The Effect of Working Time Reduction in Hospital Management

근로시간 단축에 따른 병원경영 영향 분석

The study was designed to investigate what effect of working time reduction which will be gradually expanded to corporate size from June, 2004 could give to medical industries, and to provide basic information for hospitals and government to prepare the policy. 276 hospitals were surveyed about medical service income and manpower realities during the first half of 2003, using a structured survey tool. Response rate was 8% and 20 hospitals were finally analyzed. The effect of working time reduction in hospital management was different to the size of hospitals and the alternative. Income to existing service income was decreased by $2.2{\sim}4.6%$ in tertiary hospitals, by $3.2{\sim}5.7%$ in general hospitals with more than 300 beds, and by $3.7{\sim}6.0%$ in general hospitals with less than 300 beds. In preparation against such decrease in income, government is required to raise insurance payment, to calculate added service charge for day-off on Saturday forenoon, to retain emergency care payment, to expand emergency care facilities, to secure duty doctors, and to support middle and small sized hospitals. Hospitals are required to give self improving efforts such as fortifying of weekday care, development of weekend care program, strengthening of care capacity and function of emergency care center, and making manpower operation efficient.