Medical service utilization patterns among adults with insomnia: A retrospective cohort study

Introduction

Patients with insomnia can use Korean medicine (KM) alongside conventional medicine (CM) as treatment options within the Korean healthcare system, but the treatment patterns for insomnia remain unclear. This study evaluated the incidence of newly diagnosed insomnia and medical service utilization, including untreated, CM, KM, and concurrent use of CM and KM, and the determinants of treatment after the insomnia diagnosis.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study analyzed adult Korean patients newly diagnosed with insomnia between 2016 and 2018 using National Health Insurance Service data. The cohort who met the eligibility criteria for insomnia was followed up until 2019 to identify their medical service utilization and the determinants. The medical service utilization was defined based on outpatient visits or hospitalization records with insomnia as the primary diagnosis. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis were used to identify the medical service utilization and its determinants.

Results

Among the 336,578 patients newly diagnosed with insomnia in 2016–2018, only 155,538 (46.21 %) received more than two insomnia treatments during the follow-up period. Of these, 104,751 (67.35 %), 41,762 (26.85 %), and 9,025 (5.80 %) patients received CM monotherapy, KM alone, and both CM and KM, respectively. The statistically significant factors for receiving insomnia treatment after diagnosis were female, age ≥30 years, Seoul capital area residents, lowest income quintile, National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) enrollment types excluding the employee type, and longer elapsed time after diagnosis. The factors for receiving KM alone rather than CM alone were female, aged 40–79 years, residents of the Seoul capital area and metropolitan city, higher income, employee type among the NHIS enrollment types, and a more recent diagnosis. The common factor for concurrent use rather than CM alone was aged 40–79 years, and concurrent use rather than KM alone was being male.

Conclusions

More than half of the patients with insomnia received treatment only once. The utilization of CM or KM alone was higher than that of their combined use. Healthcare professionals can utilize these findings to manage patients with insomnia effectively.