Home Healthcare Needs and Characteristics of Patients with Serious Illnesses Who Use Hospital-Affiliated Home-Based Medical Care in Korea

Sep 28, 2026

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Number of homebound adults with serious illnesses is rising, creating urgent demand for tailored support. This retrospective observational study examined healthcare needs and patient characteristics among users of a hospital-affiliated, physician-led home-based medical care program in Korea from 2020 to 2023. By disease category, the study assessed factors linked to emergency department visits within 30 days after a home visit, using multivariable logistic regression.

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CategoryHealthcare

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Original Article Yonsei Med J 2026 Jan;67(1):62-70 [https://doi.org/10.3349/ymj.2025.0087](https://doi.org/10.3349/ymj.2025.0087) pISSN: 0513-5796 · eISSN: 1976-2437 | Home Healthcare Needs and Characteristics of Patients with Serious Illnesses Who Use
Hospital-Affiliated Home-Based Medical Care in Korea
Woohyeon Cho1, Sun Young Lee1,2, Shin Hye Yoo2,3, Belong Cho1,2,4, Kyae Hyung Kim1,4, and In Young Hwang1,4
1Public Healthcare Center, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul;
2Department of Human Systems Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul;
3Center for Palliative Care and Clinical Ethics, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul;
4Department of Family Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea. | | --- | | Purpose: The number of homebound adults with serious illnesses is increasing. This study aimed to examine the healthcare needs and characteristics of patients who use a hospital-affiliated physician-led home-based medical care (HBMC) program and identify factors associated with emergency department (ED) visits in Korea.
Materials and Methods: This retrospective observational study included patients who used a HBMC program at a tertiary hospital between 2020 and 2023. Patient characteristics and home healthcare needs were analyzed by disease category: cancer, advanced neurologic disease, and others. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with ED visits within 30 days ofa physician’s home visit.
Results: A total of 600 patients were registered and received home visits; 58.5% had cancer and 29.7% had advanced neurologic diseases, e.g., amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The median age was 72 years [interquartile range (IQR), 62.8–81.0], and 87.0% were dependentin daily activities. The median number of medications per patient was 6 (IQR, 3–10); 66.3% took ≥5 medications and 25.7% took ≥10 (excessive polypharmacy). Physicians provided not only physical examinations (100%) and symptom assessment (90.8%), but also home environment evaluation (86.7%), medical device management (62.0%), advanced care planning (40.7%), and acute health issue management (32.5%). Within 30 days, 19.2% of patients visited the ED. Excessive polypharmacy and cancer diagnosis were associated with increased ED visits.
Conclusion: Most patients who used the hospital-affiliated HBMC program had cancer, advanced neurologic disease, and polypharmacy. Targeted HBMC programs are needed for patients with serious illnesses living at home.
KeyWords: Home-care services, home visit, homebound persons, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, polypharmacy | INTRODUCTION Advances in medical technology and increased life expectan- Received: April 23, 2025 Revised: June 17, 2025 Accepted: July 2, 2025 Published online: November 12, 2025 Corresponding author: Sun Young Lee, MD, PhD, Public Healthcare Center, Seoul National University Hospital, 101 Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul 03080, Korea. E-mail: [sy2376@snu.ac.kr](sy2376@snu.ac.kr) •The authors have no potential conflicts of interest to disclose.© Copyright: Yonsei University College of Medicine 2026 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License ([https://creativecommons.org/licenses/](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/)[ ](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/)[by-nc/4.0](by-nc/4.0)) [which](which) permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. cy have led to an aging society and a growing number of homebound patients with mobility limitations and complex medical needs.1-3 These individuals often face substantial challenges in accessing healthcare services.4-6 In the United States, the proportion of individuals aged 65 years and older is expected to reach 20% by 2030, with approximately 2 million Medicare beneficiaries being complet

FAQs

What was the purpose of the study?

To examine healthcare needs and patient characteristics among users of a hospital-affiliated physician-led home-based medical care program and to identify factors associated with emergency department visits.

How was the study conducted and analyzed?

A retrospective observational design included program users from 2020 to 2023, analyzed by disease category, with multivariable logistic regression to assess factors for ED visits within 30 days.

What key results were reported about patient characteristics and services?

Among 600 patients receiving home visits, 58.5% had cancer and 29.7% had advanced neurologic diseases; physicians provided physical examinations, symptom assessment, home environment evaluation, device management, and advanced care planning, among other services.

Which factors were associated with increased emergency department visits?

Excessive polypharmacy and cancer diagnosis were associated with increased emergency department visits within 30 days of a physician’s home visit.

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by Asher