.7 | 489 538.3 | 422 422 | 599 557 | 651 039 | 12 (0.7) | 158 (7.3) | 137 (5.8) |
| ≥70 | 1684 | 1877 | 2963 | 19.8 | 12.4 | 14.3 | 21.7 | 15.2 | 19.1 | 408 677.5 | 424 968.8 | 536 943.4 | 515 407 | 551 966 | 702 443 | 33 (2) | 79 (4.2) | 182 (6.1) |
*Patients with overlapping records tallied as one patient (overlapping not allowed).
†The number of outpatient visits or hospitalised days of patient indicated in the submitted insurance claim statement.
‡The number of reimbursed days includes the number of outpatient visits or hospitalised days and in-care drug prescription days. Outpatient visits or hospitalisation coinciding with drug prescription on the same day was tallied as 1 day.
§The amount of benefit paid by the insurer (Korean National Health Insurance Service) to the medical care institution, excluding self-payment cost paid by the beneficiary (patient), out of total treatment amount (or medication cost) determined to be valid through HIRA review.
¶The sum of self-payment cost paid by the beneficiary (patient) and benefit reimbursed by the insurer (Korean National Health Insurance Service) to the medical care institution. Total treatment amount of items determined to be eligible for reimbursement by the HIRA out of the treatment amount indicated in the submitted insurance claim statement.
HIRA, Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service; IDD, intervertebral disc disorder; LBP, low back pain; nLBP, non-specific low back pain; SS, spinal stenosis.