Home Mechanical Ventilation Use in South Korea Based on National Health Insurance Service Data

BACKGROUND: In Asian countries, nationwide data on patients undergoing home mechanical ventilation are limited. METHODS: This study investigated the prevalence and primary indications for home mechanical ventilation use in South Korea by using nationwide registry data from the National Health Insurance Service. RESULTS: The study period included a total of 4,785 subjects on home mechanical ventilation (mean ± SD age, 56.0 ± 23.9 y; females, 40.1%). The estimated overall prevalence of home mechanical ventilation use in South Korea was 9.3 per 100,000, with a prevalence of 6.3 per 100,000 among children (ages P P CONCLUSIONS: These data will aid in planning the optimal health-care system for users of home mechanical ventilation locally and will allow for comparison of home mechanical ventilation use rates among countries.