• Health Policy and Management
• /
• v.31 no.3
• /
• pp.241-243
• /
• 2021

With the increase in vaccinations worldwide, the world is facing the era of coexisting with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The government announced that it will change its focus of public health emergency response system, gradually toward daily recovery from November. Hence, this article reviews an overview of policy tasks to prepare for the era of coexistence with COVID-19. The three key policies that should be considered are as follow: (1) vaccination should be administered promptly to improve the immunity of the target population; (2) the government should advance the medical capability for critically ill patients and reorganize the patient delivery system; and (3) epidemiological surveillance system should be reformed in a direction to raise the social capacity.

• Health Policy and Management
• /
• v.28 no.3
• /
• pp.217-221
• /
• 2018

Korea Institute for Family Planning (KIFP) was established on July 1, 1971 (Law 2270) and Korea Health Development Institute (KHDI) was established on April 19, 1976 (Law 2857). Korea Institute for Population and Health (KIPH) was formed through the merger of KIFP and KHDI (Act 3417) on July 1, 1981. Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs (KIHASA), the former KIPH, was renamed KIHASA on December 30, 1989 (Law 4181) with its additional function of research in social security. It was transferred on January 29, 1999 to the Office of State Affairs Coordination pursuant to the Law on the Establishment, Operation and Promotion of State-Sponsored Organizations (Law 5733). Annually it conducts approximately 50 short- and long-term research projects to accumulate a wide range of research experience. Also it studies and evaluates the primary issues of national health services, health and medical industries, social insurance, social security, family welfare, and population. it conducts joint research projects and active information exchange programs with related domestic and international organizations through seminars and conferences. It executes specific research and development projects according to the government's requests. it educates and trains people domestically and abroad by disseminating a wide-range of information on health and social affairs. it conducts national household surveys on areas of fertility, health and medical care of the disabled, the elderly, and low-income earners. The mid- and long-term research goals of KIHASA should be established and managed systematically. A new organization such as 'Center for Policy Evaluation' is needed to enhance research abilities and experiences. Able research personnels should be recruited and current researchers should try to develop their abilities.

• Health Policy and Management
• /
• v.32 no.2
• /
• pp.237-243
• /
• 2022

Unmet healthcare is an important indicator to measure accessibility of healthcare services. To examine the latest status of unmet healthcare needs in South Korea, four different data which is composed of nationally representative sample of South Korean population were used; the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES, 2007-2020), the Community Health Survey (CHS, 2008-2020), the Korea Health Panel Survey (KHP, 2011-2018), and the Korean Welfare Panel Study (KOWEPS, 2006-2020). The proportion of individuals reporting unmet healthcare needs were 6.4% (KNHANES), 5.4% (CHS), and 12.2% (KHP). Annual percentage change (APC) which identifies trend for the follow-up period was -9.9%, -9.1%, and -5.5%, respectively. The proportion of individuals reporting unmet healthcare needs due to cost were 1.0% (KNHANES), 0.4% (CHS), 2.2% (KHP), and 0.4% (KOWEPS). The APC was -11.3%, -17.0%, -12.2%, and -21.2%, respectively. Overall, the low-income and the elderly population reported a higher rate of unmet health care needs. Although the overall experience rate of unmet medical care due to cost decreased over the past decade, the disparity between the lowest and highest income groups still remained in 2020. Disparity between income levels and age groups is a challenge to address in healthcare system, and these results suggest the need for adequate health coverage for the low-income and the elderly populations.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.210-215
• /
• 2008

Purpose: This study aimed to find the factors affecting medical sequelae management service satisfaction among injured workers. Method: This study population were 200 randomised samples of 619 medical sequelae management beneficiaries from April to June 2007 among occupational accident treatment ending workers in 2006. Data were collected through the telephone survey from November 28 to December 7 in 2007. Data were analyzed by ${\chi}^2$ test and multiple logistic regression using SAS 9.1 version. Results: According to the finding of this study, positive perceptions for the purpose and the effect of medical sequelae management were the factors influencing the satisfaction of medical sequelae management service. Conclusions: We recommend key issues to take into account for enhancing medical sequelae management service satisfaction in workers' compensation as follows; explaining the purpose and effect of medical sequelae management to client, evaluating medical sequelae management effect, and the policy participation of medical profession.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
• /
• v.16 no.1
• /
• pp.11-18
• /
• 2016

Objectives: The purpose of the study was to compare the oral health related characteristics between a long-term patients and general population. Methods: A direct interview questionnaire was completed by 160 patients and 165 general people from January 16 to April 31, 2014. The questionnaire consisted of general characteristics of the subjects, subjective health status, oral health behaviors, and needs of oral health. The data were analyzed using SPSS 18.0 program. Results: The long-term patients reported that most of them were denture wearers(38.1%), and had oral disease symptoms(62.5%) and xerostomia(65.6%). Most of the long-term patients were ex-smoker(31.3%) and did not receive regular dental check-up(92.5%). They did not know tooth brushing method(31.3%) and brushed their teeth less than twice a day(47.5%). Those who used tooth brush for more than 6 months accounted for 47.5%. Most of them did not use auxiliary oral hygiene devices(85.6%). The patients answered that oral health is not important(6.9%), oral health education is not necessary(7.5%), and oral cleaning(26.3%) should be included in oral health education. Conclusions: The self-reported oral health status of the long-term patients much more serious than the general population. It is necessary to educate the continuing oral health management program for the long-term patients.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
• /
• v.16 no.1
• /
• pp.13-22
• /
• 2005

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to compare health promotion behavior and influencing factors between aged women of rural areas and urban areas, to investigate factors affecting their behavior, and to provide the primary data for developing heath enhancing program that is appropriate for the population. Method: A survey was conducted on 221 aged women 100 from urban areas and 121 from rural area. The data were collected through a questionnaire and interview. Descriptive statistics, ANOVA and multiple stepwise regression were found by using SPSS PC Win. Package. Result: There were significant difference of factors relating health promotion behavior in Pender model between the aged women in urban areas and rural areas, urban women showed higher scores in factors such as previous heath relating behavior, perceived confidence, self-efficacy, social support, satisfaction with marriage, situational influence, and behavioral plan involvement, while rural women showed higher scores in the factors of fixed idea regarding gender role, perceived disabled feeling, and activity related emotions. At the subscale of HPLP, interpersonal relation, nutrition, health responsibility, stress management, spiritual growth of rural group was lower than urban group. With the multiple stepwise regression analysis, commitment to a plan of action, social support, activity related affect, self efficacy were proved to be significant to urban group, while commitment to a plan of action. activity related affect, social support, sex-role stereotype were proved to be significant to rural group statistically. Conclusion: There were differences of health promotion behavior and influencing factors between aged women in urban areas and rural areas and women in rural areas were found to have more weakness than women in urban areas. With the results, it is concluded that health promotion programs for aged woman should be designed differently between urban and rural area regarding the factors affecting health promotion behaviors.

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
• /
• v.1 no.2
• /
• pp.50-65
• /
• 1988

This study was conducted in order to grasp the condition of about the school nurse's service and to offer the basic materials of improving the school health service. The objects were comprised of 98 volunteered school nurses who take service in the elementary school. The material of this study was the questionaire suited to the purpose of this research which has been made through studying references and this questionaire has been corrected and revised three times. All the questionaire written by school-nurses. The results are as follows; 1. General features of the objects of study Average age was 35.9 and average career was 9.2 years. Except working as school-nurse, the past career was that average clinical-field was 3.4 years and health service was 4 months. Their educational level was as high as 72.4% of the objects were graduated from above 3 years college and 89.8% were married. 76.5% have religions and 94.8% were working at with national and public schools. 99.0% were doing only nursing service. 2. The conditions of the school health resources. The ratio of school-nurse to students was one to 2630. School-nurse to classes, one to 49.3, and school-nurse to teachers, one to 54. For total amount of a year budget of school health, from three hundred thousands to fifty nine hundred thousands won was most common. Expenses for purchasing medicine were used most. 58.2% of school-nurses hasn't known a year budget. There was an organization for school health in 74.2% of schools. 42.9% of nursing rooms were in the center of school and 88.8% were on first floor. Nursing room were used alone without being used by another purpose and the room size of 71.6% was below 10 pyong. 3. The conditions of school health service Average users of nursing room were 413 a month. The most of them had digestive trouble. Sending letters to home was 15.9 times a year. The most contents of letters was about health education. Object spent much time managing nursing room. 4. The degree of school health service When 2 points was given to "perform" and 1 point was to "not perform" the total average was 1.75, health education 1.89, environmental management 1.86, plan of project and evaluation 1.83, management of nursing room 1.82, health management 1.78, run of school health organization 1.32. 5. Correlation between the school health services and variables (1) The part of project plan and evaluation of school health service has relationship to existence or none-existence of school health organization (P<0.01), past health service career (P<0.05), number of classes (P<0.01), number of students (P<0.01), sending letters to home about health education (P<0.01) and number of users (P<0.05). (2) The part of nursing room management has relationship to ages (P<0.05) past clinical career (P<0.05), number of classes (P<0.05), number of students (P<0.05) and sending letters to home about health education (P<0.01). (3) The part of health education has relationship to existence or none-existence of school health organization (P<0.05), past clinical career (P<0.05), the ratio of health management to school nurse's all work (P<0.05) and the ratio of health education to school nurse's all work (P<0.01). (4) The part of environmental management to ages (P<0.01), career as a school-nurse (P<0.01), salary step(P<0.01), sending letters to home about health education (P<0.01), sending all letters to home (P<0.001), the ratio of health management to school nurse's all work (P<0.05), the ratio of health education to school nurse's all work (P<0.05) and area of school-nurse's room to be used. (5) The part of school health organization management to number of classes (P<0.05). (6) The part of health management to number of classes (P<0.05), sending letters to home about health education (P<0.001), sending all of letters to home (P<0.01) and the ratio of health management to school nurse's all work (P<0.05). (7) The part of school health service to ages (P<0.05), past clinical career (P<0.05), past health career (P<0.01), number of classes (P<0.05), number of student (P<0.05), sending letters to home about health education (P<0.05), sending all letters to home (P<0.05), the ratio of health management to school nurse's all work (P<0.05), the ratio of health education to school nurse's all work (P<0.01) and area of school - nurse's room to be used (P<0.05). ## Suggestion for further studies are as follows. 1. School-nurse should exert herself to advance a quality to take care of school population's health. 2. It is necessary that systematic support required to keep school population's health. 3. Home, school and community should make efforts cooperatively and the proper roles of students, teachers, health team members and parents must be achieved.

• Health Policy and Management
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.315-323
• /
• 2017

Background: This study was purposed to analyze the effect of spatial accessibility to the psychiatry department in general hospital on the outpatient visit of mental patients. Methods: Data was provided from the Statistics Korea and Statistical Geographic Information Service, National Health Insurance Service, Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, and Korea Transport Institute in 2015. The study regions were 103 administrative regions such as Si and Gu. The 103 regions had at least one general hospitals with a psychiatry department. The number of outpatient visit of mental patients in regions was used as the dependent variable. Spatial accessibility to mental general hospital was used as the independent variable. Control variables included such as demographic, economic, and health medical factors. This study used network analysis and multi-variate regression analysis. Network analysis by ArcGIS ver. 10.0 (ESRI, Redlands, CA, USA) was used to evaluate the average travel time and travel distance in Korea. Multi-variate regression analysis was conducted by SAS ver. 9.4 (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA). Results: Travel distance and time had significant effects on the number of outpatient visits in mental patients in general hospital. Average travel time and travel distance had negative effects on the number of visits. Variables such as (number of total population, percentage of aged population over 65, and number of mental general hospital) had significant effects on the number of visit in mental patients. Conclusion: Health policy makers will need to consider the spatial accessibility to the mental healthcare organization in conducting regional health planning.

• Health Policy and Management
• /
• v.33 no.1
• /
• pp.107-113
• /
• 2023

Unmet healthcare is an important indicator for measuring accessibility of healthcare services. We analyzed the following four data from a nationally representative sample of South Korean population: Korea Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES, 2007-2021), Community Health Survey (CHS, 2008-2021), Korea Health Panel Survey (KHP, 2011-2019), and Korean Welfare Panel Study (KOWEPS, 2006-2021). The proportion of individuals reporting unmet healthcare needs were 6.0% (KNHANES), 5.1% (CHS), and 13.1% (KHP). Annual percentage change (APC) which identifies trend for the follow-up period was -9.4%, -9.4%, and -5.3%, respectively. The proportion of individuals reporting unmet healthcare needs due to cost were 1.2% (KNAHANES), 0.5% (CHS), 2.7% (KHP), and 0.4% (KOWEPS). The APC was -10.4%, -16.1%, -11.5%, and -19.1%, respectively. Compared to the previous year, the rate of unmet healthcare needs decreased slightly, but the rate of unmet health care needs due to cost tended to increase. Overall, higher rates of unmet healthcare needs were reported in the low-income and the elderly population. Although it was confirmed through the APC that the rate of unmet healthcare experience has decreased over the past decade, it can be seen that there is still a disparity by income level and age. These results suggest the need for an appropriate health benefit coverage policy for the low-income and the elderly.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.45 no.5
• /
• pp.277-282
• /
• 2012

Field epidemiology involves the implementation of quick and targeted public health interventions with the aid of epidemiological methods. In this article, we share our practical experiences in outbreak management and in safeguarding the population against novel diseases. Given that cities represent the financial nexuses of the global economy, global health security necessitates the safeguard of cities against epidemic diseases. Singapore's public health landscape has undergone a systemic and irreversible shift with global connectivity, rapid urbanization, ecological change, increased affluence, as well as shifting demographic patterns over the past two decades. Concomitantly, the threat of epidemics, ranging from severe acute respiratory syndrome and influenza A (H1N1) to the resurgence of vector-borne diseases as well as the rise of modern lifestyle-related outbreaks, have worsened difficulties in safeguarding public health amidst much elusiveness and unpredictability. One critical factor that has helped the country overcome these innate and man-made public health vulnerabilities is the development of a resilient field epidemiology service, which includes our enhancement of surveillance and response capacities for outbreak management, and investment in public health leadership. We offer herein the Singapore story as a case study in meeting the challenges of disease control in our modern built environment.