• Health Policy and Management
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.49-76
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• 1994

Small area variations in health care utilization have long been studied as an important issue related to boto cost containment and quality assurance. This study was conducted to investigate if variations in hospital services across small geographic areas in Korea existed. The claims data of the fiscal year 1992 obtained from the regional health insurance societies were used for the study. Main findings of the research can be summarized as follows : 1. Extremal Quotients(EQ) of hospital expenditure per capita and hospital days per capita varied among diagnosis types. The EQ ranged from 2.05(cataract) to 41.67(pneumonia) in hospital expenditure per capita and from 1.86(cataract) to 45.89(pneumonia) in hospital days per capita. The diagnosis groups which showed high variation were pneumonia, cephalo-pelvic disproportion, gastritis and duodenitis, fracture of rib, and acute bronchitis. Those which showed low variation were acute appendicitis and cataract. 2. The EQ level of admission rate was different in terms of diagnosis types, ranging from 2.57(catarct) to 44.45(pneumonia). The variations were high in medical disorders such as pneumonia, oephalo-pelvic disproportion, gastritis and duodenitis and acute bronchitis, while relatively low in surgical conditions such as acute appendicitis and cataract. 3. As an indicator of service intensity, the EQ of expenditure per admission ranged from 1.67(acute appendicitis) to 31.27(essential hypertension). The diagnoses which had high variation were essential hypertension, gastric ulcer, whereas those which had low variation were cephalopelvic disproportion and acute appendicitis. With regard to hospital days per admission, the EQ ranged from 1.55(acute appendicitis) to 28.13(gastric ulcer) by diagnosis types. The diagnosis groups with showed high variation were gastric ulcer, essential hypertension, and acute bronchitis, whereas those with low variation were cephalo-pelvic disproportion, intervertebral disc disorders, and acute appendicitis. Both the expenditure and hospital days per admission showed lewwer variations than the expenditure per capita, hospital days per capita and admission rate. 4. Comparing patterns of variation in utilization indices, diagnoses such as essential hypertension, gastric ulcer, fracture of rib showed higher variations in expenditure per admission than in admission rates, whereas diagnoses such as pneumonia, cephalo-pelvic disproportion and gastric ulcer showed higher variations in admission rate than expenditure per admission. These findings suggest that wide variations existed in several diagnoses groups across small areas in Korea. Further research should be performed to investigate factors related to small area variations including provider behavior.

• Journal of the Korean BIBLIA Society for library and Information Science
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.117-144
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• 2019

Today, interest in health information has risen overall due to the aging society, increased public interest in the quality of life, and the increased state's interest in reducing medical costs. Accordingly, efforts have been made across the library and information science in terms of academic research, libraries in terms of providing health specialized services, and the state, yet policies and strategies for providing the health related information in an integrated and systematic manner through the libraries have not been proposed with clarity to date. Thus, this study aimed to propose a method to provide the health information in an integrated manner by the libraries through the previous studies, policy studies, and case studies. Consequently, it proposes to build a system to integrate the health information, build an overall database of the health related information, develop and operate a health specialized library program, operate a general support center for the health information service, and build a cooperative network among the related departments and institutions for the health information service. The details proposed by this study is likely to contribute to developing services for improving the health of the citizens of this country.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.20 no.8
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• pp.610-617
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• 2019

The urban-rural complex area in Korea has a distinctive spatial structure where the urban area and rural area coexist. Therefore, in order to cope with the over-depopulation in the rural region of the urban-rural complex area, it is necessary to explore various policies that can prevent the existing residents from leaving, and in fact support them to remain where they currently reside. In this context, this current study analyzed the factors affecting the existing residents' continuous intention to remain by employing the '2017 Chuncheon City Social Survey' as a countermeasure for the over-depopulation of the rural region in the urban-rural complex area. Especially, since a regional identity is determined endogenously, this study used a simultaneous bivariate ordered probit model with giving consideration to the endogenous relationship between a regional identity and a regional residents' intentions. As a result, it was found on analysis that the regional residential intention was higher as the regional identity was stronger. Furthermore, the regional identity was stronger as a householders' age and residence period were longer, and also as the residents were satisfied with their work leisure and life residence balance. It was also found that the residents' intention was higher as the residents' satisfaction with the local medical service and their work was increased. Thus, supporting policy is needed that can provide appropriate quality-of-life services in a timely manner, but only after identifying the demand for these services by the rural residents in the urban-rural complex area.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.110-122
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• 2009

Purpose: Nowadays, A medical institution assesment could get more interest about a quality of medical services from many hospitals that developed the active activities for improving medical services. Also, there is an other additional issue which is the patients risk management. Uijeongbu ST. Mary's hospital Nuclear Medicine department has been changed many work process after PET-CT introduction and renovation of its place since 2008. Therefore, modified structure and the way of existing work process have contained risk factors. The purpose of this study would be the appropriate risk management process while imaging examination process, the removal risk factors and improved activities through the analysis risk factors. Materials and Methods: Nuclear Medicine department new process should analysis through many-sided, Firstly, make and trained risk management manual after then apply an actual work. Result analysis showed the number of risk accident occurrence that comparing the last year and after the improved activities. Secondly, producing risk management public relations film has been showed an applicable patient after then the customer service measurement checked for a hundred patient by questionnaire. Lastly, Risk factors were eliminated through the facilities participation improving activities which could change for the better risk factors. Results: The number of safety accident occurrence(medication error, fall and collision) were checked as zero after the improving activities both PET-CT and gamma camera examination. The results of questionnaire showed as follows; 74% marked as understanding of the test process and 81% checked "satisfaction" after the public relations film showing. The question "Did you consider about the risk factors?", both PET-CT and gamma camera checked as 94% and 89% respectively. Customer risk management could be accomplished effectively through the improving activities at the nuclear medicine department. Conclusions: The study would be an opportunity that spread risk factors were systematically showed and analyzied. Also, It showed the possibility of the minimized safety accident and its feedback, if application of the response manuel that could be a standard of radiology technician's work method to react safety accident. It was the more effective that visual material could be easy to approach as a methodology of risk factors. As far as I have concerned that It could help the safety and convenience through continuous and detailed activities that offer to patients.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.34-41
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• 2021

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to investigate the characteristics of depressive patients who admitted to general hospital. We examined the clinical characteristics of patients who were referred to the Department of Psychiatry as depressive symptoms, according to the type of consultation request, and comparing 'with re-consultation' and 'without re-consultation' groups. Methods : We performed a retrospective chart review of 4,966 inpatients who were referred to the Department of Psychiatry from August 2005 to December 2011. Results : For about 6 years, among the inpatients referred for psychiatric consultation, a total of 647 patients were referred for depressive symptoms, accounting for 13.82% of the total consultations. The average age of depressive patients was 58.6 years, which was higher than the average of 56.4 years of overall patients. Among the depressive patients, 275 patients were included in 'with re-consultation' group and there was no statistically significant difference when comparing 'with re-consultation' group and 'without re-consultation' group. However, there was a difference in the tendency of the two groups in the type of consultation request. 'With re-consultation' group was in the order of frequency of consultation type 3-2-1, whereas the 'without re-consultation' group was in the order of frequency of consultation type 2-3-1. Conclusions : The group of inpatients who were referred for depressive symptoms in general hospital showed the largest proportion of the group of patients referred to the Department of Psychiatry. 'With re-consultation' group had a higher rate of re-consultation due to the occurrence of new symptoms after hospitalization compared to 'without re-consultation' group. Therefore, doctors in each department and psychiatrists should pay attention to the depressive symptoms of inpatients and actively discuss treatment plans to improve the quality of medical services, identify risk factors, and make efforts to intervene early if necessary.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.53-66
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• 2003

Objectives: To investigate the state of medical care around health sub-centers, public health doctors' participation and opinion in the process of district public health programs. Methods: The study included 1,036 public health doctors who worked at health sub-center all over the country. The data were collected for Feb, 2002 using self-administered questionnaire by mail. Results: One or two doctors were working at health sub-center and 33.5% of health sub-centers was located in the region of the separation of prescription and dispensing. There were another medical facilities in 45.9% of the administrative district(eup or myon) where health sub-centers were located. The count of medical utilization went down to 14.8${\pm}$14.8 per a day in Nov, 2001 from 18.0${\pm}$15.6 in May, 2000, and the decline was much more in the region of the separation of prescription and dispensing. Among public health programs in health sub-centers, public health doctors participated mostly in preliminary medical examination for vaccination and least in health education. They participated in implementation rather than planning or evaluation of health program. Over a half of public health doctors were found to be positive that health programs implemented in their health sub-centers would promote the level of health in community people and they were willing to participate in district public health program if community people were in need. Conclusions: Recently health sub-centers are required to turn into health promotion facilities rather than medical practice facilities. Health program in health sub-centers will be advanced in both quality and quantity by turning the role of public health doctors who have provided medical services mainly into managing health program. Persistent education about managing health program and the policy to motivate participation in health program should be provided for public health doctors.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.12
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• pp.7309-7314
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• 2013

Aim: To investigate factors that affect the place of death (POD) of terminal cancer patients. Materials and Methods: We recruited 702 consecutive patients (${\geq}18$ years) from 12 centers during July 2005 to October 2006, and 481 completed the questionnaire. In April 2011, we linked the data for 96.0% (n=462) of the deceased patients to the POD using the 2005-2009 death certificate data of Korea's National Statistical Office. The primary outcome variable was POD, and the predictive value of variables pertaining to patients and caregivers was evaluated using univariate and multivariate analyses. Results: Most patients died in a hospital (91.5%, n=441) and age, education, preference for place of terminal care, wish to use hospice/palliative care services, terminal cancer awareness, time between diagnosis and death, and global quality-of-life subscale of the EORTC QLQ-C30 of patients, and education and preference for place of terminal care of caregivers were significant predictors in univariate analyses. On multivariate analysis, patients and caregivers who preferred hospital/palliative care as the terminal care option over home care [adjusted odds ratio (aOR), 2.68; 95% confidential interval (CI), 1.18-7.04 and aOR: 2.65; 95%CI: 1.15-6.09 for patient and caregiver preferences, respectively] and caregivers who were highly educated (aOR, 3.19; 95%CI, 1.44-7.06) were predictors of POD. Conclusions: Most of the terminal cancer patients died in a hospital. Our findings indicate that major predictors of hospital deaths are preference of both the patient and caregiver for hospital/palliative care as the terminal care option and higher education of the caregiver.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.98-127
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• 2004

The purpose of this study was to provide basic materials needed to enhance quality of organizational life by identifying the improvements of labor union management in the perspective of hospital organization management. The subjects of this study were 510 employees in 1 University Hospital and 3 General Hospitals in Metro Capital including Seoul. Materials were collected from administrators, nurses and medical technicians in target hospitals from April 26 to May 7, 2004 through survey questionnaires. The main results of this study were as follows: First, From the results of multiple regression analysis to identify major influencing factors of labor union commitment level, In University hospitals, males than females, and those who had senior officer posts in labor union showed higher positive correlation with the attitude of their colleagues. In general hospitals, those who had served in Union for shorter period showed higher commitment in union. Second, When looking into the major influencing factors on the level of commitment in labor union according to their jobs, male administrators showed higher positive correlation in the level of commitment in labor union and the relationship with union. Among nurses, those who had lower education level, those who had higher job satisfaction, those who had higher emotional attachment to their job, those who had better relationship with union and better satisfaction in union showed higher commitment level. In medical technicians, those who had higher emotional attachment to their job showed higher commitment level. To summarize study results, the level of commitment in labor union depends on job satisfaction, managers' attitudes, emotional attachment to their jobs, union satisfaction factors, their colleagues attitudes toward union and thee atmosphere of employer-employee relationship. Therefore hospital managers should have democratic and flexible attitudes toward labor union. Additionally, as job satisfaction is important determinant in union commitment, hospital managers should have countermeasures to enhance the job satisfaction level of hospital employees. Moreover, as managerial factors of the principal of hospital influence union commitment directly, the attitudes of hospital managers toward union and transparency of hospital management should be improved.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Prosthodontics
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.292-299
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• 2013

Purpose: There is a growing concern for the cost management of medical institutions. The purpose of this study was to estimate Activity-Based Costing (ABC) for dental implant cost. ABC refers to allocating resources or cost based on the activities of services. Materials and methods: A dental institution located in the metropolitan area was selected in this study. The tax accounting data of the institution were utilized to confirm total cost, and the institution was asked to make out clinical activities to figure out what activities were carried out. The direct cost and indirect cost for dental implant were separately estimated, and cost driver was analyzed to estimate the indirect cost accurately. Results: The rates of the direct and indirect cost respectively stood at 35.8 and 49.5 percent. The cost for a dental implant was found to be approximately 1,579 won, and the cost of prosthetic surgery and treatment that included implant surgery accounted for the largest portion of the cost, which was 470 thousand won (30%). And the weight of training and education on dentistry was relatively higher than that of the other kinds of treatment. Conclusion: In order to ensure accurate and scientific costing for dental implant, not only direct medical procedure but every pre- and post-procedure activity should fully be taken into account. Pre-activities, post-activities, education and training are included in the indirect cost, but all these activities are mandatory and associated with the quality of treatment and the satisfaction level of patients.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.31-48
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• 1993

Nowaday, there have a lot of changes in the demands of the aged persons. Their problems also came to the fore with diverse forms under the influences of industrialization, urbanization and nuclear family. To make the matter worse, the aged population is mounting rapidly. Also, such structure as nuclear family is widely disseminating uncomfortable to the aged. People is mainly being guided by self interest above everything else. Indeed, they had, all together, bad effects on our traditional value system regarding 'respect for the aged and devotion to patients'. It seems unfortunately obvious that the family responsibility is gradually weakening to support the old who is a dependent family. The result is that the aged must have suffered all sorts of hardships in lightenning psychological, physical and economical difficulties. First, to grasp the situations and conditions supporting for single aged persons from each view of psychological, emotional, family-relational, healthy, social and economical standpoints, and second, to analyze their own recognition levels thinking of their health conditions and the relationships between the supporting environments of old family dependants and their psychological healths and then finally, to propose suggestions being able to be helpful for living comfortably in an old age and thereby, building up good family relation. The statistical techniques used to analyze 115 respondents living in Puchun city are frequency, $x^2$ test, t-Jest, ANOVA, Pearson's Correlation Coefficiency and Regression analysis (SPSS package), pertnent to prove the hypothesis suggested in this paper. Of course, it is needless to say that more data are needed on this point. However, several main research findings can be summarized as follows: First, the better single aged persons may be in the habit of eating a meal and the higher they may think of their physical health conditions and movement, the more they want to participate in economic activities to be free from economical dependence upon their children and to overcome lonliness. Second, single aged women appear to have had higher ability to take care their health for themself than single aged men do. It is why signle aged women do not, in general, have big problems to manage their health. But, as shown in this paper, single aged person"s were more liable to the diseases of the aged and, thereby, requiring special medical treatment badly to be healthy. Third. single aged persons revealed potential desires to free themself from socio economic dependence upon their children even in simple labor Job which can draw a monthly salary of about W200, 000. Fourth, they are generally satisfied with their children's filial piety toward them. Nonethless, most of them appear to be reluctantly dependent upon their children and live lonly lives very much. Fifth, they seem to have some hesitation in expressing their candid opinions as that then are some others along with family environmental factors for psychological and emotiona stability. Accordingly, it is safe to conclude by saying that much attention should' be paid no only to socio-economic supports and better medical services for the aged but also to political supports of the society and towards their children for the aged's emotiona support, for improving the quality of their lives in old age and promoting efficiency in suporting for old family dependants.