Values, challenges, and responses associated with high-priced potential cures: perspectives of diverse stakeholders in South Korea.

BACKGROUND: The emergence of high-priced potential cures has sparked significant health policy discussions in South Korea, where the healthcare system is funded through a single-payer National Health Insurance model. We conducted focus group interviews (FGIs) and accompanying surveys with diverse stakeholders to comprehensively understand related issues and find better solutions to the challenges brought by these technologies. METHODS: From October to November 2022, 11 FGIs were conducted with stakeholders from various sectors, including government payers, policy and clinical experts, civic and patient organisations, and the pharmaceutical industry, involving a total of 25 participants. These qualitative discussions were supplemented by online surveys to effectively capture and synthesise stakeholder perspectives. RESULTS: Affordability was identified as a critical concern by 84% of stakeholders, followed by clinical uncertainty (76%) and limited value for money (72%). Stakeholders expressed a preference for both financial-based controls and outcome-based pricing strategies to mitigate these challenges. Despite the support for outcome-based refunds, payers raised concerns about the feasibility of instalment payment models, whether linked to outcomes or not, due to the specific challenges of the Korean reimbursement system and the potential risk of 'cumulative liabilities' from ongoing payments for previously administered treatments. In addition, the FGIs highlighted the need for clear budgetary limits for drugs with high uncertainties, with mixed opinions on the creation of special silo funds (64.0% agreement). Less than half (48%) endorsed the use of external reference pricing, currently applied to such essential drugs in South Korea. A significant majority (84%), predominantly non-pharma stakeholders, advocated for addressing cost-effectiveness uncertainty through re-assessment once long-term clinical data become available. CONCLUSIONS: This study uncovers a broad agreement among stakeholders on the need for more effective value assessment methodologies for high-priced potential cures, stressing the importance of more robust and comprehensive re-assessment supported by long-term data collection, rather than primarily relying on external reference pricing. Each type of stakeholders exhibited a cautious approach to their specific uncertainties, suggesting that new funding strategies should accommodate these uncertainties with predefined guidelines and agreements prior to the initiation of managed entry agreements.

A Measles Outbreak in a Local Children's Hospital in Korea, 2019.

A measles outbreak with 20 confirmed cases occurred at a local children's hospital in Daejeon from March 28 to April 21, 2019. The index patient was a 7-month-old girl with a recent history of travel to Vietnam. Contact tracing, active surveillance, and post-exposure prophylaxis were conducted by health authorities. Among the 20 patients, 11 (55%) were infants (0-11 months of age), three (15%) were aged 1-3 years, one (5%) was aged 4 years, and five (25%) were adults. Fifteen (75%) patients did not have a history of measles vaccination, and five (25%) had received only one vaccine dose. This study described the importance of prompt application of infection control measures in susceptible environments, including hospitals. Age-appropriate vaccination and providing information on infectious diseases to international travelers and multicultural families in Korea is vital.

How can we improve patients' access to new drugs under uncertainties? : South Korea's experience with risk sharing arrangements.

BACKGROUND: New drugs including cancer drugs and orphan drugs are becoming increasingly more expensive. Risk sharing arrangements (RSAs) could manage the risk based on both financial impact and the health outcome of new drugs if reimbursed. To improve patients' access to new drugs under uncertainties, many developed countries have adopted RSAs. In this study, we aimed to understand the effects of RSAs in South Korea on patients' access. METHODS: We reviewed current status of RSA drugs in South Korea. The number of appraisals and time gap between market approval and reimbursement per RSA drug were considered to quantify improvement of patients' access as they showed how rapidly decisions on reimbursement of RSA drugs were derived. Then, we applied a comparative analysis to determine whether the RSA drugs in South Korea were reimbursed in the UK, Italy, and Australia. Most data for this study were obtained from websites of the governmental department/agencies responsible for appraisal of drug reimbursement in each country. And literatures related to RSAs were investigated as well. RESULTS: The eligibility for Korean RSAs had two key components - drugs for cancer and rare diseases and not having other alternative treatments. As of the first half of 2019, there were 39 RSA drugs reimbursed in South Korea, the majority of which were financial-based schemes. Refund and expenditure cap were the representative types (89.7%). After introduction of RSAs, the time gap and number of appraisals were decreased. Based on the indications of RSA drugs, the level of drug coverage in South Korea was found lower than Italy, similar to the UK, and higher than Australia. CONCLUSIONS: RSAs in South Korea significantly enhanced patients' access to new drugs and led to the alleviation of patients' out-of-pocket expenses. The drug coverage of South Korea had a level comparable to that of other countries. This study provides implications for countries that have a dual mission of containing pharmaceutical expenditure and improving access to new drugs.

First Case of Peroxisomal D-bifunctional Protein Deficiency with Novel HSD17B4 Mutations and Progressive Neuropathy in Korea.

Peroxisomal D-bifunctional protein (DBP), encoded by the HSD17B4 gene, catalyzes ß-oxidation of very long chain fatty acids (VLCFAs). The deficiency of this peroxisomal enzyme leads to the accumulation of VLCFAs, causing multisystemic manifestations including the brain, retina, adrenal gland, hearing, and skeletal system. Herein, we report the first Korean neonatal case of peroxisomal DBP deficiency and the clinical prognosis over 2 years. This patient showed craniofacial dysmorphism, club foot, and seizures with cyanosis one day after birth. Elevated VLCFAs levels were indicative of a peroxisomal disorder. Targeted exome sequencing was performed and two missense mutations p.Asp117Val and p.Phe279Ser in the HSD17B4 gene were identified. The patient had type III DBP deficiency; therefore, docosahexaenoic acid and non-soluble vitamins were administered. However, progressive nystagmus, optic nerve atrophy, and bilateral hearing defects were observed and follow-up brain imaging revealed leukodystrophy and brain atrophy. Multiple anti-epileptic drugs were required to control the seizures. Over two years, the patient achieved normal growth with home ventilation and tube feeding. Hereby, the subject's parents had support during the second pregnancy from the proven molecular information. Moreover, targeted exome sequencing is an effective diagnostic approach, considering genetic heterogeneity of Zellweger spectrum disorders.

Anti-photoaging effect of skin cream manufactured with ziyuglycoside I isolated from Sanguisorba officinalis on ultraviolet B-induced hairless mice.

In this study, skin cream containing ziyuglycoside I isolated from Sanguisorba officinalis was manufactured and examined the protective effects of the skin cream against UVB-induced hairless mice. UVB-induced hairless mice were topically treated with the skin cream once a day for 5 weeks. Application of the skin cream did not exhibit side effect on body growth showing normal body weight and food efficiency in the mice. The skin cream treatment also was inhibited mRNA expression of interleukin (IL)-1ß, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, MMP-9, and MMP-2 protein expression in the mice. Furthermore, the skin cream treatment inhibits epidermal wrinkle formation, wrinkle depth, wrinkle thickness, and collagen degradation in UVB-induced hairless mice. Therefore, the skin cream was able to play a role in the attenuation of photoaging caused by UVB irradiation via downregulation of mRNA expression of inflammatory cytokine IL-1ß, MMP-2, MMP-9, and suppression of MMP-2 proteins expression.

Eupafolin suppresses prostate cancer by targeting phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-mediated Akt signaling.

Phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) loss or mutation consistently activates the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-K)/Akt signaling pathway, which contributes to the progression and invasiveness of prostate cancer. Furthermore, the PTEN/PI3-K/Akt and Ras/MAPK pathways cooperate to promote the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and metastasis initiated from prostate stem/progenitor cells. For these reasons, the PTEN/PI3-K/Akt pathway is considered as an attractive target for both chemoprevention and chemotherapy. Herein we report that eupafolin, a natural compound found in common sage, inhibited proliferation of prostate cancer cells. Protein content analysis indicated that phosphorylation of Akt and its downstream kinases was inhibited by eupafolin treatment. Pull-down assay and in vitro kinase assay results indicated that eupafolin could bind with PI3-K and attenuate its kinase activity. Eupafolin also exhibited tumor suppressive effects in vivo in an athymic nude mouse model. Overall, these results suggested that eupafolin exerts antitumor effects by targeting PI3-K.

CHALLENGES FACED IN TRANSFERRING ECONOMIC EVALUATIONS TO MIDDLE INCOME COUNTRIES.

BACKGROUND: Decision makers in middle-income countries are using economic evaluations (EEs) in pricing and reimbursement decisions for pharmaceuticals. However, whilst many of these jurisdictions have local submission guidelines and local expertise, the studies themselves often use economic models developed elsewhere and elements of data from countries other than the jurisdiction concerned. The objectives of this study were to describe the current situation and to assess the challenges faced by decision makers in transferring data and analyses from other jurisdictions. METHODS: Experienced health service researchers in each region conducted an interview survey of representatives of decision making bodies from jurisdictions in Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, and Latin America that had at least 1 year's experience of using EEs. RESULTS: Representatives of the relevant organizations in twelve countries were interviewed. All twelve jurisdictions had developed official guidelines for the conduct of EEs. All but one of the organizations evaluated studies submitted to them, but 9 also conducted studies and 7 commissioned them. Nine of the organizations stated that, in evaluating EEs submitted to them, they had consulted a study performed in a different jurisdiction. Data on relevant treatment effect was generally considered more transferable than those on prices/unit costs. Views on the transferability of epidemiological data, data on resource use and health state preference values were more mixed. Eight of the respondents stated that analyses submitted to them had used models developed in other jurisdictions. Four of the organizations had a policy requiring models to be adapted to reflect local circumstances. The main obstacles to transferring EEs were the different patterns of care or wealth of the developed countries from which most economic evaluations originate. CONCLUSIONS: In middle-income countries it is commonplace to deal with the issue of transferring analyses or data from other jurisdictions. Decision makers in these countries face several challenges, mainly due to differences in current standard of care, practice patterns, or gross domestic product between the developed countries where the majority of the studies are conducted and their own jurisdiction.

Inhibitory Effects of Verrucarin A on Tunicamycin-Induced ER Stress in FaO Rat Liver Cells.

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is linked with development and maintenance of cancer, and serves as a therapeutic target for treatment of cancer. Verrucarin A, isolated from the broth of Fusarium sp. F060190, showed potential inhibitory activity on tunicamycin-induced ER stress in FaO rat liver cells. In addition, the compound decreased tunicamycin-induced GRP78 promoter activity in a dose dependent manner without inducing significant inhibition of luciferase activity and cell growth for 6 and 12 h. Moreover, the compound decreased the expression of GRP78, CHOP, XBP-1, and suppressed XBP-1, and reduced phosphorylation of IRE1α in FaO rat liver cells. This evidence suggests for the first time that verrucarin A inhibited tunicamycin-induced ER stress in FaO rat liver cells.

Saikosaponin D isolated from Bupleurum falcatum inhibits selectin-mediated cell adhesion.

Three saikosaponins were isolated from the MeOH extract of the roots of Bupleurum falcatum L.: saikosaponins B3 (1); B4 (2); and D (3). Of the three, compound 3 inhibited the interaction of selectins (E, L, and P) and THP-1 cells with IC50 values of 1.8, 3.0 and 4.3 µM, respectively. Also, the aglycone structure 4 of compound 3 showed moderate inhibitory activity on L-selectin-mediated cell adhesion. From these results, we suspect that compound 3 isolated from Bupleurum falcatum roots would be a good candidate for therapeutic strategies to treat inflammation.

Protective effect of mango (Mangifera indica L.) against UVB-induced skin aging in hairless mice.

BACKGROUND: Mangifera indica L. (Anacardiaceae) is a medicinal plant whose extracts have been described as an antioxidant with anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activities. PURPOSE: Skin aging is a consequence of chronic sun exposure to the sun and therefore ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Naturally occurring antioxidants are known to reduce skin aging. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the protective role of mango extract against UVB-induced skin aging in hairless mice. METHODS: HR-1 hairless male mice (6 weeks old) were divided into three groups: control (n = 5), UVB-treated vehicle (n = 5), and UVB-treated mango extract (n = 5) groups. UVB-irradiated mice from the mango extract group were orally administered 0.1 ml of water containing 100 mg of mango extract/kg body weight per day. The inhibitory activity of mango extract on wrinkle formation was determined by the analysis of the skin replica, epidermal thickness based on histological examination, and damage to collagen fiber. RESULTS: The mean length of wrinkles in UVB-treated vehicle group significantly improved after the oral administration of mango extract, which significantly inhibited the increase in epidermal thickness and epidermal hypertrophy (P < 0.05). Furthermore, a marked increase in collagen bundles was observed in the UVB-treated group after the administration of mango extract by Masson's trichrome staining. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that mango extract showed anti-photoaging activity in UVB-irradiated hairless mice.

A Comparative Analysis of Anticancer Drug Appraisals Including Managed Entry Agreements in South Korea and England.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to compare appraisal decisions about anticancer drugs between the health technology assessment (HTA) agencies in Korea and England, and investigate whether the decisions and supporting evidence are comparable. METHODS: This study identified 49 anticancer drugs listed by the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare between January 2014 and December 2019. Of those, 46 anticancer drugs for 58 indications were included for analysis. Official appraisal documents from both countries for 58 drug-indication pairs were compared and assessed in terms of clinical and economic evidence. Evidence items and their groups for analysis were predefined. RESULTS: Three-quarters of cases were recommended with managed entry agreements (MEAs) in England and three-fifths in Korea. Finance-based MEA types were most common in both countries. Korean and English authorities made consistent decisions in 48 cases (83%) when classifying decisions as 'recommended' and 'not recommended', while the degree of agreement lowered to 16 cases (28%) when subdividing decisions according to MEA types. When the evidence base was identical, their decisions were more likely to be consistent. Regarding clinical evidence, while the majority of cases referred to the same pivotal studies, differences between the committees' recognized comparators and the appraisal date caused discrepancies in decisions. Economic evidence, including incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) estimates, was identical in only 12 cases (21%), which contributed to discrepancies. CONCLUSION: England relies on economic evaluation, with increasing use of data collection agreements, in contrast with Korea's new procedure exempting companies from providing economic evaluation. While there is possibility for international cooperation in the assessment of clinical evidence, transferability issues exist, particularly with regard to economic evidence.

Protective effect of Lycium barbarum leaf extracts on atopic dermatitis: in vitro and in vivo studies.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic disease with an increasing incidence globally; therefore, there is a growing demand for natural compounds effective in treating dermatitis. In this study, the protective effects of Lycium barbarum leaves with and without chlorophyll (LLE and LLE[Ch-]) on AD were investigated in animal models of AD and HaCaT cells. Further, we investigated whether LLE and LLE(Ch-) show any differences in physiological activity. MATERIALS/METHODS: AD was induced by 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) for three weeks, while NC/Nga mice were fed LLE or LLE(Ch-) extracts for 7 weeks. Serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) and cytokine (tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-α, interleukin [IL]-6, and IL-4) concentrations and the degree of DNA fragmentation in lymphocytes were examined. A histopathological examination (haematoxylin & eosin staining and blue spots of toluidine) of the dorsal skin of mice was performed. To elucidate the mechanism of action, the expression of the thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC) and macrophage-derived chemokine (MDC) were measured in HaCaT cells. RESULTS: Serum IgE and cytokines (TNF-α and IL-6) levels as well as DNA fragmentation of lymphocytes were significantly decreased in AD-induced mice treated with LLE or LLE(Ch-) compared to those of the control group. The epidermal thickness of the dorsal skin and mast cell infiltration in the LLE group significantly reduced compared to that in the control group. The LLE extracts showed no cytotoxicity up to 1,000 µg/mL in HaCaT cells. LLE or LLE(Ch-)-treated group showed a reduction of TARC and MDC in TNF-α-and IFN-γ-stimulated HaCaT cells. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that LLE potentially improves inflammation by reducing the expression of chemokines that inhibit T helper 2 cell migration. LLE(Ch-) showed similar effects to LLE on blood levels of IgE, TNF-α and IL-6 and protein expression in HaCat cells, but the ultimate effect of skin improvement was not statistically significant. Therefore, both LLE and LLE(Ch-) can be used as functional materials to alleviate AD, but LLE(Ch-) appears to require more research to improve inflammation.

Public preferences in healthcare resource allocation: A discrete choice experiment in South Korea.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to explore the public view on priority-setting criteria for healthcare resource allocation. Specifically, it investigates how the value of a quality-adjusted life year (QALY) varies depending on patient characteristics. METHODS: A discrete choice experiment was conducted using an online sample of the general South Korean population. Respondents were presented with two competing treatment scenarios. The attributes of the scenarios were age at disease onset, life expectancy without treatment, life-years gain with treatment, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) without treatment, and HRQoL gains with treatment. Two hundred choice sets were generated and randomly allocated into 20 blocks. A conditional logit model was used to estimate the factors affecting the respondents' choices. RESULTS: A total of 3,482 respondents completed the survey. The larger the QALY gain, the more likely it was that the scenario would be chosen but with a diminishing marginal value. Respondents prioritized 40-year-old patients over 5-year-olds and 5-year-olds over 70-year-olds and prioritized baseline HRQoL of 40% and 60% over 20%. Patients at the end of life were not preferred to those with a longer life expectancy. CONCLUSION: Overall, respondents preferred health-maximizing options without explicit consideration for end-of-life patients or those with poor health. In addition, they revealed a kinked preference for patient age, prioritizing middle-aged patients over children and older people.

A comparison of preferences of targeted therapy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma between the patient group and health care professional group in South Korea.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the preferences of health care professional groups and patient groups with respect to efficacy, adverse events, and administration method for targeted agents of metastatic renal cell carcinoma. METHODS: A total of 485 respondents including cancer patients and health care professionals (medical oncologists, nurses, and pharmacists) were surveyed by using a discrete choice experiment in South Korea. Through a literature review and expert consultation, six attributes--progression-free survival, four adverse events (bone marrow suppression, hand-foot skin reaction, gastrointestinal perforation, and bleeding), and administration--were selected. This study employed the conditional logit regression model. RESULTS: The six attributes are statistically significant for the patient group and health care professional group. The two groups, however, present differences in progression-free survival, hand-foot skin reaction, gastrointestinal perforation, and administration. The relative importance of adverse events is greater for the patient group, while that of efficacy and administration is greater for the health professional group. For doctors, the relative importance of efficacy is as high as 31%, compared with 7% for the patient group. If progression-free survival is prolonged by 1 month, the acceptable level of bone marrow suppression is 1.3% for the patient group and 9.6% for doctors and that of hand-foot skin reaction is 1.0% and 11.8%, respectively, for the patient group and doctors. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates substantial differences in the preference for a targeted drug between the patient group and the health care professional group. Doctors prefer effective and orally administered drugs while patients show more reluctant attitudes about adverse events than do health care professionals.

Eliciting public preference for health-care resource allocation in South Korea.

OBJECTIVES: To identify the principles the public considers important and the trade-offs between different values in health-care resource allocation practices. METHODS: This study approached the issue in both qualitative and quantitative ways. In a qualitative study, two focus groups discussed the issues of resource allocation in health care. To facilitate the discussion, a simple ranking task and a series of pairwise choice practices were implemented. A discrete choice experiment survey questionnaire was also administered to a sample of the general population. Attributes and levels were determined through literature reviews and the results from the focus group interview. We used a random-effect probit model to assess the effects of each attribute. RESULTS: Through the focus group interviews, we found strong public support for the principle of equal opportunity. The participants thought that the severity of disease was the most important criterion when setting priorities. The majority supported the idea that the most disadvantaged should have the highest priority even when their health gains are less than those of others. The discrete choice experiment results showed that the severity of disease, health gains, and patients' socioeconomic status significantly influence their choices, with each parameter having an expected sign. CONCLUSION: The results showed that Koreans support not only health maximization but also equal opportunity, fair resource allocation, and equality.

Replication of results of genome-wide association studies on lung cancer susceptibility loci in a Korean population.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified the three chromosomal regions, 5p15, 6p21 and 15q25, as being associated with lung cancer risk in European populations. This study was performed to confirm these associations in Korean patients with lung cancer. METHODS: The genotypes at rs2736100, rs402710, rs401681 and rs31489 at 5p15, rs9295740 at 6p22, which is in extensive linkage disequilibrium with the 6p21 region, as well as rs2036534 and rs6495309 at 15q25, were determined in 1094 patients with lung cancer and 1100 healthy control subjects, who were frequency matched for age and gender. RESULTS: The single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) at 5p15 (rs2736100, adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.32, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03-1.67, P = 0.025; rs402710, aOR 0.82, 95% CI 0.69-0.98, P = 0.025; rs401681, aOR 0.82, 95% CI 0.69-0.98, P = 0.026) and at 15q25 (rs2036534, aOR 0.75, 95% CI 0.61-0.93, P = 0.01; rs6495309, aOR 0.81, 95% CI 0.65-1.00, P = 0.052) were significantly associated with lung cancer risk. The magnitude of the effect was similar to that reported in previous studies, and the association was in the same direction. The effect of SNP in the 5p15 region on the risk of lung cancer was significant only for adenocarcinoma. The two SNP in the 15q25 region were significantly associated with lung cancer risk in ever-smokers and in patients with squamous-cell carcinoma. However, there was no association between the SNP at 6p22 and lung cancer risk. CONCLUSIONS: The association between SNP in the 5p15 and 15q25 regions and the risk of lung cancer was confirmed in a Korean population.

A functional polymorphism in the CHRNA3 gene and risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in a Korean population.

A genome-wide association study has identified the 15q25 region as being associated with the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Caucasians. This study intended as a confirmatory assessment of this association in a Korean population. The rs6495309C > T polymorphism in the promoter of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor alpha subunit 3 (CHRNA3) gene was investigated in a case-control study that consisted of 406 patients with COPD and 394 healthy control subjects. The rs6495309 CT or TT genotype was associated with a significantly decreased risk of COPD when compared to the rs6495309 CC genotype (adjusted odds ratio = 0.69, 95% confidence interval = 0.50-0.95, P = 0.023). The effect of the rs6495309C > T on the risk of COPD was more evident in moderate to very severe COPD than in mild COPD under a dominant model for the variant T allele (P = 0.024 for homogeneity). The CHRNA3 rs6495309C > T polymorphism on chromosome 15q25 is associated with the risk of COPD in a Korean population.

How Sensitive is Sensitivity Analysis?: Evaluation of Pharmacoeconomic Submissions in Korea.

Purpose: We aimed to describe the types of uncertainties examined in the economic evaluations submitted for reimbursement in Korea and their impact on the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER). Method: Fifty dossiers were submitted by pharmaceutical companies to the economic subcommittee of the Pharmaceutical Benefit Coverage Advisory Committee (PBCAC) from January 2014 to December 2018. The types of uncertainties were categorized as structural and parametric, and the frequencies of the sensitivity analysis per variables were analyzed. The impact of uncertainties was measured by the percent variance of the ICER relative to that of the base case analysis. Results: Of the 50 submissions, varying discount rate (44 submissions), followed by time horizon (38 submissions) and model assumptions (29 submissions), were most frequently used to examine structural uncertainty, while utility (42 submissions), resource use (41 submissions), and relative effectiveness (26 submissions) were used to examine parametric uncertainty. A total of 1,236 scenarios (a scenario corresponds to a case where a single variable is varied by a single range) were presented in the one-way sensitivity analyses, where parametric and structural sensitivity analyses comprised 679 and 557 scenarios, respectively. Varying drug prices had the highest impact on ICER (median variance 19.9%), followed by discount rate (12.2%), model assumptions (11.9%), extrapolation (11.8%), and time horizon (10.0%). Conclusions: Variables related to long-term assumptions, such as model assumptions, time horizon, extrapolation, and discounting rate, were related to a high level of uncertainty. Caution should be exercised when using immature data.

Factors associated with the mental health status of isolated COVID-19 patients in Korea.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has a substantial impact on the physical and mental health status of patients with COVID-19. This study's objective was to evaluate the factors associated with mental health in patients isolated with COVID-19. METHODS: It is a retrospective, cross-sectional study. One hundred and two patients discharged from COVID-19 hospitalization in Korea were analyzed. The primary outcome was the correlation between psychological problems such as anxiety, depression, and fear of stigma and physical symptoms such as respiratory symptoms, gastrointestinal symptoms, headache, and fever. Mental and physical symptoms were ascertained using closed and multiple-choice questions. The secondary outcome was the correlation between mental issues, demographic factors, and disease severity. Hypoxia and the need for oxygen therapy, a need for remdesivir antiviral treatment, and indications of pneumonia progression on chest x-ray were confirmed through a review of medical records and used to measure disease severity. RESULTS: Patients with COVID-19 indicated feelings of depression (48.1%), anxiety (49.1%), and fear of stigma (60.45%), and some continued to experience physical symptoms even after discharge. Logistic regression revealed that gastrointestinal symptoms positively correlated with depression (p < .05) and headache positively correlated with fear of stigma (p < .05), while the other factors were not statistically significant (p > .05). CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that psychological symptoms persisted even after discharge. Gastrointestinal symptoms and headache were influential factors in predicting depression and fear of stigma. Based on this, dedicated COVID-19 hospitals should provide mental health support and preventive management.

Systematic Review and Quality Assessment of Health Economic Evaluation Studies (2007-2019) Conducted in South Korea.

BACKGROUND: South Korea formally adopted economic evaluation in December 2006 to aid drug reimbursement decision-making. While this policy change is applied only to pharmaceuticals, it has also sparked interest in economic evaluations for non-pharmaceutical interventions and programmes. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to provide a snapshot of the current practice for published health economic evaluation studies and critically assess the quality of these studies. METHODS: An electronic search was performed on multiple databases (EMBASE, PubMed, NHS Economic Evaluation Database, Scopus, Korean Medical database, Korean studies Information Service System, and Research Information Sharing Service) to identify health economic evaluation studies published between January 2007 and December 2019. The inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed, original health economic evaluations (cost-utility, cost-effectiveness, cost-minimisation, and cost-benefit analyses) published in English or Korean. Two reviewers selected studies for inclusion and extracted data from the included studies. Key characteristics of these studies were descriptively summarised, and study quality was assessed using the Quality of Health Economic Studies (QHES) instrument on a 100-point scale. RESULTS: A total of 162 studies were included in this review (63 for drugs, 51 for non-pharmaceutical treatments/health technologies, and 48 for health programmes). These numbers confirm a significant increase in the number of publications since the policy introduction. However, the quality of these studies remained relatively low, with a mean QHES score of 57.9 (± 16.0). Study quality also varied substantially, with the QHES scores ranging from 15 to 87. The scores were notably lower in studies with non-pharmaceutical interventions and programmes, cost-effectiveness analyses or cost-benefit analyses, retrospective study-based or simple modelling-based analyses, and those locally published. In addition, a considerable proportion of these studies did not state or specify essential components of economic evaluation, such as perspectives (30.2%), time horizons (29.6%), discount rates (34.6%), and sensitivity analyses (24.7%). While the use of local data either fully or partially was relatively higher for unit costs (94.4%) and resource utilisation (90.1%), it was lower for utility weights (47.1%), treatment effects (63.0%), and baseline risks (70.4%). Transferability or generalisability issues were infrequently discussed when relying on foreign sources. In addition, the included studies were often not well structured, making it difficult to assess their quality. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that there is still much room for improving the quality of health economic evaluation studies conducted in South Korea. Policymakers should critically evaluate available cost-effectiveness evidence, especially for non-pharmaceutical interventions and programmes, when using it for decision-making in South Korea.