• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.37-51
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• 2023

Purposes: There exist many non-covered services that the National Health Insurance does not cover, and thus, their prices are set by individual health care providers. However, little study has been done to investigate how hospitals set prices for those services. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between ownership, profitability, and prices of those services for a sample of general hospitals. Methodology/Approach: Data regarding the prices of major non-covered services (e.g., upper-level hospital room fees, MRI, Da 7inci robot surgery, and LASIK) were obtained from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service and the financial information, as well as other characteristics, were derived from the financial reports from the Korea Health Industry Development Institute. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, and multiple linear regression analyses were used to test the relationship between the independent variables and the dependent variables. Findings: Hospitals owned by private universities appeared to have higher prices for non-covered services while regional public hospitals tend to have lower prices. Profitability, measured by operating margin, was not significantly related to the prices. Hospitals that charge higher prices were more likely to be located in the capital area (Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi), and to employ larger number of personnel. Practical Implications: Public hospitals tend to charge lower prices for non-covered services. Relative market power appears to be related to pricing. Further research is needed to investigate whether such a relationship varies over time and its effects on the quality and access.

• Journal of the Korean BIBLIA Society for library and Information Science
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.25-55
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• 2011

These results of surveying public librarians can contribute to clearly identifying the status of CHI(consumer health information) services in Korea and to exploring future developments in CHI services. In this study, we investigated whether or not currently Korean public libraries are offering CHI services, whether or not they provide CHI reference services and the frequency of their use, and analyzed librarians' recognition of the need for Korean public libraries to provide the CHI services. The findings are as follows: 1) 70% of Korean public libraries are equipped with health-related books and medical journals, but the rate of libraries that are building CHI-related websites was very low at 5%. 2) The rate of providing the CHI reference services was only 30% of the surveyed public libraries. 3) 82.1% of public libraries did not provide educational programs related to CHI. 4) 82.1% of public libraries did not provide CHI-related services for vulnerable groups. 5) The rate of providing the CHI-related outreach programs and collaborating with CHI-related institutions was no more than about 20% each. These research findings can induce public librarians to provide CHI services in public libraries, and will contribute to activate the CHI-related research in Korea.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.159-173
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• 1994

Since the establishment of health centers in the 1960s, the centers have been played an important role in providing basic health care for the people. Although the health centers made a great effect to prevent diseases and promote the health status of the people for the last three decades, the function of health centers should be strengthened to meet the health care need of individual, family and community. Over the last ten years, there have been great changes and developments in health related environments, such as population size and age, rapid urbanization, up-grading of the educational level, increase of income, health care demand for promotive health care measures and practical measures for chronic diseases and also practicing healthy life. According to the great changes in health related environments, the health centers should be reformed. The following policy options are recommended as a summary; First, the function of health centers should be converted from providing basic health services into promotive and preventive health care services, to meet changing needs of people. Second, the health center personnel should be reinforced for their competency to provide a qualitative services to people and also the operation of health center should be reactivated. Third, a close linkage of health centers with the private sector is an essential requirement for the operation of the health care delivery system within a health district in order to improve the health status of people. Fourth, type of manpower mix, scope of organization and health care program should be varied, based on the health care needs of people, geographical characteristics and size of population etc. Fifth, a comprehensive health care delivery system should be developed, for maintaining healthy life style of people and also the health and welfare services should be integrated in order n ensure an effective service.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.59-65
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• 2015

Objectives: Health screening in Korea is very active in both the public and private sector. However, primary prevention for health promotion has not been activated yet. Quaternary prevention is the prevention of unnecessary medical interventions or the prevention of overmedicalization. Methods: Data was collected after a search of the literature focusing on keyword. The curriculum guidelines for family medicine residents were collected from the homepage of the American Academy of Family Physicians. Results: This quaternary prevention is just beginning. The first step to enhance the health promotion services in the community is to identify the barriers pertaining to the delivering of health promotion activities. These barriers are related to the patient, the physician, attitudes, health promotion programs and the healthcare system. The second step is to establish new changes, such as expansion of insurance coverage, improvement of medical payment system, provision of consumer-oriented services, connection and integration of providers, and the service provider education and training. Conclusions: In order to enhance the health promotion services in the community we need to identify the barriers and to establish several changes to overcome them.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.94-105
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• 2022

Background: As South Korea enters an aged society, the government has emphasized the need for a soft landing of the older adults into the community after the acute and recovery periods under a national policy of "community care." However, the institutionalization of community rehabilitation services to implement this is insufficient. Japan had already entered an aged society when the Long-Term Care Insurance System was introduced in 2000. Thus, the case of Japan's institutionalization of the system is expected to have implications for us in supplementing a suitable system for the aged society. Objects: This study compared the institutionalization process of the Long-Term Care Insurance System in South Korea and Japan and the services currently being implemented in each country. Methods: To examine the institutionalization process and services of the system, related legal rules and regulations, government reports, and articles were reviewed. To examine the operation status of the system, statistical data provided by each country's government were analyzed. Results: Japan recognized the importance of community rehabilitation even before the enactment of Long-Term Care Insurance. Thus, community rehabilitation services, such as home-visit rehabilitation and health facilities, were already stipulated in the law. Under such institutional legacy, Long-Term Care Insurance was able to establish a service system, which balanced welfare and health-related services, including various types of services with enhanced rehabilitation functions. In South Korea, rehabilitation policies were not much considered in the process of institutionalizing the system; thus, it was composed mainly of services focusing on care and recuperation. Conclusion: In order to realize community care, rehabilitation services need to be developed in Long-Term Care Insurance System in various forms such as home-visit services, daily services, short stay, and facility services.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.26 no.4 s.44
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• pp.650-660
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• 1993

This study aims to describe the causes of medically unnecessary hospital stay at a teaching tertiary hospital, using modified version of Delay Tool in which the causes of delay are divided into slx major categories : delay related to test scheduling, test results, surgery, medical staff, patient/family, and administration. For the analysis of hospital stay, 6,479 inpatient-days were reviewed in two medical and four surgical departments for one month. Initially inappropriate hospital stays were identified using Appropriateness Evaluation Protocol (AEP), and causes of delay listed in Delay Tool were assigned to each of them. In both medical and surgical services, the most important cause of delay was related to medical staffs, ranging from 3.6% to 51.6% of total inpatient days. Next important category was delay related to test scheduling in medical services ($4.7{\sim}9.2%$), and delay related to surgery in surgical services ($7.3{\sim}15.0%$). Among subcategories of delay related to medical staffs, delay due to conservative care was the most important cause of inappropriate hospital stay ($2.9{\sim}6.4%$). Each clinical departments had different distribution among delay categories, which could not be fully justified by their clinical charateristics. The Delay Tool would be helpful in exploring factors related to the inefficient use of hospital beds. As a measurement tool of inappropriate hospital stay, however, the Delay Tool should be refined in the definitions of categories and its contents.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.17-30
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• 2016

Purpose: This study investigated factors related to empowerment of paramedic students. Methods: A total of 208 students in the department of emergency medical services who experienced clinical practice at 5 universities were selected by convenience sampling methods. Differences in empowerment by general and major-related characteristics were evaluated using a t-test and analysis of variance. The association between satisfaction with clinical practice and empowerment was tested using correlation coefficients. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to investigate the factors associated with empowerment. Results: The levels of overall satisfaction with clinical practice and empowerment were 107.48 and 99.46, respectively. In simple analysis, empowerment level was associated with general characteristics, major-related characteristics, characteristics of clinical practice, and satisfaction with clinical practice. Empowerment level was significantly higher in older subjects (${\beta}=5.282$, p = .023), subjects with very good (${\beta}=8.487$, p = .002) or fair (${\beta}=4.879$, p = .010) subjective health status, and high subjective school record (${\beta}=5.837$, p = .008) in multiple linear regression analysis. Satisfaction with clinical practice was positively associated with empowerment (${\beta}=0.250$, p < .001). Conclusion: Empowerment was associated with major-related factors and satisfaction with clinical practice. Increased satisfaction with clinical practice could positively influence empowerment for paramedic students.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.13-27
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• 2023

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to investigate changes in public health-related perceptions of residents of Gangwon province after the outbreak of Coronavirus disease-19(COVID-19) of the public. Methods: We performed paired T-test analysis to measure the change in public health-related perceptions before and after COVID-19. We also utilized generalized estimating equations to identify demographic factors correlated with public health-related perceptions. Results: The public perceived public health as 'All citizens can use medical care and protect/promote health.' The concept was the most popular, from 94.3% in 2019 to 95.5% in 2020. In addition, after COVID-19, residents of Gangwon province's satisfaction with medical services increased, but the overall level was not high. Among the eight essential healthcare needs after COVID-19, cardiovascular disease and injury services have emerged as preferred services. However, by sociodemographic factors, distinctive responses were detected. Conclusions: Through COVID-19, Gangwon residents' awareness of the public's health rights has increased. Those living in vulnerable areas or with unmet medical care, supported strengthening public health care. In addition, although medical satisfaction has increased, it is not satisfied, so listening to the voices of the population group with low satisfaction is essential. Lastly, since the necessity of essential health care may change due to specific events, the local government needs to plan health projects reflecting the needs of residents. Therefore, when designing the public health care strategy in Gangwon province, the local government should consider not only political factors but also environmental factors, demographic and conceptual factors.

• Journal of Home Health Care Nursing
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.45-62
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• 2005

Purpose: To provide the data for improving home health care through investigating the recognition of home care services and the possibility of providing it by nurses, doctors and patients. Method: The subjects were 167 nurses and 71 doctors who were working at a general hospital in Seoul and 72 patients who were admitted to that hospital. Data were collected through questionnaire surveys from November 29 to December 17 in 2004. Result: Home care services were recognized by 70.7% of nurses, 64.8% of doctors and 58.4% of patients. The percentages of agreement regarding the necessity of home care services were 70.7% of nurses, 47.9% of doctors and 86.1% of patients. The percentages of agreement to refer the patients to home care when they only want to receive it, were 58.1% of nurses and 57.7% of doctors. There were significantly higher in nurses than doctors between the differences of possible or impossible percentages in agreements about each items in the test-related services, medication-related services and treatment-related services. Conclusion: The above findings indicated that more specific and continuous educations and advertisements are needed to enlarge home care services in general hospitals.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.19-28
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• 2012

Purpose: The study aimed to identity specific needs for services and programs to help childhood cancer survivors adjust and adapt to life after treatment. Methods: In-depth interviews were conducted with 31 childhood cancer survivors, diagnosed with cancer before the age of 18 and currently between 15 and 39 years of age. Each survivor had completed his/her cancer treatment. Results: The participating cancer survivors reported needs for services related to psychological counseling, schooling and learning, social skills, mentorship, integrated health management, self support activities, families of survivors, and public recognition and awareness. Conclusion: The results of the study indicate a need to better understand childhood cancer survivors, provides a basis for developing various services and programs to improve the quality of life among childhood cancer patients, survivors, and their families, and supports the importance of psychosocial adjustment.