• Journal of Korean Academic Society of Home Health Care Nursing
• /
• v.19 no.1
• /
• pp.11-18
• /
• 2012

Purpose: The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficiency of the outpatient clinics in a hospital, using DEA. Methods: Data were collected using an activity-based costing system, medical information system, and annual reports of customer satisfaction management team of a general hospital in a city. The input variables were the number of doctors, the number of nurses, and the number of staffs. The output variables were the number of treatment times, the number of outpatient clinic patients, the total profits from outpatient clinic, the patient's satisfaction score, and the number of re-visit appointments. EMS Window version 3.1 was used to measure the efficiency score and benchmarking analysis. Results: The average efficiency score of 24 outpatient clinics was about 82.01%. Thirteen outpatient clinics had 100% efficiency score among them. The lowest efficiency score was 57.56%. Conclusion: According to these results, we found that, generally, outpatient clinics were operated very efficiently. However, some outpatient clinics had low efficiency and they needed specialized outcome improvement strategies. To increase the efficiency of inefficient outpatient clinics, we will recommend using results of DEA, as a benchmark point of the most efficient outpatient clinics.

• Health Policy and Management
• /
• v.27 no.3
• /
• pp.247-255
• /
• 2017

Background: South Korea has experienced problems with excessive pharmaceutical expenditures. In 2010, the South Korean government introduced an outpatient prescription incentive program to effectively manage pharmaceutical expenditures. Therefore, we examined the relationship between the outpatient prescription incentive program and pharmaceutical expenditures. Methods: We used data from the Korean National Health Insurance claims database, which included medical claims filed for 22,732 clinics from 2011-2014 to evaluate associated pharmaceutical expenditures. We performed multiple regression analysis and Poisson regression analysis using generalized estimating equation models to examine the associations between outpatient prescription incentives and the outcome variables. Results: The data used in this study consisted of 123,392 cases from 22,372 clinics (average 5.4 periods follow-up). Clinics that had received outpatient prescription incentives in the last period had better cost saving and Outpatient Prescribing Costliness Index (OPCI) (received: proportion of cost saving, ${\beta}=6.8179$; p-value < 0.0001; OPCI, ${\beta}=-0.0227$; p-value < 0.0001; reference = non-received). Moreover, these clinics had higher risk in the provision of outpatient prescription incentive (relative risk, 2.772; 95% confidence interval, 2.720 to 2.824). The associations were higher in clinics that had separate prescribing and dispensing programs, or had professional staff. Conclusion: The introduction of an outpatient prescription incentive program for clinics effectively managed problems with rapid increases of pharmaceutical expenditures in South Korea. However, the pharmaceutical expenditures still increased in spite of the positive impact of the outpatient prescription incentive program. Therefore, healthcare professionals and health policy makers should develop more effective alternatives (i.e., for clinics without separate prescribing and dispensing programs) based on our results.

• Journal of the Korean Operations Research and Management Science Society
• /
• v.37 no.4
• /
• pp.139-151
• /
• 2012

This paper introduces an Internet-based generic simulator for outpatient clinics, named PIOS (Postech Internet-based Outpatient Simulator). Unlike other simulation tools, PIOS is operated on the Internet, is straightforward to use for outpatient process analysis, and is open to public via http://logistics.postech.ac.kr/pios with free of charge. Therefore, non-simulation expert users such as hospital administrators and managers can easily access to PIOS and conduct simulation study by themselves. In this paper, we describe the main components and programming logic of PIOS, and demonstrate its validity by comparing the output results of PIOS and a commercial software package.

• Korean Institute of Interior Design Journal
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.113-124
• /
• 2016

This research examines domestic and oversea's barrier-free design guidelines provided exclusively for children and their implementations in the common spaces of the outpatient clinics in two pediatric rehabilitation hospitals in Seoul. Based on literature review, a checklist was developed to compare various barrier-free design guidelines in consideration of children's accessibility in space. In addition, four spatial areas in the outpatient clinics of the two hospitals were investigated based on the checklist. As a result, the domestic and Japanese guidelines were aiming primarily to all user groups regardless of ages. Whereas in other oversea's guidelines, a number of barrier-free design standards exclusive for children were found in the facility items such as handrail, sink, urine, toilet, water fountain, chair, table, shelve, and so on, throughout the indoor waiting and sanitary spaces. Concerning implementations, most of the items in the indoor passage, waiting, and sanitary spaces of the two hospitals were not sufficiently facilitated enough to meet with the barrier-free design standards exclusive for children. As such, it is recommended to review and improve the current domestic barrier-free design guideline to accommodate various physical and spatial needs of children in all age groups and regardless of disability types, in the design of a pediatric rehabilitation hospital in the future.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
• /
• v.16 no.3
• /
• pp.37-48
• /
• 2010

This study analyzes the present condition of the elements of a healing environment of the waiting rooms in outpatient clinics of children' hospitals (3 hospitals in Seoul) so as to propose a design to build a healing environment within the children' hospital. And analyzing the importance, satisfaction and preference of the healing environment in the waiting rooms, this paper has come to the following conclusions: 1)The study shows that the space structure of outpatient clinics in children' hospitals are composed of 1 story or 2 stories and designed in a duplication design or a dispersed alcove design. 2)The waiting room of the SC Hospital, with an area of 66.56$m^2$, and the waiting room of the SU Hospital, with an area of 38.78$m^2$ received the highest score for its space. 3)As most patients visit the hospital with their guardian, the waiting room should also be someplace families can rest and share information with others. 4)It is essential to build an environment that eliminates stress elements that patients may come to face by minimizing noise and elements that obstruct the view for mental stability. 5)The results show that those who took part in the survey preferred the following, respectively, healing environment design for the waiting room in the outpatient clinic at children' hospital: Pleasantness>Easiness in finding one' destination>Artificial materials>Natural materials>Environment like that at home>Co-promotion spaces>Space that supports the patients'activities>Openness>Sociality>Safety/Security>Approachability and Privacy. The results also show that healing conditions respect these preferences.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
• /
• v.13 no.2
• /
• pp.53-60
• /
• 2007

Various changes in medical environments including growing elderly population, chronic diseases, deepening competition among hospitals since opening to foreign medical service, economic strategy for improvement of profit system have caused hospitals to be specialized. In this backgrounds, the purpose of this study is to receive basic data for architectural planning on the spatial organization of outpatient department in general hospital. The results of this study were as follows; First, major changes of outpatient department in general hospital are composed of 'co-work in medical examination and treatment', 'decentralization of diagnosis and treatment(D/T)' and 'patient-oriented medical service'. Changes by co-work system include appearance of medical offices for co-work, activation of specialized clinics, grouping of E/T section for outpatient and various types of specialized centers. Second, the grouping of E/T sections means the modification of E/T system and organization in general hospitals, and a new spatial organization will be needed. Third, the types of specialized centers are getting varied. they are classified into several types including disease-resource, social stratum-resource, human organ-resource, health-resource, rehabilitation-resource, alternative medical center and so on.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
• /
• v.21 no.2
• /
• pp.37-49
• /
• 2016

The purpose of this study is to investigate the level of competition between Public Health Centers (PHCs) and private clinics (PCs) by examining the number of patients that used PHCs vs. PCs, estimating the total amount of revenue generated from outpatient services at both PHCs and PCs, thereby analyzing the financial impacts on PCs derived from the PHCs. We utilized 2011 National Inpatient Sample data (NIS). Using the 20 table containing general information on each individual claims, we integrate it with the 40 table which contains all the diagnostic codes for each claim. Then, we disaggregate the bundled claims into the original individual claims. Overall, 3.1% of outpatient visits are made at PHCs while the rest was made at the PCs (96.9%). Among the total claim costs of 6.34 billion USD (as of 2011), PHCs occupy 2.0% (124 million USD), and 98.0% are contributed to PCs (6.21 billion USD). The estimated economic losses of PCs due to PHCs are summarized as follow; the maximum potential loss is estimated at 198 million USD in total and 7,099 USD per clinic when we include all patient types; the minimum loss is estimated at 71 million USD in total and 2,540 USD per clinic where Medical Aid recipients and the elderly (aged 65 and over) are excluded. Our results confirm the potential economic effect on PCs due to PHCs providing outpatient services. PCs and PHCs are the most important players providing primary care in Korea. Unnecessary competition between PCs and PHCs is not desirable. Health authorities should carefully examine the healthcare services currently provided by PHCs and their impacts on PCs.

• Health Policy and Management
• /
• v.27 no.2
• /
• pp.128-138
• /
• 2017

Background: The purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of differential coinsurance policy on prescription drug coverage of outpatients by types of medical institutions. Methods: In this study, we used a sample cohort database of the National Health Insurance Service and frequency analysis and marginal logistic regression model using generalized estimating equation were used for statistical analysis. Results: The summary on the major research is followed. First, about 16% of patients who used only tertiary or general hospital due to 52 ambulatory care sensitive conditions before policy implementation moved to hospitals and clinics. However, about 57% of them still use tertiary or general hospital. Second, the factors influencing the utilization of hospitals and clinics after the implementation of the policy were gender, age, and income level. As a result, the policy is effective to reduce the medical use of outpatient mental patients in tertiary or general hospital, but the effect is not significant. Conclusion: Therefore, in order to achieve the purpose of the policy for establishing the health care delivery system, it is necessary to adjust the co-payment so as to feel the burden on the co-payment when the outpatient for 52 ambulatory care sensitive conditions is used at the tertiary or general hospital.

• Journal of Korean Academic Society of Home Health Care Nursing
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.32-39
• /
• 2011

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate treatment types and the status of referral to home care services for patients with diabetic foot. Methods: A retrospective survey was conducted by reviewing medical records from January to December in 2008 at a university hospital. The subjects were 76 patients at the age of 20 years or older who were admitted, had home care services, or received outpatient care for diabetic foot. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: Among the total of 9,317 patients diagnosed with diabetes, 5.03% (n=469) had diabetic foot. Admission (81.6%) was the most frequently used treatment type followed by outpatient care only (7.9%) and hemodialysis only (10.5%). Of the 76 admission cases, 44.9% received post-discharge care at outpatient clinics, 20.5% had both outpatient and home care services, and 16.7% were transferred to other hospitals. Readmission rate after discharge was 15.6% for one year. Conclusion: This study suggests referral to home care services should be encouraged to provide effective follow-up care to patients with diabetic foot after discharge from a hospital.

• Korean Journal of Digital Imaging in Medicine
• /
• v.3 no.1
• /
• pp.20-23
• /
• 1997

The purpose of this paper is to describe the transition of a 1,100 beds teritary hospital from 50% softcopy operation to full PACS operation. For the past 2 years, radiologists and clinicians have been using PACS to provide softcopy services to the outpatient clinics and inpatient wards of orthopedics surgery, neurosurgery and neurology as well as emergency room, surgical intensive care unit, medical intensive unit, pediatrics intensive care unit and neonatal intensive care unit. The examinations requested by these departments account for about 50% of hospital's radiological exams. In September 1996, we began the second phase of PACS implementation and installed additional workstations (102) in the remaining wards and clinics, interfaced to PACS additional imaging modalites, and increased the capacity of both the image server (256 Gbytes) and optical juke boxes (3 Tbytes). As of January 1997, we are in the final phase of moving away from conventional film system to full PACS operation.