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The Utilization of Physical Therapies in the Korean Medicine Clinics : A Survey for National Health Insurance Planning

  • Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
  • Abbr : JKMR
  • 2009, 19(3), pp.101-109
  • Publisher : The Korean Academy Of Oriental Rehabilitation Medicine
  • Research Area : Medicine and Pharmacy > Korean Medicine

신미숙 1 Shin, Byung Cheul ORD ID 1 이명종 2 Hojun Kim 2 SONG YUN KYUNG 3 Mi-Yeon Song 4 Lim, Byung-Mook ORD ID 1 Seung-Woo Shin 5

1부산대학교
2동국대학교
3경원대학교
4경희대학교
5강남청구경희한의원

Accredited

ABSTRACT

Objectives : This study aimed to investigate the present status of physical therapies provided in the Korean medicine clinics, and to find out the priorities among and the estimated fees of physical therapies for the National Health Insurance plan. Methods : We administered nationwide survey to Korean medicine doctors using the on-line survey system. 16 physical therapies were listed in the Web-based questionnaires, and responders were asked to mark the therapies they used for their patients, and, for each therapy they marked, to fill in the form including the frequencies of service, service fees, target diseases, and priorities for health insurance coverage, etc. Results : Of 488 respondents, 93.7% provide more than one physical therapy for their patients, and each responder uses 5.9 physical therapies on average. 60-90% of physical therapies are being given to patients for free because they are not covered by the National Health Insurance. There is little evidence that the specialties of Korean medicine doctors are related with the use of physical therapies, but, in some therapies, the doctors with longer career years use the physical therapy more frequently. Most physical therapies are applied to the patients with musculoskeletal diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and nervous diseases, etc. Conclusions : Physical therapies are widely used among Korean medicine doctors without proper compensation. This could be the one of the main factors distorting the profit structure of Korean medicine clinics, and it encourages the National Health Insurance to cover physical therapies provided in the Korean medicine clinics.

Citation status

* References for papers published after 2023 are currently being built.