Comparison of disability duration of lumbar intervertebral disc disorders among types of insurance in Korea.
The incidence of work-related musculoskeletal disorder including low back pain sharply increased since 2000 in Korea. The objectives of the present study are to compare disability duration of lumbar intervertebral disc displacement among types of insurances, and to obtain its appropriate duration. The medical records of all patients whose final diagnosis in discharge summary of chart was lumber specified intervertebral disc displacement (LIVD) in 6 large general hospitals in Korea were reviewed to compare the length of admission and disability among different types of insurances. The information on age, gender, the length of admission, the length of follow-up for LIVD, occupation, operation, combined musculoskeletal diseases, and type of insurance was investigated. 552 cases were selected and analyzed to calculate arithmetic mean, median, mode, and geometric mean of disability duration. There was a significant difference in the length of admission and disability among types of insurance after controlling covariates such as age and combined diseases by the analysis of covariance. The length of admission in cases of IACI and AI was much longer than that of HI, and the length of disability in cases of IACI was much longer than that of HI. Prolonged duration of admission and disability was not assumed due to combined diseases, complication or other unexplainable personal factors in cases of those with industrial accidents compensation insurance and automobile insurance. This means that proper management of evidence-based disability duration guidelines is urgently needed in Korea.
Lee
Choong Ryeol
CR
Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Ulsan University Hospital, College of Medicine University of Ulsan, 290-3, Jeonha-Dong, Dong-Gu, Ulsan 682-714, Korea.
Kim
Joon Youn
JY
Hong
Young Seoub
YS
Lim
Hyun Sul
HS
Lee
Yong Hwan
YH
Lee
Jong Tae
JT
Moon
Jai Dong
JD
Jeong
Baek Geun
BG
D000328:Adult; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007341:Insurance / Q000145:classification* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007345:Insurance Claim Review; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D017116:Low Back Pain; D008161:Lumbosacral Region / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013997:Time Factors