earticle

영어

This study aimed to investigate the visiting patterns, comorbidities, and insured herbal extract usage of common cold patients aged 20 years or older who visited Korean medical clinics and hospitals. To understand the characteristics of individuals diagnosed with the common cold (Korean Standard Classification of Disease code: J00), we utilized the National Health Insurance Service sample cohort database, which encompasses 1 million individuals representing approximately 2% of the South Korean population and contains their health insurance claim information. We analyzed data from 2010 to 2019, focusing on the primary and secondary diagnoses for J00, the top 19 comorbidities (＞1%), and the 15 most frequently prescribed insured herbal extracts. Between 2010 and 2019, the number of people diagnosed with J00 increased by 31.31%, from 7,090 to 9,310, and the number of visit days increased by 133.74%, from 16,075 to 37,574 days. The primary diagnosis rate of J00 decreased from 63.4% in 2011 to 47.8% in 2019. The most common comorbidity was dorsalgia (15.3%), followed by other and unspecified soft tissue disorders (9.7%) and functional dyspepsia (8.2%). Socheongryong-tang was the most frequently prescribed insured herbal extract (21.3%), followed by Samso-eum (19.0%), Yeonkyopaedok-san (14.0%), Gumiganghwal-tang (7.9%), Insampaedok-san (7.4%), and Galgeun-tang (5.9%). Based on our findings, we recommend further clinical research and the development of related healthcare policies to enhance the effectiveness and accessibility of Korean Medicine (KM) for the treatment of the common cold.