• The Korean Journal of Applied Statistics
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.391-401
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• 2017

This study develops an indicator to manage regional variations of approval rates for long-term care (LTC) service. We used LTC insurance data for grade assessment that include 433,155 applicants from 227 LTC centers across Korea in 2015. The approval rate for each center was defined as the proportion of the numbers of approved applicants out of all applicants. We assumed that the approval rates depended on the characteristics of applicants. We estimated the 'standard' approval rates from a multiple linear regression analysis using the characteristics of applicants as independent variables. The difference between the observed and the standard rates was then defined as an indicator for deviation. A center having a large difference could be considered as a center with a potential error in grade assessment. We also examined if the characteristics of investigators affected the approval rates. We found that the socio-demographic characteristics of applicants and reapplication rate for LTC grade were independent factors affecting the approval rates. Centers having the management indicator values falling outside the middle 95% of the distribution were identified as centers with an error in grading. We expect that this study will contribute to enhancing reliability and equity in LTC grading.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.277-286
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• 2010

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to provide descriptive data about the characteristics of pediatric patients and nursing interventions in Regional Emergency Medical Centers (REMC). Methods: A retrospective design was used to examine the medical records of 4,310 children. The clinical data and nursing terminologies of REMC were analyzed using the Nursing Intervention Classification (NIC). Results: Male toddlers dominated the sample. The mean age of the children was 3.51 yr. In more than half of the visits, patients arrived between from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., on a weekday. There were only 189 ambulance transports to REMC, (4.4% of visits). The most frequent injuries were due to falls (28.0%) and contusions (27.3%), but the most common reasons for visits were non-injury (73.4%): fever, cough/shortness of breath, seizures, and abdominal pain. Of the 4,310 visits, 27.8% spent 6-24 hours in the REMC, while 33% resulted in hospital admission and 2.1% in transfer to another hospital. Of the 17,929 nursing interventions, 17,909 elements (99.9%) were classified under NIC. All the listed NIC interventions, however, were not reflected in the level of practice demonstrated by REMC nurses. Conclusion: These results can enhance the understanding of pediatric emergency nursing interventions and can make NIC more applicable.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2005

This paper is described on the development of KOTRON-13 and recent status of PET cyclotron by commercial cyclotron companies. KIRAMS has developed medical cyclotron which is KIRAMS-13. Samyoung Unitech produces KOTRON-13 with transfered technology by KIRAMS. As a part of Regional Cyclotron Installation Protect, KOTRON-13 cyclotrons and $[18F]FDG$ production modules are being installed at regional cyclotron centers in Korea. The medical concern with radiation technology has been growing for the last several years. Early cancer diagnosis through the cyclotron and PET-CT have been brought to public attention by commercial cyclotron models in the world. The new commercial cyclotron models are introduced compact low energy cyclotrons developed by CTI, GE, Sumitomo in recent. It produces different short-lived radioisotopes, such as $[^{18}F],\;[^{11}C],\;[^{13}N]\;and\;[^{15}O]$. For the better reliability acceleration particle is proton only. The characteristics of new model cyclotrons are changed to lower energy corresponding to less 13 MeV. New models have self-shielding and low power consumption. Design criteria for the different types of commercial cyclotrons are described with reference to hospital demands.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.237-248
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• 2013

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to examine and explain the extent of income-related inequity in health care utilization and expenditures to compare the extent in 2005 and 2010 in Korea. Methods: We employed the concentration indices and the horizontal inequity index proposed by Wagstaff and van Doorslaer based on one- and two-part models. This study was conducted using data from the 2005 and 2010 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. We examined health care utilization and expenditures for different types of health care providers, including health centers, physician clinics, hospitals, general hospitals, dental care, and licensed traditional medical practitioners. Results: The results show the equitable distribution of overall health care utilization with pro-poor tendencies and modest pro-rich inequity in the amount of medical expenditures in 2010. For the decomposition analysis, non-need variables such as income, education, private insurance, and occupational status have contributed considerably to pro-rich inequality in health care over the period between 2005 and 2010. Conclusions: We found that health care utilization in Korea in 2010 was fairly equitable, but the poor still have some barriers to accessing primary care and continuing to receive medical care.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.74-84
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• 2018

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to compare the perceptions of the rural healthcare service improvement project' performance and reorganization of public health centers between project staffs and local residents. Methods: Data collection from this study was performed in 141 project areas using structured questionnaires. Data analysis was used in SPSS 22.0 version. Results: The public health center staffs were more positive about the items for improving health facilities than the local residents. Residents in the Si area generally perceived performance as more positive than residents in the Gun area, while public health center staffs in the Gun area perceived performance as more positive than public health center staffs in the Si area. Local residents expressed negative opinions about the reduction in the number of branches of public health clinics and health medical clinics. Conclusions: In conclusion, careful improvement projects for rural health care and the establishment of health care systems will be necessary, reflecting the opinions of local residents, along with a variety of regional characteristics.

• Journal of Home Health Care Nursing
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.40-49
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• 2022

Purpose: This study aimed to analyze the effects of fatigue, resilience, and self-leadership on nursing service quality of local medical center nurses who nursed COVID-19 patients. Methods: The participants were 135 nurses who worked at regional public hospitals located in H-gun, G, and C-city in province C. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), Pearson's correlation coefficients, and stepwise multiple regression using IBM SPSS Statistics version 25. Results: The participants' nursing service quality showed significant positive correlation with resilience (r=.53, p<.001), and self-leadership (r=.60, p<.001). The factors affecting participants' nursing service quality were commitment to self-leadership (β=.57, p<.001) and work position (chief nursing officer) (β=.26, p<.001), which explained 42% of the participants' nursing service quality. Conclusion: During a crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic, it is necessary to help nurses enhance their self-leadership skills and build their career continuously by developing relevant policies, systems, and nursing intervention programs. Future studies could expand the knowledge base by including more participants to explore other ways to improve nursing service quality during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.212-217
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• 2021

Various medical scenarios have arisen with the prolonged coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In particular, the increasing number of asymptomatic COVID-19 patients has prompted reports of emergency surgical experiences with these patients at regional trauma centers. In this report, we describe an example. A 25-year-old male was admitted to the emergency room after a traffic accident. The patient presented with stuporous mentality, and his vital signs were in the normal range. Lacerations were observed in the left eyebrow area and preauricular area, with hemotympanum in the right ear. Brain computed tomography showed a contusional hemorrhage in the right frontal area and an epidural hematoma in the right temporal area with a compound, comminuted fracture and depressed skull bone. Surgical treatment was planned, and the patient was intubated to prepare for surgery. A blood transfusion was prepared, and a central venous catheter was secured. The initial COVID-19 test administered upon presentation to the emergency room had a positive result, and a confirmatory polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test was administered. The PCR test confirmed a positive result. Emergency surgical treatment was performed because the patient's consciousness gradually deteriorated. The risk of infection was high due to the open and unclean wounds in the skull and brain. We prepared and divided the COVID-19 surgical team, including the patient's transportation team, anesthesia team, and surgical preparation team, for successful surgery without any transmission or morbidity. The patient recovered consciousness after the operation, received close monitoring, and did not show any deterioration due to COVID-19.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.7-17
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• 2024

Purpose: This study is to present basic data and standards for calculating the space composition and area required when planning a neonatal intensive care unit. Methods: Review domestic and foreign facility standards and regulations related to the current neonatal intensive care unit, select a regional neonatal intensive care center designated by the Ministry of Health and Welfare as a case hospital, and organize a space program for the construction plan of the neonatal intensive care unit through analysis of characteristics such as facility size and function composition. Results and Implications: The size, facility area, and detailed room composition characteristics of the neonatal intensive care unit in Korea were confirmed, and essential rooms and appropriate areas were derived when planning the construction of the neonatal intensive care unit. Korea's legal facility standards related to neonatal intensive care units are lower than the actual hospital status and overseas standards, and the facility standards of the medical law need to be improved.

• Journal of the Korean Data and Information Science Society
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.111-121
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• 2015

Until now, the operation of community welfare centers for people with disabilities has brought a positive or a generous awareness. Nevertheless, in order to obtain a wide range of welfare outcomes efficiently, the imperative step in rehabilitation researches is to determine whether reasonable and scientific services are being provided to people with disabilities in rehabilitation centers. The purpose of this study was to analyze efficiency and productivity of 176 community welfare centers for people with disabilities. As a result, average technical efficiency for community welfare centers for people with disabilities was 0.4488; pure technical efficiency and scale efficiency was 0.6040 and 0.7080, respectively. The major conclusions of this study were as follows. First, applying the technical efficiency analysis, DMU2, DMU3, DMU8, DMU9, DMU11, DMU13, DMU14 were shown above average. It seems to have a regard for political elements in accordance with the regional social and economic differences. Second, as a result of scale efficiency analysis, the inefficient community welfare centers for people with disabilities such as DMU1, DMU5, DMU12, DMU16 are required to improve the number of employees, revenue, facility area. Finally, this study is expected to be an effectiveness analysis and performance evaluation for the rehabilitation services.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.224-230
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• 2023

Purpose: Patients with penetrating injuries are at a high risk of mortality, and many of them require emergency surgery. Proper triage and transfer of the patient to the emergency department (ED), where immediate definitive treatment is available, is key to improving survival. This study aimed to evaluate the epidemiology and outcomes of patients with penetrating torso injuries in Incheon Metropolitan City. Methods: Data from trauma patients between 2014 and 2018 (5 years) were extracted from the National Emergency Department Information System. In this study, patients with penetrating injuries to the torso (chest and abdomen) were selected, while those with superficial injuries were excluded. Results: Of 66,285 patients with penetrating trauma, 752 with injuries to the torso were enrolled in this study. In the study population, 345 patients (45.9%) were admitted to the ward or intensive care unit (ICU), 20 (2.7%) were transferred to other hospitals, and 10 (1.3%) died in the ED. Among the admitted patients, 173 (50.1%) underwent nonoperative management and 172 (49.9%) underwent operative management. There were no deaths in the nonoperative management group, but 10 patients (5.8%) died after operative management. The transferred patients showed a significantly longer time from injury to ED arrival, percentage of ICU admissions, and mortality. There were also significant differences in the percentage of operative management, ICU admissions, ED stay time, and mortality between hospitals. Conclusions: Proper triage guidelines need to be implemented so that patients with torso penetrating trauma in Incheon can be transferred directly to the regional trauma center for definitive treatment.