Presentation (CTI)

OBJECTIVES: With growing interest in including herbal decoctions in Korea's national health insurance, it is crucial to validate their effectiveness. Despite potential benefits, many perceive herbal decoctions as expensive, especially among outpatient patients. This study evaluates the effectiveness of herbal decoctions.
METHODS: Data from the 2020 Usage and Consumption of Korean Medicine Report were analyzed, focusing on 1,092 outpatient patients who received treatment between September 1, 2019, and September 1, 2020. A dataset was created by structuring disease information and treatment effectiveness scores. Disease groups with at least 10 cases of herbal decoction use were identified, and ANOVA analysis was performed with treatment effectiveness as the dependent variable and herbal decoction use and disease groups as independent variables.
RESULTS: 2,165 cases were structured based on disease information and treatment effectiveness. After excluding diseases with fewer than five herbal decoction uses and grouping similar conditions, 1,964 cases from eight disease groups with at least 10 herbal decoction uses were selected. These included musculoskeletal disorders (1,308 cases), exogenous diseases (378 cases), circulatory disorders (42 cases), endocrine disorders (30 cases), gastrointestinal disorders (84 cases), respiratory disorders (56 cases), tonic use (24 cases), and post-traumatic stress syndrome (42 cases). ANOVA analysis revealed significant effects for herbal decoction use (p < 0.001), disease groups (p < 0.001), and their interaction (p < 0.001). In circulatory disorders, the herbal decoction group had a mean of 3.93 (SD 0.258), compared to 3.23 (SD 0.599) in the non-use group (p = 0.006). In respiratory disorders, the mean for the herbal decoction group was 3.7 (SD 0.463), while the non-use group had 3.18 (SD 0.636) (p = 0.047).
CONCLUSIONS: Herbal decoctions demonstrated significant efficacy in circulatory and respiratory diseases, supporting their inclusion in health insurance coverage. Policies should encourage their use in outpatient care to improve access and outcomes. This research was supported by a grant from the Korea Health Technology Project through the Korea Health Industry Development Institute, funded by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Republic of Korea (grant no. RS-2023-KH139598).