Epidemiology and Expected Cost of International Medical Repatriation Into South Korea: 2019 to 2021

Q3 Nursing

Air Medical Journal Pub Date : 2024-11-01 DOI:10.1016/j.amj.2024.10.005

Jeong Hyeok Lee PhD , Ki Hong Kim MD , Ki Jeong Hong MD, PhD , Yong Joo Park MD , Kyoung Jun Song MD, PhD , Sang Do Shin MD, PhD

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Objective

Overseas Koreans face challenges in accessing adequate medical care abroad. Understanding the epidemiology and costs of international medical repatriation is important.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of overseas Korean patients who were repatriated to South Korea between 2019 and 2021 was conducted. The data collected from 121 countries included demographics, medical conditions, and costs. Variables from 9 continents (Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia, Southwest Asia–Pacific, Russia–Central Asia, North America, Central and South America, Europe, Middle East‒North Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa) and the era of coronavirus disease 2019 (February 2020 and after) were analyzed and compared. Based on the available total cost data, stepwise extrapolation was conducted for the total cohort.

Results

A total of 428 overseas Korean patients who had undergone international medical repatriation via air transport were included in this study. The greatest number of repatriated patients were from Southeast Asia (108 patients), and 279 patients were transported within the coronavirus disease 2019 era. The average cost per patient exceeded $7,000, and the total cost estimated by extrapolation was over $8 million.

Conclusion

International medical repatriation is significant for overseas Koreans. Standardized guidelines and system development are essential for effective air medical services.

查看原文本刊更多论文

国际医疗遣返韩国的流行病学和预期成本：2019年至2021年

目的海外韩国人在获得国外适当医疗保健方面面临挑战。了解国际医疗遣返的流行病学和费用很重要。方法对2019 ~ 2021年回国的海外韩国人患者进行回顾性分析。从121个国家收集的数据包括人口统计、医疗条件和费用。对来自9大洲（东南亚、东北亚、西南亚太、俄罗斯-中亚、北美、中南美洲、欧洲、中东-北非和撒哈拉以南非洲）和2019年冠状病毒病时代（2020年2月及以后）的变量进行分析和比较。根据可获得的总成本数据，对总队列进行逐步外推。结果本研究共纳入428例通过航空运输进行国际医疗遣返的海外朝鲜族患者。从东南亚地区遣返的患者最多（108例），在2019冠状病毒病时代内遣返的患者279例。每位患者的平均费用超过7000美元，根据外推法估计，总费用超过800万美元。结论国际医疗遣返对侨胞具有重要意义。标准化准则和系统开发对于有效的空中医疗服务至关重要。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Air Medical Journal Nursing-Emergency Nursing

CiteScore

1.20

自引率

0.00%

发文量

112

审稿时长

69 days

期刊介绍： Air Medical Journal is the official journal of the five leading air medical transport associations in the United States. AMJ is the premier provider of information for the medical transport industry, addressing the unique concerns of medical transport physicians, nurses, pilots, paramedics, emergency medical technicians, communication specialists, and program administrators. The journal contains practical how-to articles, debates on controversial industry issues, legislative updates, case studies, and peer-reviewed original research articles covering all aspects of the medical transport profession.