• 약학회지
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• 제57권1호
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• pp.63-69
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• 2013

The objectives of the study are to investigate pharmacy remuneration levels stratified by the number of prescriptions dispensing and the type of nearby medical facilities using the Korean National Health Insurance (NHI) database, and to classify community pharmacies based on the characteristics. Claims data of all community pharmacies were extracted from the Korean NHI database from January 1 to June 30, 2010. A total of 14,985 pharmacies were included for the analysis. The remuneration amounts per pharmacist were directly associated with the number of prescription dispensing, and varied by the type of nearby medical facilities where more than 90% of prescriptions dispensed at the pharmacy are issued from. We classified pharmacies to six groups according to the number of prescription dispensing and the type of nearby medical facilities; (1) pharmacies with equal to or less than 200 prescriptions per month per pharmacist, (2) pharmacies near a general hospital, (3) pharmacies near a regular hospital, (4) pharmacies near a clinic, (5) pharmacies near multi clinics, and (6) pharmacies that do not belong to the above types. Compared to pharmacies near a clinic or multi clinics, pharmacies near a general hospital showed a lower number of prescription dispensing per pharmacist, but the income from dispensing fees was higher (p<0.05). The new taxonomy of community pharmacies can be a useful basis for further policy development in pharmacy remuneration system.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제56권6호
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• pp.563-572
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• 2023

Objectives: The high readmission rate of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has led to the worldwide establishment of proactive measures for identifying and mitigating readmissions. This study aimed to identify factors associated with readmission, as well as groups particularly vulnerable to readmission that require transitional care services. Methods: To apply transitional care services that are compatible with Korea's circumstances, targeted groups that are particularly vulnerable to readmission should be identified. Therefore, using the National Health Insurance Service's Senior Cohort database, we analyzed data from 4874 patients who were first hospitalized with COPD from 2009 to 2019 to define and analyze readmissions within 30 days after discharge. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine factors correlated with readmission within 30 days. Results: The likelihood of readmission was associated with older age (for individuals in their 80s vs. those in their 50s: odds ratio [OR], 1.59; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.19 to 2.12), medical insurance type (for workplace subscribers vs. local subscribers: OR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.72 to 0.99), type of hospital (those with 300 beds or more vs. fewer beds: OR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.66 to 0.90), and healthcare organization location (provincial areas vs. the capital area: OR, 1.66; 95% CI, 1.14 to 2.41). Conclusions: Older patients, patients holding a local subscriber insurance qualification, individuals admitted to hospitals with fewer than 300 beds, and those admitted to provincial hospitals are suggested to be higher-priority for transitional care services.

• 대한치과의사협회지
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• 제51권5호
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• pp.265-273
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• 2013

The insurance payment plan for dental implants in Korea has been criticized because the payment priority has not been properly established, and the benefits are concentrated among middle-class citizens. In the current study, the relationship between the oral health condition and socioeconomic status of the elderly was analyzed using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). This study aims to determine the reason underlying the criticism of the insurance payment plan. The subjects were >65-year-old individuals in the 2010 and 2011 database of KNHANES. Data from 2,812 subjects were analyzed. The socioeconomic status was determined based on edentulousness, molar tooth loss, and presence of 28 teeth. According to the analysis, the average income was 1,560,000 won for edentulous elderly, 1,811,000 won for elderly who had lost molar teeth, and 1,896,000 won for elderly with 28 teeth (p<0.05). In addition, elderly with a low education level demonstrated a poor oral health condition (p<0.001). In conclusion, the insurance plan currently under examination is not properly designed for economically impoverished elderly because the plan only covers 50% of the costs and is limited to implantation of molar teeth only. This plan will not provide practical benefits to elderly with a poor socioeconomic status; therefore, the insurance payment plan needs to be improved so that the appropriate beneficiaries can be targeted.

• 지역사회간호학회지
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• 제19권2호
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• pp.196-204
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• 2008

Purpose: To examine factors affecting long-term care hospital patients' intention of transfer to a nursing home. Method: A questionnaire survey was conducted in Aug. 2007 that included 655 patients from 49 long-term care hospitals. The survey aimed to assess the patients' health status, family status, cost and intention of transfer to a nursing home. Institutional characteristics were analyzed from the nationwide database of Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service. The affecting factors were examined by employing chi-square test and logistic regression using SAS 8.2. Result: Of the subjects, 32.4% had intention of transfer to a nursing home. The intention of transfer to a nursing home was affected by moderate or severe pain, living together with the primary carer, high cost uncovered by insurance, and recognition of nursing home. Conclusion; For appropriate service utilization. a higher level of care is needed to satisfy patients at nursing homes and a balanced fee schedule is needed between long term care hospitals and nursing homes. It is desirable to encourage transfer to a nursing home at which nurses support patients and their families by giving information, coordination, and to make efforts to establish a reference system.

• 보건행정학회지
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• 제29권4호
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• pp.496-501
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• 2019

Background: In this study, wage status and wage determinants of care workers were analyzed. Methods: The analysis used database (DB) of long-term care institutions, DB of long-term care institutions, DB of long-term care workers, DB of health insurance qualification, and contribution possessed by National Health Insurance Services. We analyzed the wage status of the care workers from 2009 to 2016 through basic analysis and estimated the factors affecting the wage of the long-term care facilities' care workers using pooled ordinary least squares. Results: The monthly average wage of care workers was raised from Korean won (KRW) 1.37 million in 2009 to KRW 1.52 million in 2016, and the working hours were shortened by 20 hours from 207 hours to 187 hours. Hourly wages increased by KRW 1,329 from KRW 6,831 in 2009 to KRW 8,160 in 2016. The average monthly wage of care workers was affected by gender, age, years of employment, monthly working hours, establishment type, city size, institutional size, the grade of the institution, and management status. In particular, the wage level of the care workers was high when the larger the size of the institution, the better the management status (fill rate), the establishment type is "government and local government" and "corporation," the institutional rating is high, and the facility manager has the first grade of the social worker license. Conclusion: The government should consider aggressive policies to improve the treatment of care workers as well as the quality of long-term care services so that there will be more long-term care facilities that are guaranteed social publicity above a certain level.

• 보건행정학회지
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• 제30권1호
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• pp.92-99
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• 2020

Background: The purpose of this study is to analyze the effect of the income support allowance policy for the care workers on wage level. Methods: The analysis data was constructed using database (DB) of long-term care institution, DB of long-term care personnel status, and DB of health insurance qualification and contribution possessed by National Health Insurance Services. We analyzed the wage status of care workers 2009 to 2016 through basic analysis. We used the difference-in-difference analysis method for the workers who worked in the same institution from 2012 to 2013, The effects of the income allowance policy on wage increase were analyzed. Results: As a result of the net effect of the income support allowance policy, the monthly average wage of the care worker increased by 25,676 won and the hourly wage increased by 478 won. As a result of the analysis, it can be confirmed that the income support allowance policy has achieved some of the goals of raising the wage level of the care workers, and the effect of raising wages for other occupations in the long-term care business can be confirmed. Conclusion: The low wage problem of long-term care workers such as care workers is not the only problem in Korea. In other countries, there are various wage support policies for employees. In particular, it is necessary to refer to the improvement in the treatment of care workers in Japan and wage pass-through in the United States. In addition to wages, there is a need to promote policies to provide employment motivation through efforts to improve their social status and improve their job status and career development for employees in long-term care facilities.

• 간호행정학회지
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• 제19권5호
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• pp.565-577
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• 2013

Purpose: This study was done to propose an improvement in the Nursing Fee Differentiation Policy to alleviate polarization of nursing staffing level among hospitals and to rectify the confusion of legally mandated standards between the Korean Medical Law and National Health Insurance Act. Methods: The policy regulation was reconstructed related to nurse staffing standards and nurse-to-patients ratios. Data on nurse staffing grades were obtained from database of the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service (HIRA) for the third quarter of 2010 for 44 tertiary hospitals, 274 general hospitals, and 1,262 hospitals. A break-even analysis was used to estimate financial burden of the revised policy improvement proposal. An industrial engineering method was used to calculate Nurse-to-Patients ratios per shift. Results: Twelve tertiary hospitals were downgraded. 74 general hospitals and 102 hospitals were upgraded after application of the regulation. Finances for total hospitalization expenditures changed from -3.55% to +3.14%. Conclusion: The results indicate that the proposed policy would decrease polarization between tertiary hospitals and small hospitals, and would not put a major strain on the finances of the Korean National Health Insurance. Therefore, it is suggested that government stake-holders and many interest groups consider this policy proposal and build a consensus.

• 보건의료산업학회지
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• 제11권3호
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• pp.65-78
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• 2017

Objectives : Obesity is a worldwide health concern due to an increasing obese population. This study proposed to analyze the differences in medical costs and care utilization between obese and normal group using propensity score matching. Methods : Data were collected from the sample cohort database by the Korea National Health Insurance Corporation. Propensity score matching(PSM) was applied to control selection bias, and factors affecting obesity were used as covariates in PSM. Results : The results showed higher medical costs and care utilization in the obese group than the normal group. According to gender and medical type, there were differences in the relationships between obesity and medical charges and utilization. In particular, the differences in the female population were larger in both outpatients and inpatients than the male population. Conclusions : It is important to manage obesity, because obesity has a negative effect on national health insurance costs. These findings suggest directions for future research.

• 보건행정학회지
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• 제19권2호
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• pp.51-70
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• 2009

Background : Previous studies have reported that enhanced continuity of care prevented a sudden worsening in progress among chronic disease patients, and as a result was favorable for efficient spending of health care funds. This study aims to estimate the continuity of care of Korean with diabetes and to identify factors affecting the continuity of care. Methods : This study used the Korean National Health Insurance Claims Database which includes E11 (ICD-10) as a primary or secondary disease as of 2006. Study population is 1,160,725 type 2 diabetics (20-84 years). Continuity of Care Index (COC), Modified, Modified Continuity Index (MMCI), and Most Frequent Provider Continuity (MFPC) were used as indexes of continuity of care. Results : The continuity of care in the study population was $0.94{\pm}0.10$ as calculated by MMCI, $0.91{\pm}0.16$ as calculated by MFPC and $0.86{\pm}0.23$ as calculated by COC. The lower continuity of care was shown in the patients who were female, 65 and over years old, Medical Aid recipients, 13 times or more visitors, hospital users as main attending medical institution, patients experienced hospitalizations or comorbidities. Conclusion : The continuity of care for adult patients with type 2 diabetes was high in Korea, and showed variation according to patients' characteristics. This result provides empirical evidence for policymakers to develop or strengthen programs for managing patients showing low continuity of care.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제55권3호
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• pp.253-262
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• 2022

We aimed to review the current data composition of the Korean Tuberculosis and Post-Tuberculosis Cohort, which was constructed by linking the Korean Tuberculosis Surveillance System (KNTSS; established and operated by the Korean Disease Control and Prevention Agency since 2000) and the National Health Information Database (NHID; established by the National Health Insurance Service in 2012). The following data were linked: KNTSS data pertaining to patients diagnosed with tuberculosis between 2011 and 2018, NHID data of patients with a history of tuberculosis and related diseases between 2006 and 2018, and data (obtained from the Statistics Korea database) on causes of death. Data from 300 117 tuberculosis patients (177 206 men and 122 911 women) were linked. The rate of treatment success for new cases was highest in 2015 (86.7%), with a gradual decrease thereafter. The treatment success rate for previously treated cases showed an increasing trend until 2014 (79.0%) and decreased thereafter. In total, 53 906 deaths were confirmed among tuberculosis patients included in the cohort. The Korean Tuberculosis and Post-Tuberculosis Cohort can be used to analyze different measurement variables in an integrated manner depending on the data source. Therefore, these cohort data can be used in future epidemiological studies and research on policy-effect analysis, treatment outcome analysis, and health-related behaviors such as treatment discontinuation.