Retrospective analysis of inpatients with neurodegenerative diseases referred from neurology departments to Korean medicine departments with a focus on associated characteristics and medical cost

Abstract

The popularity of complementary and integrative medicine (CIM) in treating neurodegenerative diseases, including dementia and Parkinson's disease (PD), is increasing. This study retrospectively reviewed the electronic medical records of a university-affiliated medical center in Korea, administering both Western medicine (WM) and Korean medicine (KM). Eighty-eight inpatients with dementia and/or PD and Parkinsonism (PD&P) referred from neurology to KM departments between January 1, 2017, and April 30, 2021, were retrospectively reviewed. The included patients were mostly elderly (93.18%) and female (65.91%). The proportion of participants with PD&P was the highest at 67.05%, and the most common complaints warranting referrals were movement disorders (40.91%) and musculoskeletal pain (34.09%). However, cognitive impairment was a common reason for referral for dementia (30.43%) but not for PD&P (6.78%). There were relatively few referrals for neuropsychiatric symptoms under both conditions. Patients received a median of 5.5 KM sessions over 13 days. Most KM treatments were non-pharmacological, and manual acupuncture was the most frequently used treatment (98.86%). The median KM medical cost was 245548.38 KRW (17564.06 KRW per session), and the main factor that increased the burden of medical expenses was the use of uninsured oral herbal medicine. This study demonstrates the current status of WM and KM collaboration among patients with neurodegenerative diseases referred to KM departments in a real-world clinical setting. Based on the characteristics and KM treatment status identified, collaboration between WM and KM to treat patients with neurodegenerative diseases could be further improved.