Analysis of FactorsInfluencing Hospitals in the Introduction of the Oriental–Western Medicine Collaborative Practice System
Min Jung Park1, JeongHye Park2
1Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Republic of Korea
2 Department of Nursing, Dong-eui University
Purpose
The revision of the Korean medical care law in 2010 sawthe emergence of new hospitals where Orientaland Western medical doctors coexist. Structural and environmental factors beyond the strong professionalism of the two mutually exclusive healthcare expert groups were likely involved.
Methods
Usingthe 2013 Hospital status data from Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service,we conducted a multilevel regression analysis (Hierarchical Generalized Linear Model, HGLM) on the factors influencing the introduction of collaborative practice to hospitals four years after its enactment.
Results
Since 2010, about one-third of hospitals introduced the collaborative practice system by employing both Oriental and Western medical doctorsafter the very simple change in the policy allowed it.
First, we examined the effects of the hospital-specific variables on the introduction rate of the collaborative system and found that the rate was higher in public than private hospitals, new hospitals established within the last 5 years, and teaching hospitals. The rate was significantly lower in the Tertiary/General hospitals thanHospitals andsignificantly higher in Long-term carehospitals.
Regardingregional characteristics, there is a significant positive relationship between hospital participation in the collaborative practice and the total number of doctors in a region, which represents the supply level of medical care resources.Among the variables reflecting the regional healthcaredemand, only the population density was conversely significant with the rate of hospitals adopting the collaborative practice system.
Conclusion
Although various types of hospitals adopted the collaborative practice system, the main actor wasLong-term care hospitals, indicating that collaborative practice is favored forchronic and geriatric diseases. Conversely, at the regional level, there was either no distinct relationship between the introduction rate and the high level of demand for healthcare.
This presentation was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (2012R1A1A1015812).