Pulmonary function test is a group of tests which are composed of measurement for lung function. Thy are spirometry, blood-gas analysis, lung volumes, exercise test, diffusion capacity, and bronchial challenge test. In this article, I will review the pulmonary function test and it's application in terms of clinical aspect and insurance medicine. The standard spirometric indicies are forced vital capacity(FVC), forced expiratory volume at 1 second(FEV1), and the ratio of FEV1 over FVC(FEV1/FVC). If the value of FEV1/FVC less than 70%, the examinee has obstructive ventilatory dysfunction.

Worldwide, stroke is the 2nd or 3rd leading cause of death and a major health problem. Recent advances in medical technology have significantly improved diagnosis and treatment strategies of ischemic stroke. The ischemic stroke subtype is an important determinant of mortality and long-term prognosis of patients. To estimate excess-risks of the ischemic stroke subtype, recently published article, Korean cohort study of stroke, was used as a source article. According to mortality analysis methodology from American academy of insurance medicine, the overall mortality ratio and excess death rate was the highest in patients with SOD, followed by those with CE. Calculated mortality ratio and excess death rate for subtype in this review are SOD, 920%/34‰; CE 267%/34‰; UI 209%/25‰; UM 190%/23‰; UN 188%/15‰; LAA 162%/15‰; LAC 117%/3‰.

All Korean people are eligible for National Health Insurance(NHI). But large non-coverage of NHI is a big problem. The origin of this problem is from medical fee schedules. NHI calculate all hospital income including insurance medical practice, non-insurance medical practice and non-medical income(i.e. a funeral hall, a parking lot, stores in hospital).

Bladder cancer is one of the most common cancers affecting men and women and thus has a profound impact on health care. The majority of patients (75%) with newly diagnosed urothelial tumors have non-muscle invasive disease confined to the bladder mucosa or the lamina propria. The most important risk factors for the development of bladder cancer are smoking and occupational exposure to toxic chemicals. Painless visible hematuria is the most common presenting symptom of bladder cancer. Cystoscopy and urine cytology are currently the recommended tools for diagnosis of bladder cancer. Excluding muscle invasion is an important diagnostic step, as outcomes for patients with muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) are less favorable. For non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), the high rate and frequency of recurrence and the concern for disease progression - especially in patients with high-risk tumors - mandate careful strategies for tumor surveillance. The surveillance strategies should be based on available prognostic factors and in particular data from the EORTC risk tables.