Estimating the Burden of Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Analysis of a Nationwide Korean Database.
- Author:
Hye Kyung JUNG
1
;
Youn Hee KIM
;
Joo Yeon PARK
;
Bo Hyoung JANG
;
Sun Young PARK
;
Mi Hee NAM
;
Myung Gyu CHOI
Author Information
1. Department of Internal Medicine, Ewha Womans University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Epidemiology;
Cost of illness;
Irritable bowel syndrome;
Population
- MeSH:
Adult;
Ambulatory Care Facilities;
Cost of Illness;
Cross-Sectional Studies;
Delivery of Health Care;
Epidemiology;
Female;
Health Expenditures;
Hospitalization;
Humans;
Irritable Bowel Syndrome*;
Korea;
Male;
National Health Programs;
Prescriptions;
Prevalence
- From:Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility
2014;20(2):242-252
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Management of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) imposes a heavy economic burden. This study was to estimate the epidemiologic features of IBS and to report the IBS burden for the first time in the Korean population. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted using the National Health Insurance (NHI) system database, which covers the entire population of Korea. IBS was defined as diagnostic code -10 in adults with any outpatient clinic visits or hospitalization related to IBS. We excluded diseases that mimic IBS symptoms. RESULTS: A total of 2.42 million (58.2% female) individuals were identified as patients with IBS, yielding an age- and gender-adjusted prevalence of 5.1% in males and 6.9% in females. The prevalence of IBS increased proportionally with age, with higher medical costs in middle-aged patients. Outpatient clinics were visited by 98.6% of IBS patients, and 1.9% were treated upon admission. Of these patients, 87.6% were given a prescription. Co-morbidities that commonly accompanied IBS included upper gastrointestinal (36.1%), respiratory (12.3%), musculoskeletal (8.0%) disease, somatoform (4.3%) and depression/anxiety disorders (3.1%). The NHI costs of IBS, which include the NHI covered cost and beneficiary copayment charges, were estimated to be 155 million USD, which accounts for 0.46% of the total NHI costs for the entire Korean population. CONCLUSIONS: According to the Korean national claims database, about 6% of the Korean population seeks medical care for IBS at least once per year. This high prevalence places a large economic burden on the Korean healthcare system, accounting for 0.46% of overall national medical expenditure.
