Background
: It is expected that Korea Medical Insurance and Health Care Delivery System made change the contents of inpatients in Family Medicine and increased the role of Family Mediine in primary care. We have tried to prove the above hypothesis by comparative study on the inpatient related seeral factors in the year of 1998 and 1991.

Methods : We examined the medical records of the patients who were hospitalized to the department of Family Medicine, Korea University Kuro Hospital from January 1. 1998 through December 31, 1988 and January 1, 1991 through December 31, 1991. We analyzed the number of patients, age, sex, living district, the length of stay, the route of admission, condition at the time of discharge, and diagnosis.

Results : A total of 95 patients were hospitalized in 1988 and those of 183 patients in 1991. The increased rate of total numbers of hospitalized patients was 92.6%. There were no significant difference in age, sex, living district distribution in between those study groups. The length of stay was increased from 5.8±3.8 days to 13.3±8.2 days. In the route of admission, the patients via out patient department was decreased from 97.8% to 91.8% and those via emergency room was increased from 2.2% to 8.2%. In patient's condition at the time of discharge, improved state was increased from 38.9% to 66.7% and unimproved state was decreased from 49.5% to 16.9%. In 1988, the most common diagnosis was chronic hepatitis of 14 cases(14.7%) and the next was neurotic disorder of 8 cases (8.4%). In 1991, the most common diagnosis was diabetes mellitus of 20 cases(11.0%) and the next was acute and subacute necrosis of liver of 12 case(6.6%).

Conclusion : It is concluded that these changes were induced by increased hospitalization for treatment compared to decreased hospitalization for diagnosis due to decreased the amount of money that patient has to pay from their own pocket besides medical insurance coverage. Also, it is believed that the increased role of family medical insurance coverage. Also, it is believed that the increased role of family medicine in primary care affected these changes.