• Health Policy and Management
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.135-147
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• 2016

Background: The voluntary diagnosis-related groups (DRG)-based payment system was introduced in 2002 and the government mandated participation in the DRG for all hospitals from July 2013. The main purpose of this study is to examine the independent effect of mandatory participation in DRG on various outcomes of patients. Methods: This study collected 1,809,948 inpatient DRG data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment database which contains medical information for all patients for the period 2007 to 2014 and examined patient outcomes such as length of stay (LOS), total medical cost, spillover, and readmission rate according to hospital size. Results: LOS of patients decreased after DRGs (large hospitals: adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.87; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.78-0.97; small hospitals: aOR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.91-0.92). The total medical cost of patients increased after DRGs (large hospitals: aOR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.14-1.30; small hospitals: aOR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.21-1.23). The results reveals that spillover of patients increased after DRGs (large hospitals: aOR, 1.27; 95% CI, 0.70-2.33; small hospitals: aOR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.16-1.20). Finally, we found that readmission rates of patients decreased significantly after DRGs (large hospitals: aOR, 0.28; 95% CI, 0.26-0.29; small hospitals: aOR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.56-0.63). Conclusion: The DRG payment system compared to fee-for-service payment in South Korea may be an alternative medical price policy which can reduce the LOS. However, government need to monitor inappropriate changes such as spillover increase. Since this study also is the results based on relatively simple surgery, insurer needs to compare or review bundled payment like new DRG for expansion of various inpatient-related diseases including internal medicine.

• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.23-35
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• 2008

Improved nutritional intake contributes to maintaining health and quality of life in elderly population and also reducing individual and social medical costs. Most of nutrition assistance programs for elderly, such as congregate or home-delivered meal programs, are not currently serviced in rural communities mainly due to low cost efficiency of program operation. However, the needs and necessity of such programs are presumed to be higher in rural area where the population density of elderly at nutritional risk is relatively high. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop a community-based meal program for the rural elderly. In 2007, four rural communities located in Jeon-Nam province were selected and the pilot meal program was applied for three months. Following are key features of the meal program model developed in this study: 1) meal production and service are operated by elderly participants to overcome the voluntary personnel shortage 2) utilization of locally-produced foods is maximized to reduce the meal cost, 3) traditional cooking methods are applied to adjust the food preference of elderly, and 4) foods are serviced on site to minimize the food safety problem possibly caused by delivery process. The pilot programs resulted in high satisfaction with the programs of participating elderly. The community-based meal program model developed in this study is expected to be used as an effective nutrition and health intervention model for the rural elderly.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.162-167
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• 2008

Objectives: The aim of this study was to identify characteristics of children and adolescents who were victims of sexual assault in Korea. Methods: The subjects were 60 children and adolescents who visited the one-stop center as victims of sexual assault. The medical records of victims of sexual trauma were retrospectively reviewed. We studied the demographic data of the victims, their relationship to their perpetrator, the characteristics of the assault (frequency, duration, place, type), and the process from sexual assault to treatment. We also paid special attention to how the characteristics of the victims or perpetrators affected the characteristics of the assault or follow-up treatment. Results: There were several differences between sexual assaults committed by strangers and those committed by acquaintances. Sexual assaults committed by acquaintances lasted for a longer period of time than those committed by strangers. In addition, it took more time for victims of sexual assaults committed by acquaintances to seek treatment than those who were victims of sexual assaults committed by strangers. The majority (55.0%) of victims were between 10 and 15 years of age. Forty percent of the perpetrators were teenagers, and two of them were under the age of 10. Voluntary discontinuation of treatment was more frequent in adolescents than in children. Conclusion: All teenage victims of sexual assault need some sort of urgent intervention. In addition, approachable methods are needed in order to prevent sexual abuse by strangers or acquaintances.

• Journal of Korean Library and Information Science Society
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.149-169
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• 2020

This study focused on library services for patients and carers and conducted an awareness survey on the current status of library services for patients and carers in hospitals in Korea and on future library services for patients and carers. Through this, the ways to activate library services for patients and carers in the hospital were sought. Based on the results of the study, the research team proposes the following measures: First, the legislation for the mandatory establishment of libraries in hospitals and standards for the size, book collection, and manpower of libraries in hospitals should be enacted. Second, cooperation between the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the Ministry of Health and Welfare is essential to lay the foundation for the mandatory and voluntary establishment of hospital libraries at the national level in the future. Third, the operation of regional representative libraries, public libraries, and other institutions should be considered.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.5-15
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• 2010

Business corporations have become specialized and on the basis of various interests try to strengthen their competitiveness through a cooperative system of purchase, distribution, service and IT technology. And an advanced Internet-based electronic commerce has witnessed explosive growth and a business-to-business (B2B) electronic commerce. Through E-marketplace. business corporations achieve such diverse utilities as expenditure curtailment, process reduction and prime cost reduction. And with business depression worldwide and soaring prices of materials, many business corporations consider the introduction of comprehensive purchase of MRO (maintenance, repair and operation) materials. The Purpose of this study was to examine the definition of B2B E-marketplace and the utilities of MRO commerce correctly focusing on an empirical analysis of cases of MRO supply and purchase business corporations. The indications acquired from this research results are as follows. Firstly, as for MRO integrated purchase under the characteristics of the market environment, it had to use the supplier obligatorily through the integrated purchase on the level of CEO's decision-making or the group rather than the voluntary will of the purchasing department or the procurement department. Secondly, as for the present B2B E-marketplace MRO purchase, the purchasing agency business has formed the mainstream, but it is aiming at the diversification of the benefit by supplementing/correcting the business model such as category type, mediation business type, MRO-type advancing in the store inclusive of the purchasing agency business, keeping pace with the potential market of MRO. Thirdly, as for analysis of the products, the purchaser wants more various products and assortment of goods than those of the present time, and also to be provided with the precise product information. Especially, as the importance of the product sourcing becomes high, the whole energy has been bestowed on acquirement of the excellent suppliers. Fourth, as for use of B2B E-marketplace MRO integrated purchasing system, there are the purchasing companies complaining the inconvenience even until now, and there is the demerit spending the long time during the image move and the process treatment. It shall try to shorten the searching time and the process treatment time as the system is centered on the purchaser. In order to enhance the efficiency of MRO E-marketplace purchase, followings must be considered: First, because the importance of product sources ever increases, an excellent supplier must be secured earnestly. Second, the time of process must be reduced focusing on purchasers. B2B E-marketplace will increase and diversify electronic commerce continuously. Through MRO E-marketplace, business corporations will reduce expenditure, achieve a transparent and speedy trade, and purchase products of fine quality, thus establishing a most effective market. In addition, in this study the investigator brings focus into MRO which has not been clearly discussed in the academic and business world so far and intensively highlights an indirect material-oriented expenditure curtailment effect. By taking all the aspects of supplier, purchaser and practical economical value into account, the investigator presents a strategic direction for the successful comprehensive purchase of B2B MRO.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.12 no.12
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• pp.405-415
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• 2014

The purpose of this study is to investigate the knowledge and recognition about blood donation and satisfaction, look for ways to promote the idea that effective, was trying to get the plan to provide the basis for the expanding population of voluntary and continuous blood donation. A survey was from May 9, 2012 to May 24, 2012 and total 636 copies were used as final study data. The data collected analyzed with SPSS win 21.0 using descriptive methods, frequency analysis, chi-square test, t-test, ANOVA. The results were as follows. First, the rates of the blood donors were higher in the men, in the age group from 20 to 29, in the students and in the group that received college or higher education. Second, as for the knowledge and recognition of the blood donors on blood donation, many replied they didn't know well about it. Concerning satisfaction level, they gave higher marks to satisfaction with related service than with blood donation itself. Third, the necessity of sustained blood donation promotion and education was pointed out. TV was most preferred, followed by ads on the street and ads on the subway. To expedite an increase in the blood-doner population, prolonged education and promotion are required to change the way that people in general look at blood donation, and a variety of rewards should be provided for blood donors.

• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.237-264
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• 2017

With the onset of the Human Genome Project, social concerns about 'genetic information discrimination' have been raised, but the problem has not yet been highlighted in Korea. However, non-medical institutions' genetic testing which is related to disease prevention could be partially allowed under the revised "Bioethics and Safety Act" from June 30, 2016. In the case of one domestic insurance company, DTC genetic testing was provided for the new customer of cancer insurance as a complimentary service, which made the social changes related to the recognition of the genetic testing. At a time when precision medicine is becoming a new standard for medical care, discipline on genetic information discrimination has become a problem that can not be delayed anymore. Article 46 and 67 of the Bioethics Act stipulate the prohibition of discrimination on grounds of genetic information and penalties for its violation. However, these broad principles alone can not solve the problems in specific genetic information utilization areas such as insurance and employment. The United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Germany have different regulations that prohibit genetic information based discrimination. In the United States, Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act takes a form that adds to the existing law about the prohibition of genetic information discrimination. In addition, the range of genetic information includes the results of genetic tests of individuals and their families, including "family history". Canada has recently enacted legislation in 2017, expanding coverage to general transactions of goods or services in addition to insurance and employment. The United Kingdom deals only with 'predictive genetic testing results of individuals'. In the case of insurance, the UK government and Association of British Insurers (ABI) agree to abide by a policy framework ('Concordat') for cooperation that provides that insurers' use of genetic information is transparent, fair and subject to regular reviews; and remain committed to the voluntary Moratorium on insurers' use of predictive genetic test results until 1 November 2019, and a review of the Concordat in 2016. In the case of employment, The ICO's 'Employment Practices Code (2011)' is used as a guideline. In Germany, Human Genetic Examination Act(Gesetz ${\ddot{u}}ber$ genetische Untersuchungen bei Menschen) stipulates a principle ban on the demand for genetic testing and the submission of results in employment and insurance. The evaluation of the effectiveness of regulatory framework, as well as the form and scope of the discipline is different from country to country. In light of this, it would be desirable for the issue of genetic information discrimination in Korea to be addressed based on the review of related regulations, the participation of experts, and the cooperation of stakeholders.