Effect of a Comprehensive Health Care Program by Korean Medicine Doctors on Medical Care Utilization for Common Infectious Diseases in Child‐Care Centers

Abstract

As the role of traditional medicine in community health improvement increases, a comprehensive health care program for infectious diseases management in child-care centers by Korean medicine doctors was developed. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of the program intervention on infection-related medical care utilization among children. The study used a quasi-experimental design with nonequivalent control group, comparing pre- and post-intervention data of the same children. The program implemented interventions in terms of management, education, and medical examination for the teachers, parents, and children in 12-week period. The frequency of utilization, cost, and prescription days of drugs and antibiotics due to infectious diseases prior to the intervention were compared with those during the 3-month intervention, using health insurance claim data. A panel analysis was also conducted to support the findings. A significant reduction (12%) in infection-related visit days of hospitals was observed with the intervention (incident rate ratio = 0.88, P = 0.01). And medical cost, drug prescription days, and antibiotics prescription days were decreased, although not statistically significant. A further cost-effectiveness analysis in terms of social perspectives, considering the opportunity costs for guardians to take children to medical institutions, would be needed.

Evaluation of the effectiveness of the standard traditional Korean medicine-based health promotion program for disadvantaged children in South Korea

“…The program significantly reduced the number of outpatient visits both in the main analysis, and in the sensitivity analysis. This is consistent with that reported in a study by Park et al [ 28 ], which evaluated a TKM-based healthcare program for preventing infectious diseases in infants. This may suggest that providing TKM doctor visits to CCCs and herbal medication could reduce the number of outpatient visits.…”

“…“Please mark an X on the below scale to indicate how your child’s health is TODAY.”) were only included in the calculation. These periods were set considering their consistency with Park et al [ 28 ]. The EQ-5D index was calculated using the method proposed by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [ 29 ].…”

Evaluation of The Effectiveness of The Standard Traditional Korean Medicine-Based Health Promotion Program For Disadvantaged Children In South Korea

“…The signi cant decrease in the number of outpatient visits is consistent with that reported in the study by Park et al [23], which was conducted to evaluate a TKM-based healthcare program for preventing infectious diseases in infants. This result showed that providing TKM doctor's visits to CCCs and necessary herbal medication over-the counter had the effect of replacing outpatient visits of disadvantaged children.…”

“…Frequency measurements were limited to respiratory, digestive, ophthalmological, otolaryngological, and dermatological diseases, which have a large degree of incidence and clinical signi cance in children [20][21][22]. The number of outpatient visits, absence, and lateness/early leaves was limited to cases within the last 1 month, and the number of infectious symptoms was limited to cases within the last 2 weeks [23].…”

A cross-sectional survey of clinical factors that influence the use of traditional Korean medicine among children with cerebral palsy

“…Jeong et al 27 reported that children with neuropsychiatric diseases who have other health problems use CAM more often than children who do not have other health problems. In addition, TKM has been used to improve physical strength, and children with disabilities in South Korea often have physical weakness, 28 nocturnal enuresis, 29 and emotional and behavioral disorders 30 as well as high rates of common infectious diseases 31 …”