• Journal of Korean Society for Quality Management
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.71-86
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• 2009

The healthcare environment today is changing rapidly with factors of healthcare consumers in selecting medical institutions also altering at a fast pace under the circumstances. In this study, the theory of consumption values established by Sheth in 1991 is adopted in order to examine particular value affecting consumer selection of healthcare institutions. For the purpose of this study, healthcare consumers were surveyed using questionnaires developed based on the five values of Sheth supplemented by value of effort to acquire hospital information and value in health. Consequently, 24 consumption values affecting selection process were confirmed through discriminant analysis. As a result of regression analysis on factors affecting consumer selection of healthcare institution, effort to acquire hospital information and age among demographic characteristics of respondents are determined important predictors for consumer selection of general hospitals over clinics or small-sized hospitals. Further, service, reputation scale of healthcare institution among functional values and importance of health and effort to acquire hospital information among value in health are identified as significant predictors for consumer selection of large-sized general hospitals over clinic or small-sized hospitals. This study suggests not only vital implications for marketing strategy of healthcare institutions, but also methods to promote positive image for healthcare providers. In addition, this study closely examines the cause of the leaning phenomenon of healthcare comsumers toward large-sized general hospitals.

• Perspectives in Nursing Science
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.32-41
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• 2011

Purpose: This study sought to determine the possibility of developing the data-sharing infrastructure of an integrated information system to improve the quality of home and visit-based healthcare services. Methods: The articles of study here were the forms used by a visiting healthcare agency, a home healthcare system of a home healthcare agency, and those used in long-term care insurance for elderly. We visited a visit-based healthcare agency and a home healthcare agency to survey their forms and interviewed relevant practitioners, and we searched for forms associated with long-term care insurance for the elderly on the Internet. We then organized the terms in each form and mapped them among the form after analyzing the concepts as a whole to inquiry into the possibility of integration. Results: The mapping procedure divided the terms into those related to personal information, problems and interventions. Mapping between the standard system (Omaha system) and the type of form was also done. Conclusion: In this study, we found that programs were configured differently depending on the objectives of the service. It is necessary to develop the program with an integrated information system by comparing the three services in terms of their distinct advantages, after which such a service should be utilized. The results of this study can serve as a database for the creation of a new integrated system.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.440-445
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• 2014

Korean medical system is unique system that has two medical system, Western medical institution and Korean medical institution. In this environment, patients who use each medical institution have different selection factors. The study explores the selection factors' difference of korean/western medical institutions. The empirical analysis of the surveyed data produced the following outcomes. The result of factor analysis, four factors were extracted. That was Human services, Costs and Physical Environment, Prestige and reputation, Public relations and reliability. Overall, the four selection factor importance scores of Korean medical institution were higher than western medical institution's. These findings show that there is a difference between korean and western medical institutions in terms of selection factors. After this study, More study about medical management and healthcare policy including korean medical characteristics is needed.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.696-702
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the improvement of disabled access to healthcare institution located in Jongno-gu, Seoul in 2011 compared to 2003 since disabled access has been mandatory in healthcare institutions located in new buildings by the amended law in 2004. We had investigated 10 assessment items for disabled access in 166 healthcare institutions located in Jongno-gu, Seoul and the results were compared with those of 2003 survey. On average, 74.1% of the healthcare organizations has equipped with items for disabled access. However the adequately equipped rate for those items was only 39.2%. Compared with the results of 2003 survey, these rates showed a little increase by 4.1% and 8.0%, respectively. There were only 10 healthcare institutions located in new buildings which were constructed after July, 2005. Their average equipped rate(84.4%) and adequately equipped rate(46.8%) were higher than those of the other organizations because the Korean government ruled that healthcare institutions in new buildings must have facilities for the disabled. In conclusion, we confirmed that the accessibility of the disabled to healthcare institution slightly increased. In particular, the healthcare institutions in newly constructed building showed the significant increase of accessibility of the disabled. However, it is founded that disabled access is still not enough for the disabled.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.65-70
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• 2019

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.58-69
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• 2017

Recently, with the increase in the number of private health insurance subscribers, interest in overuse of the medical service is increasing. This study analyzed the impacts of private health insurance (PHI) on medical institution selection in outpatient service utilization among persons with arthritis. In order to control patients' health status, we extracted outpatient episodes with the same disease (KCD6, M13) from Korea Health Panel. The unit of analysis was an outpatient visit with arthritis in 2014 (n=23,363). In the light of insurance coverage, we redefined three type of private health insurance (ex, indemnity, fixed benefit, and non-insured) as a test variable and two type of medical institution (ex, hospital and physician visit) as a dependent variable. We conducted a probit regression analysis to identify the impacts of PHI on medical institution selection controlling for heteroscedasticity. The results of this study showed that the insured with indemnity were more likely to choose hospital departments than clinics (marginal effect=0.0475, p=0.000). The impact of participation of fixed benefit PHI was not as clear as that of indemnity type (marginal effect=0.0162, p=0.047). In conclusion, this study confirmed that PHI, particularly indemnity type has a significant impact on the selection of medical institutions. Healthcare policy makers should consider that PHI not only affects the overall quantitative increase in healthcare utilization, but also influences the selection of medical institutions.

• Journal of Korean Society of Industrial and Systems Engineering
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.21-29
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• 2007

We derive priority decision making on healthcare service technology standardization in the home network through the decision support process with industry professionals. We configured a research group with 4 industrial areas including Industry, Academic, Research Institution and Medical Institution. And we also applied AHP methodology for the priority decision making. The research group decides an evaluation criteria which are consisted of marketability, technology, ripple effect, strategy for national policies in order to make a priority for healthcare service on a home network. And it is also decided 7 fields and 24 sub-fields, technically. In order to make a priority for the standardization, we use an AHP methodology, that is more objective and feasible, as a decision tool. After two-phase survey that consists of paper survey and face to face meeting, we get a conclusion that home healthcare content is at the top and then wireless home network follows it.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.1-21
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• 2007

The relaxation of the regulation in selection of medical institution allows patients to use their own judgement in choosing proper institution for their diseases. Since the change of the regulation, there should have been many changes in medical institution selection behavior. The analysis of the change in disease specific selection pattern is critical because there be an optimal selection criteria that ensure the efficient and effective utilization of medical resources. This study analysis the institution selection factors by comparing the choice among the cases of acute diseases, the cases of chronic diseases, inpatient services, outpatient services, and emergency medical service. The comparisons performed in terms of size, class and other characteristics of medical institutions. For the study the nationally surveyed database was used and the data were analyzed using logistic regression procedure. The results indicates that the primary care facilities were not properly utilized. This study speculates that the reason for the undesirable pattern of utilization is that the roles of primary care facilities in the healthcare delivery system was not clearly defined. Based on the results, the medical policy implications are discussed.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.62-71
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• 2020

Background: The purpose of this study is to analyze the current status and factors of elderly patients' hospitalization for hip replacement, knee replacement, and general spine surgery. Methods: National health insurance data in 2018 was provided by the National Health Insurance Service. We used multiple regression to analyze factors associated with the medical utilization of hip replacement, knee replacement, and general spine surgery in elderly patients over 65 years old. The dependent variables are the length of stay and total health expenditure. The independent variables are the demographic-social factors (sex, age, region, insurance type, income level) and surgery-related factors (institution type, location of the hospital, surgery classification). Results: The most common factor affecting surgery was the location of medical institutions. Compared with the medical institutions located in metropolitan, the length of stay in rural medical institutions was higher and total health expenditure was lower. The lower quartile of income, the higher the length of stay and total health expenditure. In addition, the variables of age, type of health insurance, and type of medical institution were statistically significant. Conclusion: In this study, we confirmed the effect of sociodemographic factors and medical institution factors on the Healthcare Utilization of spinal and joint surgery.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.99-107
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• 2020

Chronic severe pain results in a detrimental effect on the patient's quality of life. Such patients have to take a large number of medications, including opioids, often without satisfactory effect, sometimes leading to medication abuse and the pain worsening. Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is one of the most effective technologies that, unlike other interventional pain treatment methods, achieves long-term results in patients suffering from chronic neuropathic pain. The first described mode of SCS was a conventional tonic stimulation, but now the novel modalities (high-frequency and burst), techniques (dorsal root ganglia stimulations), and technical development (wireless and implantable pulse generator-free systems) of SCS are becoming more popular. The improvement of SCS systems, their miniaturization, and the appearance of new mechanisms for anchoring electrodes results in a significant reduction in the rate of complications and revision surgeries, and the appearance of new waves of stimulation allows not only to avoid the phenomenon of addiction, but also to improve the long-term results of chronic SCS. The purpose of this review is to describe the current condition of SCS and up-to-date technical advances.