• Asia Marketing Journal
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.127-156
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• 2012

A lot of interest in the baby-boomer generation, those who were born after World War II, has emerged since their retirement has been accelerated. The retirement of baby-boomers has caused many health, public welfare, social policy and family relationship problems. However, their increased purchasing power has made them more attractive consumers than any other generation, and they have become a fascinating niche market in the depressed economy. This research selected middle-class women of the baby-boomer generation who have had powerful effects on society and have emerged as an attractive niche market, and attempted to understand their lives intensively. Based on research activities, the purpose of this research is to identify baby-boomer generation middle-aged women's life values. Qualitative research methodology was used to achieve research objectives, and this research aimed to suggest marketing implications to connected industries based on the research results. The research objectives are as follows. 1. understanding the lives of baby-boomer middle-class women who have powerful effects on socio-economic phenomena 2. identifying the life values of baby-boomer middle-class women 3. generating marketing implications based on an understanding of baby-boomer middle-class women's lives and life values This research conducted FGIs(focus group interviews), one of the qualitative research methodologies, to figure out baby-boomer middle-class women's life values intensively and selected 10 women living in Seoul for data collection. The qualitative data of collected FGIs were analyzed with spiral data analysis methodology proposed by Creswell(2007). The most effective factors to influence these middle-class women's lives powerfully were 'time' and 'independence'. Their consciousness of the importance of using time affects their life pattern generally, and their independence also impacts greatly on the way they exploit time and on their diverse relationships. They maximized their self-realization and showed long-term partnership with their surrounding circumstances because of those effective factors. Baby-boomer middle-class women's self-realization was divided into two areas. One was their outside activities and another was perfect management of their physical appearance and home interior. Like the results of this research, their need for social entrance will be reinforced more strongly since their internal and external activities aim for the achievement of self-realization. In addition, this research suggests that baby-boomer middle-class women's activities are connected with their management of their physical appearance and home interior decorations, and that such management is caused not only by a simple interest in fashion and beauty but also a profound desire for self-realization. On account of their consciousness, which is different from other generations, Korean baby-boomer middle-class women are able to maintain positive partnerships with their surrounding circumstances; however, they also show ambivalent emotions to retain effective partnerships. To overcome those stressful situations, they make greater efforts to keep up their health and youth, and also engage in diverse activities to maintain their mental health. Finally, they generate positive attitudes toward their economic situation and extra time to develop self-realization and pursue happy, youthful and healthy lives. Based on those results, this study suggests the following implications. First, industries targeting the baby-boomer generation should develop innovative products and services which help the baby-boomer generation maximize their efficiency of time since time is one of the most important factors powerfully impacting the baby-boomer generation. They will engage in various activities to fill up their extra time and consume helpful products and services. Second, such industries should supply the baby-boomer generation with opportunities which propose new ways of self-realization since this generation shows a great desire for self-realization because of their self-efficacy. With customized strategies of satisfying their needs, the baby-boomer generation would discover opportunities to utilize their abilities, relationships and aesthetic senses, and industries would develop a niche market. Third, market segmentations which target the baby-boomer generation's desire to maintain their physical appearance and home interior should be executed since such activities are the main strategies to develop this generation's self-realization. The baby-boomer generation's desire to study those areas would be expanded, and those education systems should produce innovative products and services targeting the baby-boomer generation. This implication also offers to government officials new policies related with the baby-boomer generation. This exploratory study utilized qualitative research methodology to understand baby-boomer middle-class women's lives, and proposed propositions and limitations for further researches. As for the limitations, first, it is hard to generalize the research results so that they may apply to all areas and economic classes of the baby-boomer generation since this research selected only 10 women living in Seoul for the data collection process. To overcome this limitation, extended data collections of subjects from diverse regions and economic classes should be designed. Second, quantitative research should be conducted to supplement the findings with validities. Third, this research focused on only general ideas of the baby-boomer generation's lives since the range of this study was focused on their overall lives. Therefore, intensive research related to specific areas of their lives should be conducted.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.91-101
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• 1999

The home nursing care system is an integral part of the health care delivery system in order to meet the various needs of consummer, in particular, early discharge patient from the hospital, patient with long term care needed and the elderly. To find out the cost of home nursing care services, the home nursing care records of patients registered by home nursing care units established in public hospital with 150beds during the period of 1996 - 1997 were analyzed. The subjects were 102patients, 45 of male patients and 57 of female patients, those who live in a rural area in Kymiggi - Do The results obtained are as follows : 1. The male patients accounted for 44.1% of the total, with 45cases : group aged 60 years and more was the largest group, accounting for 79.5%. 2. The most frequent disease revealed was the osteoporosis which constitute 35.3% of the total registered patients, followed, in order, by malignant tumor, cerebrovascular disease. 3. It revealed that the cost per visit for the male was 47,764won ; the female, 46,078 won per visit. Noteworthy the cost per visit was high in the older patient. It was clearly that the gender, years of age and the cost per visit were statistically significant at 0.01 level and 0.05 level. 4. The cost per visit for the non complicated disease was slightly higher than the complicated disease, but it is not statistically significant, the cost per visit by type of disease varied, the cost per visit for COPD was the highest, followed, in order, by in malignant tumor, cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis etc. 5. It revealed that home nursing care cost for a eligible disease for home nursing care was less than the cost for hospitalization of the same disease, therefore, we expect that the home nursing care is cost efficiency. In conclusion, the home nursing care costs are needed to analyze further in comparison with the hospitalization costs for a certain disease.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.32-48
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• 2003

Korea is to open its medical markets to foreign hospitals starting in the year 2006 regardless of our will(DDA, Doha Development Agenda). To accurately understand the characteristics of Korean medical users, their detailed and various needs, their attitudes toward the opening of Korean medical markets, and factors affecting these users in choosing foreign medical service providers would be first step needs to be taken by the Korean medical facilities that need to survive and develope through the fiercely competitive era coming with the opening of Korean medical markets to foreign medical service providers and would be very important in hospital management. The subjects of this study were 500 patients randomly selected from the outpatients who visited one of university hospitals in Seoul on the 14th-16th days of April 2003, and conducted a self-completion questionnaire. The answers of 463 respondents among the selected patients(93% of a responding rate)were analyzed through the Excel and statistics programs. The attitudes on the opening of the medical markets were shown in agreement 56.5%(247 persons), disagreement 6.9%(30 persons), and no idea 36.6%(160 persons). In consideration of only the answers as agreement and disagreement exclusive of the answer as no idea, 89.2% of the respondents agreed to the opening of the medical markets while 10.8% objected to the opening. The approval rate was higher with the higher education and income levels. Moreover, The approval rate for the opening of the medical markets was relatively high regardless of the satisfaction in the medical service, and the most important reason of the agreement was the guarantee of the patients(national)option. The main reason of the disagreement was high medical fee(50.5%), and the other reasons showing low rates were outflow of the domestic fund to the foreign countries(13.6%), damage of medical influences on the public(11.4%), lack of competition of the domestic medical industry(9.1%)and so on. As for the factors of selecting the foreign hospitals in the opening of the medical markets, the patients considered the authority(competency)of doctors firstly, and the other principal factors were worldwide fame and reliance, specific explanation of doctors, modernized medical instruments, convenient consultation procedure, etc. The patients agreed to the opening of the medical markets at a high rate regardless of the satisfaction in the medical service, and the most principal reason of the agreement was the guarantee of the patients(national)option for the medical care. Connected with the factors to select the hospitals, the approval reasons for the opening of the medical markets were the authority(competency)of the doctors as the first one, and then fame and tradition, reliance, overall diagnosis and modernized medical instruments, doctors specific explanation, and so on. However, these factors are actually associated with the Quality of the medical care, and consequently the approval reasons for the opening of the medical markets are connected with the security of the medical care. Accordingly, the guarantee of the patients(national)option answered as the main reason of the agreement can be also understood as the awareness of the right to have a variety of options for the security of the medical quality.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.139-149
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• 2003

Objectives：To review the history of the development and current status of Korean Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and to propose the future tasks at this 20th anniversary of Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Methods：Records and publications of Korean Academy, personal communications with senior members of the Academy, the author's recollections and memoirs. Results：Korean Child Psychiatry started with opening Child Psychiatry Clinic at Seoul National University Hospital in 1979 and establishing Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the same hospital in 1980. A Child Psychiatry Study Group was formed in 1983 and it transformed into Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in 1986. In the past 20 years, Korean child and adolescent psychiatry made an impressive progress and contributed significantly to the development of Korean medicine as well as to the establishment of child mental health service. There are 77 board-certified and 48 board-eligible child psychiatrists, and 18 child psychiatry fellows are in training as of 2003. Main forces of this successful introduction of child psychiatry are 1) 7 child psychiatry training centers at major university hospitals, 2) publication of Korean Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in 1990, 3) the establishment child psychiatry board certification system in 1996. Korean child psychiatry has extended its role in the international child psychiatry and took leadership in establishing Asian Society of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions(ASCAPAP). Conclusion：Korean child psychiatry has achieved a remarkable progress for the past 20 years and is currently producing 15 or more child psychiatry each year. However, there are needs of more active involvements in adolescent problems, more active consultation-liaison services at general hospitals as well as community mental health institutions. More school consultation and preventive educational services are desired. There is a urgent need of carrying out more empirical studies with strong scientific rigor. Korean Academy should pay attention and provide assistance to the development of child psychiatry service in other countries in Asia.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.41-58
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• 2009

Objective : The purpose of this study is to identify actual operations and issues of wireless paging system operation for the aged living alone as the end users of wireless paging system primarily in Gwangyang city, and thereby to explore possible advanced and integrated ways to promote social safety network for the aged. Methods : The survey tool used in this study was a structured questionnaire form consisting of question items. The researcher hereof conducted this survey by means of direct visit and interview during two seasons, i.e. from February to August, 2008 and from December 2008 to March 2009, respectively. Results : 1) For general demographic characteristics, it was found that 90.9% of all respondents were women and 61.2% of all respondents were at age 75 to 84. for health conditions, it was found that more than 90% of all respondents often took medicines due to their unhealthy body, and most of respondents suffered from musculoskeletal diseases 79.3% and circulatory diseases 61.6%. for walking capacity, it was found that 45.5% of all respondents used walking aids, and disable respondents (11.5% of all respondents) were represented primarily by those with physical disability (52.6% of disable respondents). for actual use of medical institutions, it was found 47.3% of all respondents relied on local clinics, since they preferred neighborhood hospitals or clinics they can trust for medical care. for social activities and supports, it was found that 43.6% respondents had 'needs for assistance at times' and 33.9% respondents have 'no need for assistance'. And it was found that the major difficulties in living alone at old age were represented primarily by health problems 37.8% and economic difficulties 33.5%. 2) For characteristics related to wireless paging system, it was found that 90.3% respondents used wireless paging system recommended by firemen, and 28.5% respondents used this system. and it was found that 59.6% respondents used this system once, and 85.2% respondents used it because of acute or chronic diseases. more than 90% respondents thought that they knew about wireless paging system and considered themselves safe, but 83.6% respondents didn't attach a remote control on their upper clothes, and even 49.1% respondents turned off the power of wireless paging system due to their concern about electricity bill and noise. 3) It was found that 83.6% respondents felt it necessary to use wireless paging system, and wireless paging users felt more satisfied with using the system than non-users, and 50.7% showed high satisfaction at certain psychological benefits like 'confidence in coping with critical situations' and 'a sense of relief'. In addition, it was found that some respondents who answered that 'they didn't turn off the paging system as they knew how it works' and those who answered that they knew 'how to use it' showed relatively high satisfaction. And some respondents who kept it well and felt it necessary also showed high satisfaction. 4) It was found that the level of satisfaction our respondents felt with using wireless paging system varied significantly availability($x^{2}$ = 12.759, p = .002), psychological advantages($x^{2}$ = 12.174, p = .002), knowledge about how to use system($x^{2}$ = 7.021, p = .016), power on/off($x^{2}$ = 13.221, p = .001), level of knowledge about system($x^{2}$ = 21.002, p = .000), maintenance($x^{2}$ = 9.871, p = .007) and level of necessity($x^{2}$ = 34.939, p = .000) on the statistical basis.

• 한국노년학
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.459-472
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• 2007

This research has its purpose of developing a tool to assess the needs of the Korean elderly at home population and to provide adequate services by evaluating their physical, psychological, and socio-environmental aspects. This developed tool is composed of two hundred questions and has the advantage of combined physical, psychological and social environmental situation assessment of the elderly at home. The tool also contains not only the objective view of the professionals, but also the subjective appeals of the elderly at home population so that it can reflect their substantial desires. The assessment tool was developed over 21 months from July, 2004 to March, 2006 and this period can be divided into three different stages. In the first stage, collecting of questions for the desire-focused assessment of the elderly by literature investigation and researching foreign source materials was carried out, and this ultimately developed assessment tool was applied to the long-term care insurance pilot project in the second stage. In this process, we revised some insufficiencies of this tool after we applied to elderly of 250 from the pilot project and other 200 elderly from this research team. For the last stage, the tool was completed by using inquiries of the focused group and the group of professionals to ensure its reliability and validity. In the process of developing the tool, the total of 200 questions under 13 subcategories was selected. The 13 subcategories are basic information, subjective appeals, information of the main helper, use of services, house environment, condition of health, condition of rehabilitation, daily living(ADL, IADL, defecation, assistance), social maintenance, behavioral disability, medical health, living habits, and strength. This tool is on the purpose to assess thoroughly the desires that the elderly at home population has and to provide the best service they need.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.105-116
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• 2019

Purpose: Pediatric palliative care (PPC) is emphasized as standard care for children with life-limiting conditions to improve the quality of life. In Korea, a government-funded pilot program was launched only in July 2018. Given that, this study examined various PPC delivery models in other countries to refine the PPC model in Korea. Methods: Target countries were selected based on the level of PPC provided there: the United Kingdom, the United States, Japan, and Singapore. Relevant literature, websites, and consultations from specialists were analyzed by the integrative review method. Literature search was conducted in PubMed, Google, and Google Scholar, focusing publications since 1990, and on-site visits were conducted to ensure reliability. Analysis was performed on each country's process to develop its PPC scheme, policy, funding model, target population, delivery system, and quality assurance. Results: In the United Kingdom, community-based free-standing facilities work closely with primary care and exchange advice and referrals with specialized PPC consult teams of children's hospitals. In the United States, hospital-based specialized PPC consult teams set up networks with hospice agencies and home healthcare agencies and provide PPC by designating care coordinators. In Japan, palliative care is provided through several services such as palliative care for cancer patients, home care for technology-dependent patients, other support services for children with disabilities and/or chronic conditions. In Singapore, a home-based PPC association plays a pivotal role in providing PPC by taking advantage of geographic accessibility and cooperating with tertiary hospitals. Conclusion: It is warranted to identify unmet needs and establish an appropriate PPD model to provide need-based individualized care and optimize PPC in South Korea.

• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.177-219
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• 2016

A commercial advertisement is not only a way of competition but also a medium of communication. Thus, it is under the constitutional protection of the freedom of business (article 15 of the Constitution) as well as the freedom of press [article 21 (1) of the Constitution]. In terms of the freedom of business or competition, it should be noted that an unfair advertising (false or misleading advertisement) can be regulated as an unfair competition, while any restraint on advertising other than unfair one might be doubted as an unjustifiable restraint of trade. In terms of the freedom of press or communication, it is important that article 21 (2) of the Constitution forbids any kind of (prior) censorship, and the Constitutional Court applies this restriction even to commercial advertising. In this article, the applicability of these schemes to advertising of the so-called learned professions, especially physician, are to be examined, and some proposals for the reformation of the current regulatory regime are to be made. Main arguments of this article can be summarized as follows: First, the current regime which requires advance review of physician advertising as prescribed in article 56 (2) no. 9 of Medical Act should be reformed. It does not mean that the current interpretation of article 21 of the Constitution is agreeable. Though a commercial advertising is a way of communication and can be protected by article 21 (1) of the Constitution, it should not be under the prohibition of censorship prescribed by article 21 (2) of the Constitution. The Constitutional Court adopts the opposite view, however. It is doubtful that physician advertising needs some prior restraint, also. Of course, there exists severe informational asymmetry between physicians and patients and medical treatment might harm the life and health of patients irrevocably, so that medical treatment can be discerned from other services. It is civil and criminal liability for medical malpractice and duty to inform and not regulation on physician advertising, to address these differences or problems. Advance review should be abandoned and repelled, or substituted by more unproblematic way of regulation such as an accreditation of reviewed advertising or a self-regulation preformed by physician association independently from the Ministry of Health and Welfare or any other governmental agencies. Second, the substantive criteria for unfair physician advertising also should correspond that of unfair advertising in general. Some might argue that a learned profession, especially medical practice, is totally different from other businesses. It is performed under the professional ethics and should not persue commercial interest; medical practice in Korea is governed by the National Health Insurance system, the stability of which might be endangered when commercial competition in medical practice be allowed. Medical Act as well as the condition of medical practice market do not exclude competition between physicians. The fact is quite the opposite. Physicians are competing even though under the professional ethics and obligations and all the restrictions provided by the National Health Insurance system. In this situation, regulation on physician advertising might constitute unjustifiable restraint of competition, especially a kind of entry barrier for 'new physicians.'

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.93-114
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• 2005

The prenatal care is the preventive medical service to help the pregnant mother deliver the healthy baby. It's regular examines give some chances to check-up the healthy conditions. This thesis concentrates on the CRM system to support an effective prenatal care system and prove the effectiveness of it. As CRM is the adapted management related to the customer's own information, it is important to develop the CRM model classified by the patients characteristics. A general hospital in Busan operated the CRM system to carry out the effective prenatal care and there is an analysis to ensure the effectiveness of CRM system for the pregnant women in our maternity ward. The results can be summarized as follows: 1) According to the comparisons with the CRM system, we can conclude the system is desirable. (1) Maternal Age : In the age distribution, the prenatal visit frequency, triple marker freqency, oral GTT and targeted ultrasonography in the experimental group in 30 to 34 years old is higher on the whole. For over 35 years old group, the higher frequency comes out in the oral GTT and targeted ultrasonography and for 25 to 29 years old group the different figure shows just in the targeted ultrasonography. (2) Area of residence: There is a clear difference in all the items in Busan and near area but no sign of difference in prenatal visits and oral GTT in other residencial area. Especially in the targeted ultrasonography the higher figure shows in the experimental group located in the both areas. The targeted ultrasonography is known as the specific examination which should be examined by the specialists, on the contrary the other examinations can be operated in the small clinic. So the public information and seminars related with ultrasonography increases the check-up frequency. The clinic requests some ultrasonographical examinations to the specialists in general hospital. (3) Parity: The clear difference shows that the CRM system causes the prenatal visit frequency to become higher in experimental group. The figure is 9.7 times and 8.6 times each. This is opposite that the past study said multiparity reduced the average prenatal visits. But the result of CRM is considered as the method to help the multiparity understand the importance of the prenatal care. (4) Obstetrical history: In the experimental group of the spontaneous delivery group, the figure is higher in the prenatal visit frequency, triple marker, oral GTT and targeted ultrasonography but the Caesarean section delivery group has higher figure in targeted ultrasonography. (5) In the first check-up, the rate of targeted ultrasonography in under 16 week pregnancy, in the 16 week pregnancy to 32 week pregnancy and the over 32 week pregnancy in the experimental group is upper than the compared one. For the oral GTT, there is a difference in under 16 week pregnancy but no difference in prenatal visits and triple marker. 2) The analysis of characteristics of prenatal care through the decision tree resulted in the fact that the most important variable is the residential area. After the delivery frequency is following, the obstetrical history and maternal age are in order. It is the same result in the triple marker and oral GTT. Consequently it is the same order of important variables in CRM system. The effectiveness of CRM system is proved in this study. The CRM system is a marketing method to control and lead the customers through the segmentation of customer data. It increases the new customer aquisition, maintenance of loyal customers, augmentation of customers value, activation of potential customers and creation of life time customers. So eventually it can enlarge the customers value. The medical institution should make efforts to establish the data base enforced by the customer's information on the underlying ordinary data system to carry out the CRM system effectively. In addition, it should develop the a variety of marketing strategy in order to set up one to one marketing satisfying the needs of individual patients.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.109-129
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• 2001

The purpose of this study was the acquisition of the optimum scale of the apportionment of standard & high-class bed for the maximum profit representative of the desire of customers in a General Hospital with 1,100 beds located in Seoul. This investigation was proceeded by the analysis of the result of the simulation with the survey of both the patients' needs for bed and the degree of the medical service by the grade of the ward. And finally the consequence was obtained as follows: 1. The result of the investigation of the inpatients' preference for the grade of ward classes shows that a private ward reflected 4.3 percent, a semi-private ward 1.7 percent, a three-bed ward 0.1 percent, and a ward with six beds 93.9 percent each other. 2. A questionnaire poll was paralleled of service terms of a medical doctor and a nurse by ward class, the data were used for the standard of the allotment of labor cost by the ward class. The poll shows that the service tenn of a medical doctor and a nurse based on a ward with six beds by ward class showed 1.7 times in internal medicine and 1.9 times in surgery at a private ward; 1.4 times in internal medicine and 1.7 times in surgery at a semi-private room; and 1.2 times both in internal medicine and in surgery at a three-bed ward 3. The resultant findings revealed the most profit per bed and per patient in a private ward. However, an analysis of profit with a standard of unit area by ward class represented a higher profit in both the internal medicine and the surgery semi-private ward than other ward classes. 4. The result of the analysis through simulation based on the data of the prime cost per the ward class proved the optimum scale of the distribution of beds by class as follows: sixteen beds of the internal medicine and twenty three beds of the surgery in the private ward; two hundreds and two of the internal medicine and one hundred and ninety eight of the surgery in the semi-private room; three of both the internal medicine and the surgery each other in the three-bed ward; one hundred and ninety eight of the internal medicine and two hundred and fifty two of the surgery in the ward with six beds. The result of this research exhibits that the income and expenditure of the hospital could be improved by changing parts of wards into private ones(containing the maximum profit per a unit of width) in case the scale of the number of beds is reset with the consideration of the profit per the unit width. In the near future it's strongly expected that the research for the more scientific standard of the allotment of labour cost by ward class and for definition of the optimum scale of the number of beds that actualize the maximum profit with the change of the three elements of the prime cost: cost of materials; labor costs; management expenses.