Health Check-up Support for the Beneficiaries of Basic Livelihood Act: Two Years of the Coalition Experience and Outcomes.

Abstract

Objective: Self-sufficiency Center is a organization which provide support for individual skill acquisition and work opportunities to beneficiaries of basic livelihood act. The goal of this study is to provide health care, customized counseling, and treatment at the community level to improve their health status.Methods: The subjects of this study were participants in three district self-sufficiency center of Seoul that received welfare funds in 2015 and 2016. All examinations included self-written surveys, body measurement, blood and urine tests, abdominal ultrasound and gastroscopy. Optional biopsy, colonocopy, lung CT and thyroid ultrasound were charged extra.Result: Through this examination, one case of colon cancer, two cases of cervical cancer, two cases of thyroid cancer and one case of lung cancer were found for malignant tumors. One case of internal carotid artery occlusion, one case of ascending aortic dilatation, three cases of hepatitis B antigen carrier and chronic liver disease, and diseases such as high blood pressure and dyslipidemia were newly diagnosed or found to be poorly controlled. Patients with all abnormal results were requested medical treatment with a specialist, and at least one year after the examination, approximately 45% of them found follow-up lost. In a retrospective telephone survey with 62 participants, they responded that they were not receiving medical treatment or health examinations because lack of time or cost. They responded that they will participate private health examinations again if economic support is provided.Conclusion: Through this private health examination whith people of low economic levels, it was confirmed that they were not in good health, but they have desire to do health examination and will voluntarily participate health examination if they have low economic burden. One clue to health inequality could be that people with low economic status are more likely to develop diseases due to cost burdens and neglect of health care.