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Exploring the Healthcare Seeking Behavior of Medical Aid Beneficiaries Who Overutilize Healthcare Services: A Qualitative Descriptive Study

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  • Jeonghyun Cho

    (Department of Nursing, Inje University, Busan 47392, Korea)

  • Kyungin Jeong

    (Department of Nursing, Daedong College, Busan 46270, Korea)

  • Samsook Kim

    (Department of Nursing, Daedong College, Busan 46270, Korea)

  • Hyejin Kim

    (Red Cross College of Nursing, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06974, Korea)

Abstract

We explored the healthcare seeking behavior of Medical Aid (MA) beneficiaries who over-utilize healthcare services in South Korea. We employed a qualitative descriptive study using semi-structured interviews with fifteen community-dwelling MA beneficiaries—who were categorized as over-utilizing healthcare services—and conventional content analysis. Four categories emerged: having unmet healthcare needs, wandering in search of effective healthcare services, routinizing their use of healthcare services, and being concerned about benefit restrictions due to their healthcare overutilization. Overall, these categories indicate participants’ behaviors used to fill the gap between their high healthcare needs and restricted MA benefits. The findings provide a foundation for healthcare providers, policymakers, researchers, and MA beneficiaries to discuss how to better address beneficiaries’ healthcare needs while preventing healthcare overutilization patterns. Effective and innovative interventions that target MA beneficiaries and their case managers are necessary to improve beneficiaries’ quality of life.

Suggested Citation

  • Jeonghyun Cho & Kyungin Jeong & Samsook Kim & Hyejin Kim, 2019. "Exploring the Healthcare Seeking Behavior of Medical Aid Beneficiaries Who Overutilize Healthcare Services: A Qualitative Descriptive Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(14), pages 1-9, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:16:y:2019:i:14:p:2485-:d:247777
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Azzurra Massimi & Corrado De Vito & Ilaria Brufola & Alice Corsaro & Carolina Marzuillo & Giuseppe Migliara & Maria Luisa Rega & Walter Ricciardi & Paolo Villari & Gianfranco Damiani, 2017. "Are community-based nurse-led self-management support interventions effective in chronic patients? Results of a systematic review and meta-analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(3), pages 1-22, March.
    3. Jae-Hyun Kim & Kwang-Soo Lee & Ki-Bong Yoo & Eun-Cheol Park, 2015. "The Differences in Health Care Utilization between Medical Aid and Health Insurance: A Longitudinal Study Using Propensity Score Matching," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(3), pages 1-13, March.
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