1. QA담당자로서 전문적인 지식습득 노력이 필요하다. 2. 직원홍보가 필요하다. QA활동이 자신의 진료내용 및 관련업무를 감시하는 것이 아니라고 홍보할 필요가 있다. 3. 의료인 특히 의사의 의식 및 행동에 변화가 필요하다. 4. 직원교육이 필요하다. QA를 쉽게 할 수 있는 방법을 교육시킬 필요가 있다. 복잡한 통계처리 방법보다는 쉽게 할 수 있는 단순비교방법이 더 효과적이라고 본다. 또 어떤 기준치와 역치를 설정하여 시행하기 보다는 지난번 조사결과와 비교하여 개선되는 정도를 파악하는 것이 방법도 더 쉽고 접근하기도 쉽다. 5. 긍정적인 면의 평가도 필요하다. 예를 들어 과잉치료억제보다 의학발전을 위해서는 최신 치료방법 장점을 파악하는 데에도 역점을 둘 필요가 있다. 6. 직원교육과 심도있는 QA활동을 위해서는 전담인력이 필요할 것으로 본다. 7. 경영진의 확고한 의지가 있어야 한다. 8. 병원 QA활동이 서비스 측면보다는 의학적 측면에 더 역점을 두어야 할 것이다. 9. 일반병원에서 쉽게 시행할 수 있는 평가대상과 항목, 기준을 QA학회와 임상학회차원에서 마련하여 주면 일선에서 QA활동하기가 훨씬 수월할 것으로 본다.

Background : Theoretically as the waiting-time of patient is estimated in queueing, many men and much money are needed. But being the estimation of patient s waiting-time very important in hospital service, so the continuous monitoring of waiting-time is inevitable. To verify that the estimation of waiting-time using parking time is economical, effective and continuous monitoring method and to develop utilizing the method, this study was done. Method : In parking confirmation office, the personnel of parking office wrote parking confirm time, chart number and whether medical examination and treatment finish or not in parking ticket. The next day the parking tickets were gathered and the above data were input. The input parking data were connected with the hospital outpatient file indexing chart number. Then the patient' s data for department, new patient or not, reservation or not, receipt time and payment time were retrieved. The group for finishing medical treatment were compared with that for not finishing in average time lag between confirmation and out-time for hospital. And In-time for hospital, receipt time, payment and out-time for hospital were also analyzed. Result : Confirming parking ticket, the group for finished medical treatment left hospital after 7 minutes. This result showed that the patient for finished medical treatment left hospital immediately. So parking time was reasonable to estimation of hospital-time was concluded. The time for medical treatment, diagnosis and test was constant for all patients and short for waiting time, Then I concluded that the parking time was reasonable for estimation patient's waiting time. Overall patient's waiting time was 113 minutes and new patient's time was 149 minutes, old patient's times was 109 minutes. Waiting time for reservation patient was 98 minutes and for non reservation patient was 122 minutes. The time from hospital arrival to payment was 50 minutes for the group of reservation patient and 69 minutes for non-reservation group. The time from payment to hospital leaving was 51 minutes and 56 minutes for non reservation group. The short time difference between reserved group and not reserved group from payment to hospital leaving time was due to bottle neck effect. Conclusion : The estimation of patient's waiting time using parking time was reasonable because the possession of car was common and the time for medical treatment was equal and the patient after treatment left hospital immediately. Using this method, timely, fast evaluation and continuous monitoring of the intervention effect were possible.

Background : A critical path defines an optimal sequencing and timing of interventions by physicians, nurses, and other staff for a particular diagnosis or procedure, designed to better utilize resources, maximize quality of care, and minimize delays. It can be thought of as a visualization of the patient care process. In this study, a review of appendectomy patient records was undertaken to identify a critical path for the management of this treatment. Methods: For this study, records of patients under 15 or over 65 years of age were excluded ; cases where the patient was pregnant, or where complications developed were also excluded. The remaining 21 cases were divided into two categories according to the indication for appendectomy : for acute appendicitis, and for perforated appendix or drainage of periappendical abscess. The time frame for the review was from patient examination immediately prior to operation, through discharge. The study team was composed of a surgeon, research head nurse, education head nurse, surgical part head nurse, and medical recorder. Following their review of the 21 charts, the team determined an appropriate progression and schedule for an appendectomy. Result : Through the chart and literature review, the following aspects of the care process were identified as typical and tracked : monitoring/assessment, treatment, lines/drains, medication, activity, diet, tests and patient education. Conclusion : From this study, the design team determined two separate critical paths : one for appendectomy only, and one for appendectomy plus drainage. Next, these paths must be validated and fine-tuned through clinical implementation. In addition, a comparison of our design with the critical paths determined at other hospitals would be extremely valuable for advancing research in this area. Lastly, the critical path approach to improving patient care and maximizing hospital resources should be applied to other procedures.

Background : The medical record is a compilation of pertinent facts of a patient's life and health history, including past and present illness and treatment. It is written by the health professionals contributing to that patient's care. And the medical record is the permanent, legal document which must contain sufficient information to identify the patient, justify the diagnosis and treatment, and record the results. As such, it must be accurate and complete. So we try to analyze the medical record especially a kind of incomplete record, loose laboratory reports. Methods: During the one-year period(from January to December 1988), a medical record practitioner examine and analyze the record of laboratory reports at K Hospital in Seoul. A total of 320 loose laboratory reports for 3,818 admitted laboratory reports. And a medical record practitioner and a physician review and analyze the influencing factors for the various reasons of clinical and laboratory aspects. Result: The loose percentage by department is the highest in obstetrics(40.4%) but the highest loose rate is in pediatrics(25.0%). The most of omission is occurred in operation room(80.3%) than OPD(19.7%). The change of diagnosis is according to duration of laboratory and more changable in cancer patient. Conclusion : Regular analysis of the documentation in the medical record so it fulfills its purposes of communicating patient care information. So it serves as evidence of the patient's course of illness and treatment for various legal, reimbursement, and peer evaluation review. And it is very important aspect of quality assurance in medical activities.

Background : Review of readmissions in health care facilities is necessary from the viewpoint of both economic concerns and quality considerations. To identify the characteristics, factors, and causes of multiple admissions in comparison with single admissions is essential for both providers and payers in order to assure quality care and efficient use of medical resources. Methods: All discharges from an university hospital in 1993 were analyzed, and the characteristics of multiple admissions were identified and were compared with those of single admissions by using the data bases of the discharge abstract and billing for reimbursement. Medical records of patients readmitted within 6 days after the previous discharge were reviewed to identify the reasons for such prompt readmission. Statistical analysis between groups of patients were performed by using SPSS. Result : The mean age was higher in multiple admissions than those of single admissions, and the average length of stay was longer in multiple admissions than in single admissions. The hospital cost per day is higher in single admissions while the cost per case is higher in multiple admissions. More than half of readmissions occurred within one month after the preceding discharges. Above 15% of the readmission within 6 days after the preceding discharges seemed to have close relationship with quality of care provided during the preceding hospitalization. The death rate of the patients readmitted within 6 days was the highest in comparison with multiple admissions and single admissions. Conclusion : Potential preventable readmissions should be reduced by identifying characteristics of multiple admissions, especially unplanned readmission, and by applying some interventions such as standard predischarge assessment or careful follow-up care after discharge for high risk readmission groups. As the results of these efforts, health care facilities could achieve quality improvement in medical care, and effective use of hospital resources.

Background: Group occupational health program by non-for-profit agency, started five years ago, for management of health problems in small and medium sized industries, is one of the measures to cope with limited human and financial resources in occupational health. The program has been rapidly expanding to include 54 participating institutions, private as well as public, all over the country. In spite of its potential impact on health of employees and practice of occupational health in small and medium sized industries, comprehensive evaluation in terms of quality has not been tried. Objectives : The aim of this study are to develop and apply criteria to assess quality of newly developed Korean group occupational health program. Methods : By defining occupational health services, in particular for small and medium sized industries, as one of the primary health care, we included followings as core elements of sound occupational health program; accessibility, continuity, intersectoral collaboration, comprehensiveness, community participation, technical quality, adequacy, focus on preventive services, acceptability, and workers' satisfaction. Again we divided each elements into five major components of national health system infrastructures developed by World Health Organization; development of health resources organized arrangement or resources, delivery of health care, economic support, and management. In turn, we categorized each component into input, process and outcome aspects. After discussions in expert panel, several criteria were selected for evaluation of program. The criteria were modified according to each group of interviewees. Results: We developed five sets of questionnaire that evaluate the quality of 'Group occupational health program'. Conclusion : The refining of the measurement tool and the continuing evaluation process for the 'Group occupational health institute' should be done further.

Background : A small number of high cost patients usually spend a larger proportion of scarce health resources. Aged, long-term care and readmitted patients usually belong to these high cost patient group. Among others, long length of stay and readmission can be reduced by checking its cause, and these are the areas needed most of quality improvement activity. Characteristics of high cost medical users between health insurance program and medical assistance program were reviewed. Methods : The inpatient claims of health insurance and medical assistance program were analyzed. Patients were divided by 6 groups; long-term, mid-term, short-term, readmitted, cancer and aged. We defined high cost patients as those who had spent one and half million won and over per 6 months. Characteristics of high cost patients for each group were reviewed. Results : medical assistance patients used much more resources than the insured members in the average hospital cost per case but less in daily hospital cost. The former had a longer length of stay and had much heavier diseases. Major diseases of both group were cancer, diseases of circulatory system and chronic degenerative diseases. Gallstone and schizophrenia were more in the insured program. However, pulmonary tuberculosis, asthma were more common among the medical assistance patients. Early readmission before 2 weeks were 28-30% of the total readmission. Readmission rate in the malignat neoplasm and renal failure were 80% and more. Q.A program should be installed to prevent unnecessary readmissions. Conclusion : Almost 30% of early readmissions and admissions due to complications and long length of stay should be reviewed carefully to keep cost down and to enhance the quality of hospital care.

Purpose : the management of University Hospital is being challenged in maintenance of reasonable level of income and high ranked reputation by domestic competition with each other and emergence of enterprised owned hospitals. It is imperative that University Hospitals have to make management for patient satisfaction. Furthermore, increased patient's requirement for qualified hospital services (quality assurance) and low-estimated service fee also repress the hospital management condition as well as medical markets open following with Urguay Connection. Due to these unforable conditions surrounding hospital management, -University Hospitals are being pressed to seek improved management strategies. To develope the strategies, we need to have basic understanding about the problems on hospital management and detail information for various patient's requirement. Methods: For this study, we have analysed out-patients from five different University Hospitals located in Seoul, Korea. To obtain the data, we have carried out personal interviews with patients who patients who visit the Out-Patient Clinics of five different University Hospitals using a previously prepared questionnaire. Result: Around 65.7 percent of the visits to University Hospitals were indwelt in the vicinity of 1 hour and motuvation of visiting University Hospital was expending high wuality medical csre in 49.3 percent. The 79.3 percent of the patients have experienced inconvenience during medical care in University Hospital. The most inconvenient condition was waiting for doctors. The 57.2 percent of total patient have experienced rudness. The most rudness condition was registration and receipt desk in 44.4 percent. Patient expect that doctors working in University Hospitals as professors have high and updated medical knowledge(50.4%) and University Hospitals have a high quality medical care system(79.4%). The patient satisfaction was relatively low in 61.1 percent of total patient and revealed high frequency of again visit University Hospital in satisfaction group. Comparison of interhospital analytical study showed quite difference on various problems. Conclusion: Almost patients who visit to Out-Patient Clinic of University Hospital havevisiting motivation to high quality medical care. University Hospitals have several different unsatisfactorial factors and revealed different degree of patient satisfaction. In a future day, University Hospitals have to make use of another University Hospital's merits for approach of Benchmarking and also should be studied decision factors of patient satisfaction and interhospital difference of them.

Background: Nosocomial infection control is one of important means to assure the quality of medical care in the hospital, however, it has been neglected by most of the hospital personnels. Of nosocomial infections, urinary tract infection is the highest incidence, which is related to the indwelling catheter. It is, therefore, necessary to pay primary attention to the patients with the indwelling catheter in intensive care unit in order to control nosocomial Infection and to improve the quality of medical care in the hospital. Methods : The subjects of this study were patients with indwelling catheter who were admitted to the ICU of Pusan Paik Hospital from March 1994 to May 1995. The author calculated UTI rate among the subjects through the cultivation of the urine, identified the related factors of the UTI through brain storming of study team and head nurses working at ICU, and analized the effectiveness of the proposed approaches through comparing the infection rates of before and after activities. Results : The major activities carried out by the study team were to conduct in-service education programs for the staffs working at ICU about the importance of the nosocomial infection control in QA, and nursing intervention to reduce the UTI rate among the patients with indwelling catether. 1. The major nursing interventions that the study team had implemented were as follows ; 1) Drainage system was changed from partial open system to completely closed system. 2) Bladder irrigation which was routinely practised in all patients stopped among the noninfected patients. 3) Bladder irrigation set was changed to the disposable one. 4) Catheter was inserted under the anesthesia for patients to be operated. 5) Male patient receiving wrapped with gauze after perineal care was not wrapped. 6) Clamp which had not been before was newly attached to drainage tube. 7) Urine bag which had been packed into a lot of pieces was done into each piece. 8) The interval of change of indwelling catheter had regularly been four weeks, however it was used continously until it worked well. 9) Catheter was attached well at the defined site. 10) Paper towel was used instead of cotton towel. 11) Mats at the entrance were removed and cleansing of wards was enhanced. 2. The UTI rate by month was 34.4% in maximum and 9.8% in minimum during the period of this study, however it had gradually decreased. After 6 months from initiating infection control activities, the trend of rates was relatively stable. It was identified that UTI rate was different by season 12.5% in winter and 27.2% in summer. 3. Utilization rate of indwelling catheter was maintained at under 50%, but it was increased above 57% from April 1995. 4. The number of bladder irrigation sets used per day was 33.3 sets in maximum and 2.8 sets in minimum. The number used per day were also remarkably deceased. Conclusion : It was found that a program to control UTI could contribute to nosocomial infection control, and it was, in turn, a mean to assure the quality of medical care in the hospital. The nursing interventions which this study team had implemented were effective in the reduce of UTI rates.