Utilization of Osteoporosis-Related Health Services: Use of Data from the Korean National Health Insurance Database 2008-2012

Background: Osteoporosis and its related fractures are increasingly being recognized as major health problems because of the rapidly increasing elderly population. In this study, we investigated the annual trend of osteoporosis-related health services utilization. Methods: Participants aged over 50 years were identified from the Korean National Health Insurance Service database between 2008 and 2012. Health service utilization rate and treatment rate were calculated through the operational definition. Results: In this period, the number of osteoporosis patients, aged over 50 years, using the medical service, increased by 33.2%. This increase was higher in males than in females. Moreover, the number of newly diagnosed osteoporosis patients increased by 4.3% in women and 20.4% in men. To estimate the proportion of osteoporosis patients who utilize medical services, we analyzed prevalence data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2008 to 2010. Less than 60% of patients with osteoporosis were estimated to have utilized medical services because of osteoporosis. Drug treatment rates were 34.1%, 31.1%, and 33.5% in 2008, 2009, and 2010, respectively. Conclusion: This study demonstrated an increasing trend in the utilization of the osteoporosis-related health services from 2008 to 2012 in Korea. The proportion of newly diagnosed osteoporosis patients and the prevalence of access to medical services increased more in men than in women. Therefore, an increasing need for prevention and treatment of male osteoporosis was observed. The osteoporosis treatment rate was lower than that for other chronic diseases; more efforts are needed to improve awareness regarding osteoporosis treatment.