PURPOSE
This study was a retrospective survey to examine economic feasibility of home care services for patients with diabetic foot.
METHODS
The participants were 33 patients in the home care services (HC) group and 27 in the non-home care services (non-HC) group, all of whom were discharged early after inpatient treatment. Data were collected from medical records. Direct medical costs were calculated using medical fee payment data. Cost-effectiveness ratio was calculated using direct medical costs paid by the patient and the insurer until complete cure of the diabetic foot. Effectiveness was the time required for a complete cure. Direct medical costs included fees for hospitalization, emergency care, home care, ambulatory fees, and hospitalization or ambulatory fees at other medical institutions.
RESULTS
Mean for direct medical costs was 11,118,773 won per person in the HC group, and 16,005,883 won in the non-HC group. The difference between the groups was statistically significant (p=.042). Analysis of the results for cost-effectiveness ratio showed 91,891 won per day in the HC patients, and 109,629 won per day in the non-HC patients.
CONCLUSION
Result shows that the cost-effectiveness ratio is lower HC patients than non-HC patients, that indicates home care services are economically feasible.

PURPOSE
This study was done to explore factors related to amount of service use for elders with long-term care needs.
METHODS
A descriptive-correlation design was used. The sample included 259 elders and their primary caregivers who had cared for the elders for at least 6 months. Data on long-term care need assessment, service use and interviews with primary caregivers were analyzed.
RESULTS
There was no significant relationship between the sociodemographic characteristics and the amount of services use. Amount of service use differed significantly by Long-term care classification. The mean scores for class 1, 2 and 3 were 22.68, 21.47 and 17.87 days respectively. Primary caregiver relationship with the elders and the number of family-friend helpers were also significant. Multivariate regression analysis showed that gender, marital status, activities of daily living, cognitive impairment, and secondary caregiver support explained 17% of the total variance of service use among these elders (F=3.50, p<.001).
CONCLUSION
The results of this study indicate that critical factors including secondary caregiver support and individual background, and other functional dependencies except for physical function should be considered in accurately predicting the amount of service use for community dwelling elders with long-term care needs.

Citations

• Institutional and individual factors associated with functional outcomes in nursing home residents under long-term care insurance in Korea: A multilevel analysis
  Sun-jin Kim, Hyunjong Song
  Geriatric Nursing.2023; 52: 152.     CrossRef
• Determinants of long-term care insurance applications in South Korea
  Sunhee Park, Heejung Kim, Chang Gi Park
  Journal of Public Health.2021; 43(3): 604.     CrossRef
• Disagreement between a public insurer’s recommendation and beneficiary’s choice of long-term care services in Korea
  Misook Song, Hyunjong Song
  Health Policy.2020; 124(8): 881.     CrossRef