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Review
. 2021 Jun;13(6):3888-3897.
doi: 10.21037/jtd-20-2100.

Epidemiology, burden, and policy of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in South Korea: a narrative review

Eung Gu Lee  1 , Chin Kook Rhee  2
Affiliations
Review

Epidemiology, burden, and policy of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in South Korea: a narrative review

Eung Gu Lee et al. J Thorac Dis. 2021 Jun.

Abstract

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a global health problem and a significant cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. COPD also occupies a significant and considerable economic burden on individuals and society in South Korea. We investigated the epidemiology and burden of COPD in South Korea and reviewed the policy regarding COPD. In South Korea, a national COPD prevalence survey has been conducted for two decades. The prevalence of COPD has increased with increasing age, particularly among males, and those also with a higher smoking history and with lower income. The total societal cost of COPD increased by 1.85 times between 2004 and 2013. As the use of inhaled medications has increased, the total medical cost per person has increased. The trends of increasing numbers of patients diagnosed with COPD and the total societal costs are expected to continue. There is one universal-health-coverage system in South Korea. The costs and reimbursement criteria of COPD drugs are established and controlled by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA). The HIRA has also implemented quality assessment, including evaluating the appropriateness of a COPD diagnosis and treating all COPD patients to reduce the severity of illness and improve the adequacy of medical-care benefits.

Keywords: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); South Korea; burden; epidemiology; policy.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: Both authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://dx.doi.org/10.21037/jtd-20-2100). The series “current epidemiology and policies of COPD worldwide” was commissioned by the editorial office without any funding or sponsorship. CKR serves as an unpaid editorial board member of Journal of Thoracic Disease. CKR received consulting/lecture fees from MSD, AstraZeneca, GSK, Novartis, Takeda, Mundipharma, Boehringer-Ingelheim, Teva, Sanofi, and Bayer. The authors have no other conflicts of interest to declare.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Potential causes of the high prevalence of COPD in South Korea. COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Summary of the current status of COPD in South Korea. DALY, disability-adjusted life years; PFT, pulmonary function test; GP, general practitioner; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Trajectories of lung function and risk factors in South Korea for early low and accelerated decline.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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