보건복지부 영문홈페이지

Comparable statistics on health and health systems across OECD countries released

Korea shows consistent enhancement in cancer treatment and acute care while its care for chronic conditions still needs improvement

According to OCED Health Data released on 23 Nov. 2011 (local French date), Korea ranks the highest among OECD countries in terms of cervical cancer care.

OECD has been comparing and analyzing health performance of its member states by consistently collecting related data through the Health Care Quality Indicators project and its result has been published in “Health at a Glance (hereinafter, referred to as “HAG”)” every other year.

Data Korea submitted to OECD for the comparison of health and health systems among the countries this time includes hospital charge data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (Director Kang, Yoon Gu) and cancer registration/statistics data from the National Cancer Center (Director Lee, Jin Soo). OECD used this data to analyze health status in Korea compared to other member countries and this is the third time for the nation to submit its health performance data to OECD following 2007.

In the comparative analysis, 1) Korea comes in first place in terms of cervical cancer and stroke care, 2) shows consistent improvement in acute care and cancer treatment but 3) shows relatively low progress in chronic condition care in the primary medical environment.

Acute myocardial infarction and stroke 30 day mortality rate, which are the main causes of mortality in the OECD countries, are the main indicators representing quality of acute care. Korea shows 1.8% of the ischemic stroke 30 day mortality rate and 9.8% in the hemorrhagic stroke mortality rate, registering the best result among the OECD countries. Acute myocardial infarction 30 day mortality rate in which Korea was the worst among the OECD member states in the 2009 comparison has consistently improved, showing a noticeable enhancement in the 2011 comparable statistics.

This improvement appears to be a result of several different efforts combined including the health expenditure appropriateness evaluation and performance-based payment program by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service and the assessment of emergency medical institutions and the comprehensive action plan for cardiovascular diseases by Ministry of Health and Welfare.

However, because the database for comparison of stroke mortality will change, a shift in the ranking is expected to happen in two years.

Cancer care status is compared based on five-year relative survival rates. Korea’s cervical cancer five year relative survival rate is 76.8% and colorectal relative survival rate, 63.7%, showing the greatest performance among the OECD countries. The nation’s breast cancer survival rate is 82.2%, similar to the OECD average figure.

※ Five year relative survival rate is a subject cancer patient’s five year survival rate compared to an ordinary person’s five year survival rate in the same age group. If cancer relative survival rate is 100%, it means that the patient has the same survival rate as the non-patient.   

Korea’s ranking in cervical cancer, breast cancer, and colorectal cancer five year relative survival rates has been steadily improving, indicating that its cancer care status is being consistently enhanced.

Cervical cancer, breast cancer, and colorectal cancer are known to be preventable effectively through screening. Korea’s cervical cancer screening rate is 65.3%, above the OECD average and its breast imaging technology rate is 51.4%, below the OECD average rate.

In the area of care for chronic conditions, Korea’s asthma and COPD admission rates are 101.5 and 222 per 100 thousand persons, respectively, higher than the average of the OECD countries. The uncontrolled diabetes admission rate is 127.5 per 100 thousand persons, showing a relatively low performance compared to the OECD average.

For chronic diseases such as asthma, COPD, and diabetes, admissions can be reduced if they are well controlled in the primary medical level. If the admission rates caused by these diseases are high, it indicates that primary medical care has failed to keep the diseases from worsening or hospital beds are being ineffectively utilized.

In addition, performance in communicable diseases is compared based on vaccination rates. Korea’s pertussis vaccination rate is 94%, its rate in measles is 93% and the vaccination rate for hepatitis B is 94.0%, similar to the OECD averages. The nation’s influenza vaccination rate for the elderly aged 65 and older is 73.6% above the OECD average rate.

The Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service will expand its participation in the OECD Health Care Quality Indicators project in cooperation with other relevant organizations including the National Cancer Center and will also actively get involved in other OECD projects including the health and medical information benchmarking project. In line with such efforts, the organization provides working-level support for the quality of care review country report which is being prepared from a health and medical quality point of view and it will later run the OECD Project Support Team which was founded for this task as a permanent team.