Changing Hospitals Hazardous to Health, Study Says

Patients suffering from chronic diseases risk worsening their conditions by frequently changing hospitals, the results of a study released yesterday said.

Such patients who changed hospitals more than five times were 1.88 times more likely to be admitted to the hospital and 2.11 times more likely to have to go to the emergency room than those who stuck to one or two hospitals.

The report covered the use of primary medical care institutions by the elderly and was conducted by the Health Insurance and Review and Assessment Service.

A team of researchers tracked 1.38 million patients aged 65 to 83 between 2002 and 2005 who had one of four chronic diseases: diabetes, hypertension, asthma and adult respiratory insufficiency syndrome.

Asthma patients who changed hospitals more than five times were 1.88 times more likely to be hospitalized and 2.11 times more likely to be rushed to emergency rooms than those who used just one or two hospitals.

Those with diabetes who used more than five clinics were 1.46 times more likely to be sent to the hospital and 1.4 times more likely to go to the emergency room. The rates for hypertension patients were 1.31 and 1.44, respectively.

By disease, most patients who frequently changed hospitals had diabetes. Eleven percent of such patients visited more than five clinics, while the rate for those with hypertension was 7.4 percent and those with asthma 6.7 percent over the three-year period.

Only three percent of patients with adult respiratory insufficiency syndrome changed clinics more than five times.

Most patients said they changed hospitals to treat complications, but dissatisfaction with their treatment and distrust of doctors were also major factors.

According to a survey of 2,867 patients conducted by the Health and Welfare Ministry on hospital use by long-term health insurance users, 28.2 percent or 809 patients cited unsatisfactory treatment and distrust of doctors as their reasons for changing medical centers.

Ministry researcher Hong Jae-seok said, “For a doctor to gather valuable information on patients such as health condition, previous medical history and risk of deterioration, a lasting relationship is needed.”

Other experts said that instead of looking for a bigger hospital, a patient should see the same doctor in their neighborhood to maintain health. They said that to encourage patients to do that, the government must consider offering incentives to promote more loyalty to hospitals and doctors.

nuk@donga.com