• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.11-23
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• 2013

Objectives : The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of patients admitted for Bell's palsy in a Korean medicine hospital to identify whether admission is necessary and beneficial. Methods : A semi-structured interview was conducted on 9 patients who had experience in both the inpatient and the outpatient treatment for Bell's palsy. Their experiences from inception of first symptoms to admission into the Facial Palsy Center in Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital were interviewed along with their thoughts and feelings. The interviews took place after discharge home at a pre-scheduled date and time in a quiet room at the hospital between July 2013 and August 2013. The subjects were purposefully selected until saturation of information was met. Results : Nine participants were interviewed and patients' concerns and priorities were identified. At the acute stage, patients experienced anxiety and all of the female patients and one male patient felt embarrassed of their facial disfigurement. With time, the patients felt impatient of their symptoms and turned to Korean medicine for additional treatment. Providing psychological stability seemed to be an important factor for patients. Conclusions : This study provides insight into the experiences of patients with Bell's palsy, and is significantly the first ever qualitative report to focus on the patient's needs and concerns during admission care for symptoms of Bell's palsy. Admission care can provide many physical and psychological benefits for the patients especially during the acute stage.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.29 no.2 s.53
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• pp.311-329
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• 1996

This study was designed to compare the level of medical utilization between the urban and rural areas of Korea and to explain the differences between the two regions. Data from the National Health Interview Survey performed by the Korean Institute of Health & Social Affairs in 1992 were used for this study utilizing a sample size of 21,841 people. The level of medical utilization such as the number of physician visits and the number of hospital admissions was compared between the regions with ANOVA. Various determinants for medical use were also compared by univariate analysis. Statistical models which included enabling factors, predisposing factors, need factors and region were constructed for bivariate analysis in order to further elucidate the level of medical utilization. The results were as follows: 1. There was greater medical use, both in terms of physician visits and inpatient care in the rural areas in spite of insufficient health resources. The particular reasons for higher medical utilization in rural areas were attributed to a higher number of initial physician visits as well as a longer the length of stay per hospital admission. Therefore, indicators representing the degree of met need (utilization/need) showed no significant difference between rural and urban areas in spite of the fact that the medical need is larger in rural areas. 2. Use of public health facilities received a significant portion of physician visits in the rural area. The government's effort to enhance primary health care through health centers, health subcenters and the nurse practitioner's post in rural areas has contributed to the increase of access to medical care in the rural areas. 3. There were some differences in the socio-demographic characteristics between two regions ; There were more elderly people over the age of 65: unstable marital status, less education and lower incomes also characterized the rural areas. Therefore, among rural people, there were more predisposing factors for medical use. Additionaly, need factors such as poor self-reported health status and high morbidity level were also high in the rural area. 4. In contrast it was learned that, the supply of health resources was mostly concentrated in the urban areas except for public health facilities. Therefore, geographical access to medical care was lower in the rural area both in terms travel time and travel cost. 5. The coefficient of the region variable was insignificant in the regression model which controlled the supply factor only. However, utilization was significantly higher in urban areas if the model included predisposing factors and need factors in addition to the supply factor. The results were interpreted as rural people have greater medical needs.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.75-83
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• 2018

Purpose: To provide effective palliative care, it is important to predict not only patients' life expectancy but their discharge status at a time of inpatient admission to a hospice care facility. This study was aimed to identify meaningful life expectancy indicators that can be used to predict patients' discharge status on admission to the facility. Methods: Among 568 patients who were admitted to the hospice ward of P hospital from April 1, 2016 through December 31, 2017, 377 terminal cancer patients were selected. This retrospective cohort study was performed by using performance status, symptoms and signs, socioeconomic status, laboratory findings on admission. Results: Alive discharge was associated with a good performance status that was measured with the Karnofsky and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) scales and the Global health and Mental status. Less anorexia, dyspnea, dysphagia and fatigue were also associated with symptoms and signs. Associated laboratory findings were close to normal Complete Blood Cell (CBC) count, Liver Function Test (LFT) and Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS), ECOG, Global health, Mental status, anorexia, dyspnea, dysphagia, fatigue, CBC, LFT, BUN are meaningful indicators when predicting discharge status for inpatients. Further investigation is warranted.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.10 no.11
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• pp.3444-3450
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• 2009

Our study was carried out to suggest the way of improving the accessibility of medical service through identifying the factors that make patients be hospitalized in non-residential area not in their residential area. The subjects were 523,782 inpatients of the 2005 Patient Survey data. The 2004 Hospital Evaluation data, the 2005 census data which were obtained from the Korean National Statistics Office, and the 2006 Survey on National Healthcare Resources data were used. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square test and logistic regression in a SAS program. The most important factor was quality level of care of local hospitals. In the possibility of being hospitalized in non-residential areas, the region with the score of more than 9.5 per 100,000 people in the hospital evaluation was 8.3 times more than the region with the score of less than 9.5. However patients is hospitalized in the area with the hospitals with above 910 beds per 100,000 people more than in the area with the hospitals with less than 910 beds by 2.0 times. For the accessibility of medical services, government policy should focus on improving the quality of care in local hospitals not on increasing and distributing health care resources.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.181-189
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• 2010

Purpose: Recently, health policy making is increasingly based on evidence. Therefore, Korean Terminal Cancer Patient Information System (KTCPIS) was developed to meet such need. We aimed to report its developmental process and statistics from 6 months data. Methods: Items for KTCPIS were developed through the consultation with practitioners. E-Velos web-based clinical trial management system was used as a technical platform. Data were collected for patients who were registered to 34 inpatient palliative care services, designated by Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Family Affairs, from $1^{st}$ of January to $30^{th}$ of June in 2009. Descriptive statistics were used for the analysis. Results: From the nationally representative set of 2,940 patients, we obtained the following results. Mean age was $64.8{\pm}12.9$ years, and 56.6% were male. Lung cancer (18.0%) was most common diagnosis. Only 50.3% of patients received the confirmation of terminal diagnosis by two or more physicians, and 69.7% had an insight of terminal diagnosis at the time of admission. About half of patients were admitted to the units on their own without any formal referral. Average and worst pain scores were significantly reduced after 1 week when compared to those at the time of admission. 73.4% faced death in the units, and home-discharge comprised only 13.3%. Mean length of stay per admission was $20.2{\pm}21.2$ days, with median value of 13. Conclusion: Nationally representative data on the characteristics of patients and their caregiver, and current practice of service delivery in palliative care units were obtained through the operation of KTCPIS.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.42-53
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• 1983

The purpose of this study is to help the care of patient and to his family through comparison of the level of anxiety which between the family of admitted patient and the family without in patient, and to his family through comparison of the level of anxiety which between the family of admitted patient and the family without inpatient and exclude the factors which raised the level of anxiety in them. The experimental group in this study were samples of 200 patient's family selected by random sampling in H. University hospital located in Seoul (Department of patient were internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics and neuropsychiatry). The control group were samples of 70 family without inpatient selected by random sampling in Seoul. The data were collected through STAI (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory) by Spielberger (1970) for measurement to level of state and trait anxiety from April 1st to April 15th in 1982. The contents of data analysis by EDPS included the difference of level of anxiety between experimental and control group, correlationship between general characteristics of experimental group and level of anxiety, and correlation of trait and state anxiety in experimental group. The Findings of this study were as follows: 1) Level of anxiety of experimental group is higher than control group. 2) In the correlation between general characteristics and level of anxiety of experimental group, there were no significant difference which revealed in correlation with age of family member, family life cycle, marital status, the relation between patient and family member, the degree of symptom, number of admission, admission or nonadmission of medical insurance, number of family member, and division of disease to level of anxiety However, according to the sex of family member, hospitalization period, a monthly income of family, the degree of confidence toward medical team, religion of family, academic background of family, a tendency of significant differences to level of anxiety were seen. To put them in the concrete, they were as follow; a) Level of. anxiety on female family member is higher than male in experimental group. b) Admission period of patient is positively related to the level of anxiety of patient's family. c) The degree of confidence of patient's family toward medical team is in inverse proportion to the level of anxiety. d) A monthly income of patient's family is in inverse proportion to the level of anxiety. e) Levlt of anxiety of believer in patient's family is lower than unbeliever. f) The academical background of patient's family is in inverse proportion to the level of anxiety g) Level of state anxiety of patient's family at the time of admission is positively related to the level of trait anxiety.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.135-147
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• 2016

Background: The voluntary diagnosis-related groups (DRG)-based payment system was introduced in 2002 and the government mandated participation in the DRG for all hospitals from July 2013. The main purpose of this study is to examine the independent effect of mandatory participation in DRG on various outcomes of patients. Methods: This study collected 1,809,948 inpatient DRG data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment database which contains medical information for all patients for the period 2007 to 2014 and examined patient outcomes such as length of stay (LOS), total medical cost, spillover, and readmission rate according to hospital size. Results: LOS of patients decreased after DRGs (large hospitals: adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.87; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.78-0.97; small hospitals: aOR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.91-0.92). The total medical cost of patients increased after DRGs (large hospitals: aOR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.14-1.30; small hospitals: aOR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.21-1.23). The results reveals that spillover of patients increased after DRGs (large hospitals: aOR, 1.27; 95% CI, 0.70-2.33; small hospitals: aOR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.16-1.20). Finally, we found that readmission rates of patients decreased significantly after DRGs (large hospitals: aOR, 0.28; 95% CI, 0.26-0.29; small hospitals: aOR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.56-0.63). Conclusion: The DRG payment system compared to fee-for-service payment in South Korea may be an alternative medical price policy which can reduce the LOS. However, government need to monitor inappropriate changes such as spillover increase. Since this study also is the results based on relatively simple surgery, insurer needs to compare or review bundled payment like new DRG for expansion of various inpatient-related diseases including internal medicine.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.54-74
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• 2018

Objectives The purpose of this study is to investigate recent trend of diseases in Korean pediatrics and adolescent patients treated with oriental medicine. Methods Using data from the Korean statistical information service and healthcare bigdata hub, top 500 diseases pediatrics and adolescents that were treated with oriental medicine from 2012 to 2016 in admission and outpatient department was collected. Results From the inpatient study, majority of the subjects were between 15 to 19 years old (62.74%), followed by 10 to 14 years old, 5 to 9 years old and under 5 years old. In the outpatient department study, majority was 15 to 19 years old (36.51%), followed by 10 to 14 years old, under 5 years old, 5 to 9 years old. In systemic division of admission part, the most common disease was musculoskeletal related which was 72.32%, followed by brain, nerve, respiratory, dermatology and digestive related diseases. In systemic division of outpatient department, respiratory disease was the most common (41.81%), followed by digestive, dermatology, brain and nerve diseases. For under 5 years old patient group, respiratory disease was the most common, 29.86%, followed by dermatology, musculoskeletal, digestive related diseases. For 5 to 19 years old group of patients, musculoskeletal disease was most common. For the 5 to 14 years old patient group, respiratory related disease was the most common followed by dermatology and digestive diseases. For 15 to 19 years old patient group, digestive disease was the most common followed by respiratory and dermatology related diseases. For under 5 to 9 years old outpatient group, respiratory disease was the most common, and for under 5-year-old group, digestive, growth development, and dermatology disease were common. For the 5 to 9 years old group of patients, musculoskeletal related disease was the most common followed by digestive and dermatology related diseases. For the 10 to 19 years old patient group, musculoskeletal was the most common. For the 10 to 14 years old patient group, respiratory related disease was the most common followed by digestive, dermatology disease. For the 15 to 19 years old patient group, digestive related disease was the most common followed by respiratory, dermatology diseases. Musculoskeletal disease increased every year, in both inpatient and outpatient. Respiratory, brain, nerve, digestive related diseases were generally decreased. In outpatient, respiratory diseases were increased every year but brain, nerve, digestive related diseases were generally decreased. Conclusions More studies about the oriental medicine in chronic disease, such as allergy, metabolic syndrome, in Korean pediatrics and adolescents are needed.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.18 no.8
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• pp.162-170
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• 2017

This study analyzed the current situation of medium and small-sized hospital nursing staff and related policies, and identified the factors that affect staffing level to provide evidence for planning and adopting policy. By analyzing the statistical data published by public institutions such as the Ministry of Health and Welfare and Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the result was viewed based on the understanding of various internal and external health care environments. The number of active nurses was less than 50% of the number of licensed nurses and has decreased every year. This means that the cost-effectiveness of increases in nursing college enrollment should be reconsidered. Inpatient nursing fees by staffing grades has caused nurses to move from medium and small-sized hospitals, where there is a severe lack of staff, to more advanced general hospitals. As a result, the lack of nursing staff in medium and small-sized hospitals has worsened. In conclusion, reexamination is needed to improve effectiveness of inpatient nursing fees by staffing grades as a policy to secure the workforce of medium and small-sized hospitals. Furthermore, the tracking management system of licensed nurses must be able to solve the imbalance between demand and supply of nursing staff.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.132-146
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• 1995

Even though Korean medical law stipulates that number of patients attended by a nurse is 2.5 for hospitalization and 30 for ambulatory care, the number of patients cared by a nurse per day is much greater than the standard prescribed by the medical law. Current productivity of nurses is not desirable unless the quality of care is considered. And nursing manpower staffing based on neither current nurses' productivity nor standard of medical law cannot respond properly to dynamic situation of the medical services. Under this background, the necessity of more efficient management of nursing manpower occupying 1/3 of total hospital workers has been recognized by many nursing administrators. Many nursing researchers have studied to foretell the nursing manpower objectively on the basis of measured nursing workload according to patient classification as well. Most of These researches, however, have been conducted in the tertiary hospitals, so it is imperative to conduct other researches to predict necessary nursing manpower in the secondary and the primary hospitals. The study was performed to measure nursing workload and predict pertinent nursing manpower to a secondary hospital with 400beds. Nursing workload was surveyed using measuring tool for direct and indirect care hours in a surgical unit and a medical unit. Survey was conducted from Sep.10 to Sep.16 and from Oct.5 to Oct.11, 1994 respectively by two skilled nurses, Subjects were patients, patients' family members and nursing personnels. Results are follows : 1. Patient classification distributed as 22% of class I (mildly ill patient), 57% of class II (moderately ill patient), and 21% of class III (acutely ill patient) in the medical nursing unit, while 23% of class I, 29% of class II, 12% of class III, and 36% of classIV (critically ill patient) in the surgical nursing unit. There was no difference of inpatient number between weekday and weekend. Bed circulation rate was 89% in both units and average patients number per day was 37.4 (total 42beds) in the medical nursing unit, 32.9 (total 37beds) in the medical nursing unit. 2. Direct care hours per day measured as 2.8hrs for class I, 3.3hrs for class II, and 3.5hrs for class III in the medical nursing unit, while 3.1hrs for class I, 3hrs for class II, 2.7hrs for class III, and 2.2hrs for classIV in the surgical nursing unit. Meanwhile, hours for nursing assistant activities per patient by patients' family members were 11mins and 200mins respectively. Direct care hour rate by shift was day 36%, evening 25%, and night 39% in the medical nursing unit, while 40%, 29%, and and 31% respectively in the surgical nursing unit. 3. Measurement and observation activity held 44.2% of direct care activities of nurses and medication 36.7%, communication 11.7%, exercise 1.8%, treatment 1.3%, hygiene 1.3%, elimination and irrigation 1.1%, suction 1%, nutrition 0.5%, thermotherapy 0.3%, oxygen therapy 0.1% in order. 4. Indirect care hours per day were 294.2mins in the medical nursing unit, and 273.9mins in the surgical nursing unit. By shift, evening was the highest in both units. Indirect care hours for each patient were 44.5mins in the medical nursing unit and 46mins in the surgical nursing unit. 5. checking activities including doctor's order, medication, and delivering patients to the next shift occupied 39.7% of indirect care activities, and preparation 26%, recording 23.8%, communication and conference 6.7%, managing equipments 2.1%, messenger activity 1.7% in order. 6. On the ground of these results, nursing manpower needed in a secondary hospital was estimated ; 27 nursing personnels for the medical nursing unit of 37beds, and 20 nursing personnels for the surgical nursing unit of 33beds.