• Health Policy and Management
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.343-351
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• 2016

Background: This study aims to analyze the effects of insurance types on the medical service uses for heart failure inpatients using propensity score matching (PSM). Methods: 2014 National inpatient sample based on health insurance claims data was used in the analysis. PSM was applied to control factors influencing the service uses except insurance types. Negative binomial regression was used after PSM to analyze factors that had influences on the service uses among inpatients. Subjects were divided by health insurance type, national health insurance (NHI) and medical aid (MA). Total charges and length of stay were used to represent the medical service uses. Covariance variables in PSM consist of sociodemographic characteristics (gender, age, Elixhauser comorbidity index) and hospital characteristics (hospital types, number of beds, location, number of doctors per 50 beds). These variables were also used as independent variables in negative binomial regression. Results: After the PSM, length of stay showed statistically significant difference on medical uses between insurance types. Negative binomial regression provided that insurance types, Elixhauser comorbidity index, and number of doctors per 50 beds were significant on the length of stay. Conclusion: This study provided that the service uses, especially length of stay, were differed by insurance types. Health policy makers will be required to prepare interventions to narrow the gap of the service uses between NHI and MA.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.301-311
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• 2021

Background: This study purposed to analyze the relationship between the local extinction index and medical service uses of chronic diseases. The local extinction index is an indicator of the demographic structure and population aging of the region. Methods: The 2014-2018 statistics of National Health Insurance Corporation and Korean Statistical Information Service data were used for the analysis. First, descriptive statistics were used to analyze the general status of research variables. Second, a panel analysis was performed to analyze the relationship between the local extinction index and medical service uses of chronic diseases (hypertension, diabetes mellitus, periodontal disease, arthritis, mental health, epidemic disease, liver disease). Medical service uses were measured by the number of visits/inpatient days and medical charges of seven chronic diseases. Results: Panel analysis results showed that higher local extinction risks (meaning lower local extinction index) had a positive relationship with the number of visits/inpatient days and medical charges of chronic diseases. But the relationships were varied when the seven chronic diseases were analyzed separately. Conclusion: This study showed a significant relationship between the local demographic structure and medical service uses of chronic disease. Analyzing the local demographic structure will be an essential prerequisite step for implementing appropriate regional health care policies.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.344-354
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• 2021

Background: The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of national health insurance coverage of Chuna therapy in April 2019 on the costs and service uses in automobile insurance. Methods: This study used the claim data from Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. A total of 189,912 inpatients and 1,550,497 outpatients who received Chuna therapy covered by automobile insurance in oriental medical institutions were included. The analysis period was from July 2018 to December 2019, and a total of 18 months before and after April 2019, when Chuna therapy was covered by national health insurance. Interrupted time series analysis was applied to analyze the impact on the costs and service uses of Chuna therapy in automobile insurance before and after April 2019. Results: From July 2018 to December 2019, for 189,912 inpatients the cost and the number of times for Chuna therapy per capita were increased by 22.0% and decreased by 7.3% respectively right after the implementation of the policy. In the case of 1,550,497 outpatients, the cost of Chuna therapy per capita tends to be increased by 0.4% in overall study periods and increased 28.4% immediately after the implementation of the policy. Meanwhile, the number of times and visits for Chuna therapy per capita tends to be increased by 0.4% in overall study periods but decreased by 0.4% after the implementation of the policy. Conclusion: Results suggest that if the national health insurance coverage of oriental medicine services increases according to the policy stance for benefit expansion in national health insurance, the criteria for providing national health insurance benefits should be considered with the comprehensive impacts on the costs and service uses of automobile insurance.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.221-228
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• 2015

Background: This study explored the relationship between hospital resources and services uses in outpatient/inpatient-based hospital service area (HSA) in Korea. Methods: Study hospitals included all acute care hospitals except tertiary hospitals. Inpatient and outpatient hospital claims from the Korean National Health Insurance (NHI) program in 2010 were used to identify the service uses. Hospital resources and the degree of insurance premium in study areas were identified with the NHI corporation data. Study variables were computed by summing the service uses or hospital resources of study hospitals in each HSA. Service uses were represented by the total medical charges and number of visits/inpatient days. Hospital resources were measured by number of beds, number of doctors, and number of computed tomography (CT). The economic status of NHI enrollees in each HSA was controlled by the average monthly premium of NHI program per household in each HSA. The degree of using local hospitals was controlled with the localization index. Results: Analysis results showed that hospital resources such as beds, CT were statistically related to the service uses. And also localization index was found to have positive significant relationships with service uses. Conclusion: Hospital resources such as beds, CT had not only positive impacts on inpatient service uses, but also influences on the outpatient setting. Health policy makers will require monitoring and assessing the hospital resources in Korea.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.71-82
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• 2016

Objectives : This study purposed to analyze the productivity trends of regional health care resource uses in South Korea. Methods : Data was provided from the regional health care statistics by the National Health Insurance Service(NHIS) and collected from 2011 to 2014 at the 226 administrative regions such as Si(city in Korean), Gun(county in Korean), Gu(district in Korean). Productivity trend was analyzed with Malmquist Productivity Index(MPI). Input variables were the number of medical personnels, facilities, and major medical equipments. Output variables were the number of inpatient and outpatients in model A, and the amount of inpatient and outpatient reimbursements in model B. Results : In model A, the productivity of 62 regions were increased but it was decreased in 164 regions. In model B, the productivity of 123 regions were increased but it was decreased in 123 regions. Conclusions : If these trends were continued, there will be problems with the efficiency of national regional healthcare resource utilization. Health policy makers will require to focus in solving this phenomenon.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.126-147
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• 2000

This paper empirically explores the nature of the medical service industry and its various propagation effects on the economy in the input-output model, as revealed by a comparative analysis between Korea and Japan. The main findings of the paper are as follows; First, the growth of medical industry induces above-average effect on employment. Second, the industry is of the characteristics of weak both backward and forward linkage effects implying a 'final demand dependency industry'. When compared with public service sectors, however, the medical services industry shows stronger backward linkage effect than those sectors. Furthermore, it has strong repercussion effects on the goods industries. Third, in order to produce per unit of services, the medical services industry of Korea uses relatively more drugs and medical devices than that of Japan. In general, it has been shown that production structure of medical service industry in Korea is 'hardware-oriented' one; on the other hand, 'software-oriented' in Japan which means that, as intermediate inputs, outsourcing and informatization has been used than those of Korea. From the findings of the paper it could be emphasized that the medical organizations in Korea should put more efforts on shifting the current hardware-oriented production structure to strengthen core competence by enhancing productivity and by outsourcing to improve efficiency of production process. However, the medical organizations in Korea would not have enough incentives for high value-added production structure because they enjoy high operating surplus. Therefore, it would be necessary that government policy should be taken into account of these environments.

• Journal of Korean Society of Industrial and Systems Engineering
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.146-164
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• 2021

This study examines the effects of the public's perception of emergency medical service (EMS) on the public health system's brand equity and the moderating effect of governance on this relationship using Keller's customer-based brand equity model. It uses four EMS functions: rescue/first-aid and transfer activities; disaster prevention, preparation, and response activities; educational activities in urgent situations; and medical treatment in emergency rooms to examine the effects of them on brand meaning of the public health system. Our findings are important for understanding the public as customers of the public health system and devising and/ or adapting healthcare policies and marketing strategies to develop brand equity and increase customers' loyalty to the public health system.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.49 no.sup1
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• pp.14-19
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• 2016

Background: This study uses the relevance index to understand the condition of regional medical service use for cardiovascular surgery and to identify the medical service use imbalance between regions. Methods: This study calculated the relevance index of 16 metropolitan cities and provinces using resident registration address data from the Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs and the 2010-2014 health insurance, medical care assistance, and medical benefits claims data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. We identified developments over the 5-year time period and analyzed the level of regional imbalance regarding cardiovascular surgery through the relative comparison of relevance indexes between cardiovascular and other types of surgery. Results: The relevance index was high in large cities such as Seoul, Daegu, and Gwangju, but low in regions that were geographically far from the capital area, such as the Gangwon and Jeju areas. Relevance indexes also fell as the years passed. Cardiovascular surgery has a relatively low relevance index compared to key types of surgery of other fields, such as neurosurgery and colorectal surgery. Conclusion: This study identified medical service use imbalance between regions for cardiovascular surgery. Results of this study demonstrate the need for political intervention to enhance the accessibility of necessary special treatment, such as cardiovascular surgery.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.253-263
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• 2023

Background: The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between the local extinction index and total medical service utilization. Methods: A fixed effects model in panel analysis was performed for the 228 administrative districts in Korea. The statistical yearbook on the usage of medical services by region and Korean Statistical Information Service data were used from 2010 to 2019 for analysis. Medical service utilization was represented by the number of visits day, the number of inpatient days, and medical charges. Control variables were selected by using an Anderson model. The local extinction index was calculated using resident registration population data. Results: Descriptive statistics showed that the number of areas at risk of extinction increased from 61 to 95 for the study years. In addition, the number of visits, the number of inpatient days, and medical charges all increased during the study years. After controlling for variables affecting medical service utilization and doing a panel fixed effects model, the result suggested that a one-step increase in the local extinction index was significantly associated with a 12.29% decrease in medical charges of inpatients, a 7.33% decrease in medical charge of outpatient, a 5.21% decrease in the number of inpatient day, and a 5.54% decrease in the number of visits day. Conclusion: This study showed that the higher the region's extinction risks, the higher the region's total medical service utilization. The results of this study suggested that there was a disparity in medical service utilization between areas at risk of extinction and areas not at risk of extinction, so measures should be taken to address this disparity.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.1-30
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• 2007

The study carried out a survey with employees of hospitals located in Daejeon, Chungnam, and Chungbuk from Sep. 12 to Sep. 30, 2005 in order to derive primary elements that affect the improvement of hospital's competitiveness. The study investigated and analyzed the employees' recognition on the change of competitive environment caused by the change of medical environment. The study also analyzed the elements that affect the hospital's competitiveness and the competitive strategies of the hospitals. The conclusion of this study can be summarized as follows. 1. Summary 1) Most of the employees responded that there is a rival in the competitive environment and the competitive is intense. Especially when the employees are married, live in urban areas, have an education level of university graduate or are managers, they tend to think the competitive is very intense. Also, they said that the competitive is based upon the quality of medical service. They mentioned the element that has the biggest effect on the competitiveness is the element of medical consumer and they recognized that the medical services in university and general hospitals have more competitiveness than the one-department hospitals. 2) It was investigated that the medical technique service has the most effect on the hospital's competitiveness. Also, the external service of medical techniques also has a large effect on the hospital's competitiveness. 3) When they were asked for the factors that affect the patients' decision on selecting a hospital, most of them responded "capability and technique of the medical staffs." Also, they said that "sufficient explanation from doctors" and "special center and clinic" are the factors that have big effects on the patients' decision. 4) In the SWOT analysis, most of them responded that the strength is the hospital's characteristics and the weakness is insufficient and obsolete equipment. They said the opportunity is the demands for professional medical service and the risk is the intense competitive among the hospitals. 5) In the SWOT strategy, they emphasized the strategy that uses the opportunity and the strength and the strategy that uses the opportunity while overcoming the weakness. 6) As for the basic competition strategy, most of them thought of the strategy of professionalizing the medical service most importantly. Next, they focused on the strategy of distinct service and the strategy of lower prime cost. 2. Conclusion 1) Because service competition between hospitals is happening seriously, need competitiveness security through right awareness transfer and satisfaction upgrade about medical consumer. 2) For medical technique service upgrade that equip Hospital's competitiveness but affects most, must solidify the countermeasure because professionalizing the medical service and newest medical technique induction should be achieved first, and compose task force for the external service of medical techniques improvement. 3) To improve SWOT of hospital, opportunity and the strength strategy choice that rescue hospital's characteristics heightening professionalizing the medical service level is fancied. 4) As for the basic competition strategy, will have to try in phase triangular position of hospital which is trusted medical level upgrade and excellent manpower security and finance independence through upgrade. The study was only done with hospitals in Daejeon, Chungnam and Chungbuk. Also, it is a study from the side of suppliers of medical service so there are limitations. However, the significance of the study is to present the basic data for improvement of hospital's competitiveness by examining the importance of medical techniques and external service of medical techniques that are the main effects on the improvement of hospital's competitiveness.