[The socioeconomic cost of injuries in South Korea].
OBJECTIVE
This study was conducted to estimate the socioeconomic cost of injuries in South Korea.


METHODS
We matched claims data from national health insurance, automobile insurance and industrial accident compensation insurance (IACI), and mortality data obtained from the national statistical office from 2001 to 2003 by patients' unique identifier. Socioeconomic cost included both direct cost and indirect cost: the direct cost was injury-related medical expenditure and the indirect cost included loss of productivity due to healthcare utilization and premature death.


RESULTS
The socioeconomic cost of injuries in Korea was approximately 1.9% of the GDP from 2001 to 2003. That is, 12.1 trillion KRW (Korean Won) in 2001, 12.3 trillion KRW in 2002, and 13.7 trillion KRW in 2003. In 2003, direct medical costs were 24.6% (3.4 trillion KRW), the costs for loss of productivity by healthcare utilization were 13.0% (1.8 trillion KRW), and the costs for loss of productivity by premature death were 62.4% (8.6 trillion KRW).


CONCLUSIONS
In this study, the socioeconomic cost of injuries in Korea between 2001 and 2003 was estimated by using not only health insurance claims data, but also automobile insurance, IACI claims and mortality data. We conclude that social efforts are required to reduce the socioeconomic cost of injuries in Korea, which represented approximately 1.9% of the GDP for the time period specified.
Park
Kunhee
K
Department of Health Policy and Management, Seoul National University College of Medicine.
Lee
Jin-Seok
JS
Kim
Yoon
Y
Kim
Yong-Ik
YI
Kim
Jaiyong
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017281:Cost of Illness; D004526:Efficiency; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007297:Inpatients; D007723:Korea; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000191:economics* / Q000401:mortality