Impact of the Introduction of a Public Taxi Ride in Rural South Korea on Levels of Healthcare Utilization among Elderly Patients with Diabetes

Introduction: A nine-cent public taxi ride service was introduced to improve public transportation in the rural county of Seocheon, which has an ageing population. This study investigated the effect of this policy on the levels of healthcare utilization in individuals with diabetes aged 65 years or above. Methods: The Korea National Health Insurance System claims data from January 2006 to May 2013 (pre-intervention) and June 2013 to December 2014 (post-intervention) were used. The treatment group consisted of patients residing in Seocheon, and the control group consisted of patients residing in neighbouring areas with a similar demographic composition. The difference-in-difference approach was used to estimate differences in levels of healthcare utilization between the treatment and control groups before and after the intervention period. Results: The introduction of public taxi transportation service was associated with an increase in outpatient visits. Specifically, the number of outpatient visits to public health centres increased, whereas those to tertiary hospitals decreased. The number of inpatient visits to general hospitals also increased. Conclusion: The results of this study confirm a relationship between the introduction of public taxi transportation services and increased healthcare utilization in older patients with diabetes in rural areas. These findings are noteworthy considering the importance of continuous care in managing chronic diseases.