National Health Insurance Service Researchers Report Recent Findings in Preventive Medicine (A Review of the Types and Characteristics of Healthy Life Expectancy and Methodological Issues): Health and Medicine – Preventive Medicine

Health & Medicine Daily

2022 FEB 21 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Health & Medicine Daily -- New study results on preventive medicine have been published. According to news originating from Wonju, South Korea, by NewsRx correspondents, research stated, “An index that evaluates the health level of a population group considering both death and loss of function due to disease is called a summary measure of population health (SMPH).”

Financial supporters for this research include Korea Health Industry Development Institute Funder DOI: 10.13039/501100003710 Award: Ministry of Health and Welfare Funder DOI: 10.13039/501100003625 Award: HI18C0446.

The news correspondents obtained a quote from the research from National Health Insurance Service: “SMPHs are broadly divided into life year indices and life expectancy indices, the latter of which comprise healthy life expectancy (HLE). HLE is included as a policy target in various national and regional level healthcare plans, and the term ‘HLE’ is commonly used in academia and by the public. However, the overall level of understanding of HLE-such as the precise definition of HLE and methods of calculating HLE-still seems to be low. As discussed in this study, the types of HLE are classified into disability-free life expectancy, disease-free life expectancy, quality-adjusted life expectancy, self-rated HLE, and disability-adjusted life expectancy. Their characteristics are examined to facilitate a correct understanding and appropriate utilization of HLE. In addition, the Sullivan method, as a representative method for calculating HLE, is presented in detail, and major issues in the process of calculating HLE, such as selection of the population group and age group, estimation of death probability, calculation of life years, and incorporation of health weights, are reviewed.”

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “This study will help researchers to select an appropriate HLE type and evaluate the validity of HLE research results, and it is expected to contribute to the vitalization of HLE research.”

For more information on this research see: A Review of the Types and Characteristics of Healthy Life Expectancy and Methodological Issues. Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, 2022,55(1):1-9. (Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health - https://www.jpmph.org/). The publisher for Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health is Korean Society for Preventive Medicine.

A free version of this journal article is available at https://doi.org/10.3961/jpmph.21.580.

Our news editors report that more information may be obtained by contacting Young-Eun Kim, Department of Big Data Strategy, National Health Insurance Service, Wonju, South Korea. Additional authors for this research include Yoon-Sun Jung, Minsu Ock, Seok-Jun Yoon.