• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.311-321
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• 2018

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to provide basic data on the current status and ways to improve the dental hygiene society by investigating working conditions, working experience, dental institution types among some dental hygienists, and ways to improve the dental hygiene society. Methods: This study conducted an online survey to 450 graduates of the department of dental hygiene in colleges in Gyeonggi, Jeolla and Gangwon Provinces. This study got some help in securing the list of graduates from the heads of the departments. SPSS WIN 23.0 was used to analyze the data. Results: To questions on what is the most important thing in considering to apply for jobs, the highest proportion (39.1%) of respondents designated employee welfare, followed by improvement of clinical dental hygiene (34.0%), of welfare related contents (26.0%), and salary (19.5%). In the relationship between employee welfare and dental institution type and between employee welfare and work experience, employee welfare tend to rise with the increase of work years. In the relationship between the director and staff members, it was found that as work years accumulate, the relationship tends to decrease. The dental clinic with no more than five staff members showed the best relationship between the leader and co-workers, while employee welfare was the highest in the other types of clinics, and the differences were statistically significant. Conclusions: Dental hygienists need to make various efforts to improve their statuses as professionals. In order to secure a part of professionalism, it is necessary for them to make more efforts to realize the health-care professionals being promoted by the Dental Hygienists Association of Korea.

• Korean Journal of Child Studies
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• v.2
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• pp.83-103
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• 1981

1. Outline of the Study A boom of baby hotels is taking place in Japan. Baby hotel means day care centers that renders services day and night for babies of working mothers. These baby hotels are thriving because many mothers welcome the system because of their needs. However, accidents occurred in a row recently and therefore baby hotel has suddenly become a social issue. According to the ministry of health welfare, there are 587 baby hotels in Japan accommodating about 10,000 children and they are mostly located around amusement centers. The reasons that these baby hotels thrive in spite of the fact that there are 22,000 day care centers in Japan are : (1) shortage of day care centers compared to the needs (2) most centers do not take in babies below 1 year. This study aims to describe the present status of the baby hotels and the background of the phenomena that made it possible for them to thrive with no permission from the government. This study mostly deals with the phenomena in Tokyo. 2. Day Care Policy in Japan and the Problems of Baby Hotels The present review deals with the problems from the following 6 dementions. (1) the shortage of day care centers (2) inadequate system for the care of babies (3) inadequate daily hours of day care centers (4) Unflexable enrollment system of day care centers (5) imperfect enfollment process & guidelines (6) lack of alternative institutions 3. Result The Ministry of Health & Welfare affered the following ways to cape with the problems of baby hotels : (1) restraint of the baby hotels (2) utilization of existing day care centers for the care of babies. In my opinion, these suggestions seem too superficial in solving the problems. I would rather suggest that the Japanese government review the whole system of child welfare administration. The Child welfare Law of Japan made a clear statement in its article 24 that, "if day care centers are not available, alternative institution for proper care of children must be sought for." My suggestions for the alternative care are : (1) public nursing rooms (2) family day care (3) extention of kindergarten hours (4) foster family care.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.151-159
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• 2009

Objectives : This study was to determine how the perception and the satisfaction of outpatients who utilized clinics and hospitals are structurally related with their willingness to utilize the same institution in the future. Methods : Three hundred and ten responses (via convenient sampling) were collected from 5 hospitals and 20 clinics located in Seoul listed in the "Korea National Hospital Directory 2005". Service quality was utilized as the satisfaction measurement tool. For analysis, we used a structural equation modeling method. Results : The determining factors for general satisfaction with medical services are as follows: medical staff, reasonability of payment, comfort and accessibility. Such results may involve increased competition in the medical market and increased demands for quality medical services, which drive the patients to visit hospitals on their own on the basis of changed determining factors for satisfaction. Conclusions : The structural equation model showed that the satisfaction of outpatients with the quality of medical services is influenced by a few sub-dimensional satisfaction factors. Among these sub-dimensional satisfaction factors, the satisfaction with medical staff and payment were determined to exert a significant effect on overall satisfaction with the quality of medical services. The structural relationship in which overall satisfaction perceived by patients significantly influences their willingness to use the same institution in the future was also verified.

• Korean Journal of Child Studies
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.177-196
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• 2000

A large sample (1090) of randomly selected early childhood education professionals and government officials rated each of the 133 standards of "A Model for Institutional Accreditation for Early Childhood Education and Care"(Yang, 1999) on a scale of 1 (least important) to 5 (most important). Findings were that all kindergartens and child care centers should be evaluated for accreditation every 3 years with 3-6 months for self-study and on-site validation visits by representatives of the appropritates agencies for 1-2 days. Evaluation results are should be used by institution personnel as a guide to self-supervision, by government officials as a funding standard and by parents as criteria of program quality. Essential accreditation standards included: facilities and equipment; curriculum; nutrition, health and safety; administration and management; and support systems. Safety and teacher-child interactions were most highly rated while parent involvement was not highly rated.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.16 no.8
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• pp.366-375
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• 2016

This study evaluates the degree of the inequality of medical care expenditure and private health insurance benefits and the relation with household income inequality in korea health care system. This study used the 2014 korea Health Panel survey, and study method is Gini coefficient. The main results are as follow. First, average household income in 1st income quartile is 6,290,000won and 10st income quartile is 101,930,000won. And Gini coefficient of Korea household income is 0.3756. In other words, family income inequality is quite serious. Second, the Gini coefficient of the public institution supported medical care expenditure, such as health insurance and public assistance, is 0.0761, and the Gini coefficient of the expenditure of transportation fee and medical materials etc that don't supported is 0878. The inequality in medical care expenditure in public health care system and without public support aren't serious all. Third, Gini coefficient in excluding household medical care expenditure from household income slightly increased. That is, the medical care expenditure of our country household is the factor of aggravating the inequality of household income. Fourth, Gini coefficient of private health insurance benefits is 0.0927. Therefore, the ineqality in private insurance benefits is low. In addition, the Gini coefficient of the sum of private insurance benefits and household income is 0.3672. it decrease from Gini coefficient(0.3756) of household's. Private health insurance perform the functions somewhat weaken household income inequality. However, it is very little improvement.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.187-199
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• 2015

Background: Singapore has the stable healthcare system with utilizing pharmacist manpower in proper positions by demand of populations' health among Asian countries. Objective: This study aims to systematically review (1) the pharmacists' role and (2) the pharmacy education system of Singapore in comparison with Korea. Method: We searched for information about academic, medical and governmental institutions related to professional pharmacists' practice in Singapore by primarily using database such as DBpia, KISS, Google Scholar and ProQuest and the official website of the Singapore Ministry of Health. We contacted and arranged the visit schedules with National University of Singapore, National Health Group's polyclinics, Agency for Integrated Care, National University Hospital, and community chain pharmacies. During onsite visits, we interviewed pharmacists working in each institution and obtained additional documents and materials relevant to this manuscript work. Results: To become a registered pharmacist in Singapore, the pharmacy curriculum requires four full-time academic years and six additional months allotted for pre-registration training. Pharm.D. course is offered for pharmacy graduate students with additional two full-time years of study. Team teaching and inter professional education program seem the most significant method in pharmacy education. Pharmacists working at hospitals, polyclinics, and community pharmacies in Singapore take broader roles and offer more cognitive services such as smoking cessation program and medication reconciliation. Especially, pharmacists in Agency for Integrated Care fill the role of primary care providers for the continuing care of the community through the governmental support toward the patients-centered integrated care. Conclusion: Singaporean pharmacists take significant and active roles in collaboration with other healthcare providers. Efforts such as interprofessional pharmacy education and governmental endorsement of the systematic and interactive care between pharmacists and other medical providers in Singapore are needed to be urgently applied to Korea healthcare system for the promotion of population health.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.387-396
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• 2013

Background: The purpose of this study was to analyze the association between areas of Korea Train Express (KTX) region and external medical service use in Korean society using spatial statistical model. Methods: The data which was used in this study was extracted from 2011 regional health care utilization statistics and health insurance key statistics from National Health Insurance Corporation. A total spatial units of 229 districts (si-gun-gu) were included in this study and spatial area was all parts of the country excepted Jeju, Ulleungdo island. We conducted Kruskal-Wallis test, correlation, Moran's I and hot-spot analysis. And after, ordinary linear regression, spatial lag, spatial error analysis was performed in order to find factors which were associated with external medical service use. The data was processed by SAS ver. 9.1 and Geoda095i (windows). Results: Moran's I of health insurance patients' external medical service use was 0.644. Also, population density, Seoul region, doctor factors positively associated with health insurance patients' external medical service. In contrast, average age, health care organization per 100 thousand were negatively associated with health insurance patients' external medical service use. Conclusion: The finding of this study suggested that health insurance patient's external medical service use correlated for seoul region in korea. The study results imply the need for more attention medical needs in the region (si-gun-gu unit) for health insurance patients of seoul region. It is important to adapt strategy to activation of primary health care as well as enhancing public health institution for prevent leakage of patients to other areas.

• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.345-366
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• 2014

Because the health care or medical sector has such characteristics as publicity, professionality, and exclusivity, it cannot be left to the free market system. As a consequence, the state has restricted the establishment of medical institutions in order to protect the life and health of people. Also, the medical law has regulated to permit the establishment of medical institutions by only medical personnel and a few corporate bodies and to ban the establishment of medical institutions under disguised ownership as well as double opening of medical institutions by medical personnel. Nevertheless, there are still many cases that non-medical personnel have dominantly established medical institutions under disguised ownership of other medical personnel or nonprofit corporation. Because they are willing to recover their investment costs as soon as possible, these illegally established medical institutions are likely to make patients undergo unnecessary tests or to perform the excessive treatments and, as a result, are likely to cause infringement on the health and lives of the people. In addition, even if the misconduct is uncovered, the rate at which the costs already paid is very low and, as a result, the damages are straightly connected to the people's loss. On the other hand, there are also increasing number of cases that medical personnel or nonprofit corporations are establishing medical institutions against the medical law regulations. The examples of this illegality are also the double opening of medical institutions and the establishment of medical institutions under disguised ownership by medical personnel or nonprofit corporations. And the damages in these cases may not differ from those in the above cases. In this study, regarding medical law regulations restricting opening a medical institution, I will review the intent of those regulations, the type of violations and criminal punishments, and the possibility of recovery from unlawful profit by the National Health Insurance Act. And then, I would like to find a way for rational improvement of each.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.671-676
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• 2012

Objectives: Screening for second primary cancer (SPC) is one of the key components of cancer survivorship care. The aim of the present study was to explore oncologists' experience with promoting second primary cancer screening. Methods: Two focus group interviews were conducted with 12 oncologists of diverse backgrounds. Recurrent issues were identified and placed into thematic categories. Results: Most of the oncologists did not consider SPC screening promotion as their responsibility and did not cover it in routine care. All of the study participants had experience with unexpected SPC cases, and they were under emotional tress. There was no systematic manner of providing SPC screening. Oncologists usually prescribe SPC screening in response to patients' requests, and there was no active promotion of SPC screening. Short consultation time, limited knowledge about cancer screening, no established guideline for SPC screening, and disagreement with patients about oncologists' roles were major barriers to its promotion. An institution-based shared care model was suggested as a potential solution for promoting SPC screening given current oncology practices in Korea. Conclusion: Oncologists could not effectively deal with the occurrence of SPC, and they were not actively promoting SPC screening. Lack of knowledge, limited health care resources, and no established guidelines were major barriers for promoting SPC screening to cancer survivors. More active involvement of oncologists and a systematic approach such as shared-care models would be necessary for promoting SPC screening considering increasing number of cancer survivors who are vulnerable.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.2-10
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• 2019

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to share program and/or resource on patient safety education for patients and families conducted overseas agency. This study will help the patient safety officer establish and implement an educational plan for patients and families. Methods: We searched the Internet for patient safety related organizations. We chose an institution that provided education for patients and families. Results: Most of the program and/or resource was about patient and family involvement; Taking Care of Myself, My Questions for This Visit, Patient Prep Card, 20 Tips to Help Prevent Medical Errors, Ask Me 3(R), Health and Safety Passport, My Medication log etc. Conclusions: It is necessary to distribute educational materials for patients and families in the country through the results of this study. For patient safety, education and publicity are needed so that developed educational materials can be actively used.