J Korean Acad Fam Med.  1997 May;18(5):521-530.

The analysis of patient visit pattern in a university hospital before and after implementation of health care delivery system

• Kim YJ
• Cho BM
• Kwon KS

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The implementation of health care delivery system(HCDS) in 1989 affected the visit pattern of tertiary care hospital. In this study we analyzed the effect of implementation of HCDS in a university hospital.
METHODS
We analyzed the yearbook of a university hospital from 1986 to 1992. The clinical departments were divided into three groups of medical departments, surgical departments with application of HCDS and clinical departments without application of HCDS.
RESULTS
The total outpatient visits increased after implementation of HCDS. The new outpatient visits decreased after implementation in the medical departments and surgical departments but re-visit patients increased in all clinical departments. The number of emergent patients increased at year 1889, but decreased in 1990, then little changed. Admission rate via emergency room decreased in surgical departments and clinical departments without application of HCDS. The patient from Pusan in which hospital is located was little changed but patients that from other areas increased. So the proportion of patients from Pusan decreased, and from other regions increased. The visit of patients with self pay decreased, but patients with medical insurance increased.
CONCLUSIONS
In spite of increased total outpatient visits, the new outpatient visits and patient visits from near place decreased through implementation of HCDS. The new outpatient visits decreased in the medical departments and surgical departments in clinical departments with application of HCDS, but the new outpatient visits increased in clinical departments without application of HCDS.

MeSH Terms

Busan
Delivery of Health Care*
Emergency Service, Hospital
Humans
Insurance
Outpatients
Tertiary Healthcare