Outpatient tx 14.7 times a year per person in Korea

2.5 times the level of the OECD

The MOHW announces OECD Health Statistics 2020

In 2020, the number of outpatient treatments per capita in Korea was 14.7 times a year, the highest among OECD countries.

 

This is 2.5 times the average 5.9 times of member states.

 

As a result of evaluating drug sales per capita with Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) reflecting the price level of each country, $ 760.9 PPP was 1.4 times higher than the OECD average of $547.2 PPP.

 

The MOHW analyzed and announced the level and status of Korea and each country by major indicators of "OECD Health Statistics 2022" announced by the OECD on the 4th.

 

Among them, we looked at health care use and health care resources.

 

◆ Outpatient treatment, average number of days of hospitalization, examination, and current medical expenses = In 2020, the number of outpatient treatments per capita in Korea was 14.7 times a year, the highest among OECD countries, 2.5 times higher than the average of member countries (5.9).

 

Japan (12.4) has the second highest number of outpatient treatments per person after Korea, while Costa Rica (1.9), Mexico (2.1), Chile and Sweden (2.2), Colombia (2.6) and Greece (2.7) have less than three.

 

In 2020, the average number of hospitalization days per inpatients in Korea was 19.1, the second longest among OECD countries after Japan (28.3 days).

 

The OECD average is 8.3 days.

 

The average number of hospitalization days per inpatients for acute treatment was 7.8 days, longer than the OECD average (6.6 days).

 

Over the past 10 years, the average number of hospitalization days per inpatients in Korea has been on the rise, but the number of patients treated in acute phase has been on the decline.

 

The total number of hospitalizations increased by 1.9% annually, and acute treatment decreased by 2.5% annually.

 

In 2020, Korea's MRI usage was 71.7 cases per 1,000 people, which was lower than the OECD average, and CT was 250.0 cases per 1,000 people, which was higher than the OECD average.

 

Over the past 10 years, CT and MRI usage in Korea has continued to increase.

 

CT usage increased by 8.3% annually, and MRI usage increased by 14.6% annually.

 

Current medical expenses, which mean the total annual expenditure of the entire people spent on services and goods in the health care sector, were 8.4% of GDP in 2020, lower than the OECD average (9.7%).

 

The per capita current medical expenses were $3,582.3, an annual average increase of 6.9% over the past 10 years, higher than that of the OECD (3.3%).

 

The proportion of medical expenses (direct household burden) borne by households gradually decreased to 34.0% in 2010, 33.7% in 2015, and 27.8% in 2020.

 

◆ Number of beds and medical equipment = In 2020, the number of hospital beds was 12.7 per 1,000 people, the largest among OECD countries, and about 2.9 times the OECD average (4.3).

 

Among them, 7.2 beds per 1,000 people were treated in acute phase, more than twice the OECD average (3.5).

 

In 2020, Korea's number of MRIs was 34.2 per 1 million people and CT was 40.6 per 1 million people, which was higher than the OECD average (29.1 units).

 

"OECD Health Statistics is important to use as basic data for policies to provide the quality of health care services that people can feel directly by analyzing and evaluating the level of health care in Korea in the international community," said Yang Kyung-jin, a policy statistics officer.