Abstract
INTRODUCTION: In this study, we aimed to examine the use of inpatient rehabilitation services among individuals who experienced a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in 2017, before the establishment of the specialized rehabilitation hospital system. METHODS: We analyzed healthcare resource utilization among patients hospitalized with TBI at acute care hospitals in 2017. Data were obtained from the National Health Insurance Service-Nationwide Health Insurance Database of South Korea. For patients who received inpatient rehabilitation, the length of stay (LOS) over the 2 years following their initial hospital admission was analyzed. Negative binomial regression was used to identify factors influencing LOS. RESULTS: Patients who received inpatient rehabilitation were hospitalized for a mean of 145.2 days during the follow-up period [median: (Q1-Q3): 35 (16-141) days]. LOS was shorter in tertiary hospitals, general hospitals, primary hospitals, and clinics than in long-term care hospitals (LTCHs) (all p < 0.001). After discharge from the initial healthcare institution, the most common first transfer destination was LTCH (27.5%), followed by general and primary hospitals. For subsequent hospitalizations, approximately half (48.3%) of the patients were admitted to LTCHs. CONCLUSION: These findings underscore the need to establish a specialized rehabilitation hospital system.