• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.61-76
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• 2016

Objectives : This study was designed to clarify population-social characteristics that influence the utilization patterns of hospitalized patients in a traditional korean hospital, thereby providing clinical data which would help further improvements of traditional korean medical service in particular the Acupuncture and Moxibustion. Methods : We investigated population-social characteristics and annual utilization patterns of all patients who were hospitalized for more than 24 hours in a Korean Medical Hospital from January 2005 to December 2014. The obtained data were recorded in the EMR chart and statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 21.0. Additionally, data from the patients admitted to the department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion were analyzed separately. Results : 1. All inpatients had a significant annual difference in age, gender, hospitalized department, and disease code annually but not in re-hospitalization number. Inpatients of the department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion also varied in their age, gender, and disease code annually, but not in re-hospitalization number. 2. Pearson correlation analysis on all inpatients showed that the mean days of hospital treatments had a negative correlation with all variables except medical care insurance. Total cost, cost per day per person and recuperation cost had a positive correlation with all variables except medical care insurance. There was no meaningful relationship between nonrecuperation cost and the variables. 3. Stepwise multiple regression analysis on all inpatients showed that the mean days of hospital treatments had a negative correlation with all variables except automobile insurance. The total hospitalization costs had a positive correlation with both general insurance and medical care insurance. Cost per day per person and recuperation cost had a positive correlation with the females. There was no meaningful relationship between non-recuperation cost and the variables. 4. Pearson correlation analysis on inpatients of the department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion inpatients showed that the mean days of hospital treatments had a positive correlation with all variables except general insurance and automobile insurance. Total cost and recuperation cost had a positive correlation with all variables except medical care insurance, and cost per day per person had a positive correlation with females and general insurance. There was no meaningful relationship between non-recuperation cost and the variables. 5. Stepwise multiple regression analysis on inpatients of the department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion inpatients, the mean days of hospital treatments, total cost, cost per day per person and recuperation cost had a positive correlation with general insurance. There was no meaningful relationship between non-recuperation cost and the variables. Conclusion : Population-social characteristics of inpatients annually varies, and the change influences the utilization pattern.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.233-243
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• 2013

Background: This study was conducted to evaluate the individual and community level factors which were influencing the severe injury patients' death and transfer at discharge. Methods: Analysis data is based on Korean National Hospital Discharge In-depth Survey Data released by the Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention from 2006 to 2008. Study subjects was 11,026 inpatients with of severe injury. For multi-level analysis, socio-demographic characteristics, injury related characteristics, hospitalization related characteristics were used as individual level factors, and socio-environmental characteristics and health care resource characteristics were used as community level factors. Results: As to community level factors affecting mortality of severe injury, the possibility of death was also high in cases of less numbers of surgeons per a population of 100,000 and more number of operation beds. As to community level factors affecting transfer of severe injury, vulnerable areas with higher social deprivation index and low population density had higher possibility of transfer. Conclusion: Both individual level factors and community level factors affected clinical outcomes of treatment for severe injury. In particular, since there happened higher death and transfer of severe injury in socioeconomic and medical vulnerable areas, special efforts for establishing preventive policy and care system for injury in national and area level should be directed toward such areas.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.23-36
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• 2012

Objectives : The coverage of Korean National Health Insurance is limited to basic level. Korean government encourages private health insurance for covering medical securities. So, many studies examined the determinants of purchasing private health insurance. However, 11% of Korean population is older than 65 in 2011. Considering the elderly is important to establish a health policy. The aim of this study is to examine factors determining the purchase of private health insurance among middle-aged and elderly Korean adults. Methods : We used the second Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing (KLoSA), selected 8,688 sample of the aged 47 or older for the analysis. KLoSA collected information on demographic characteristics, income, health- related factors. KLoSA data include in the number of outpatient, inpatient, oriental hospital visit, dental clinic visit for two years. Logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between the determinants of purchasing private health insurance and the factors which include age, gender, education, residential district, marital status, smoking, drinking, physical exercise, economic activity status, national health insurance type, income, the number of chronic disease, and the number of outpatient, inpatient, oriental hospital visit, dental clinic visit for two years. Results : People who were older, did not live in a city, had higher IADL, currently drunk alcohol, did exercise regularly and had chronic diseases more than three were inclined not to purchase private health insurance. Females, the married, well-educated, past & currently smokers, the employed, high income earners, national health insurers, metropolitan citizens and someone who got high MMSE were more likely to purchase private health insurance. The more people experienced outpatients, inpatients, dental clinics and Chinese medicine clinics, the more private health insurance was purchased. The elderly people over 75 had more private health insurance than the aged 65-74. The strongest factors for private health insurance is gender, and economic status such as income. Conclusion : In this study, we found healthy-high income people were more likely to purchase private health insurance. In contrast, unhealthy-low income and older people did not. The economic factors were strongly related with private health insurance in aged over 75. These mean inequality exists in the using private health insurance. Therefore, the government should consider vulnerable social group before expanding private health insurance.