• Health Policy and Management
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.138-156
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• 2010

Objective : The purpose of this study is 1) to understand the information-searching behavior of health care consumers ; 2) to examine the relationship between the information-searching behavior of health-care consumers and regulatory variables such as socioeconomic factors, characteristics of medical utilization, and perceived risks ; and 3) to determine the factors that affect consumer satisfaction, especially with respect to information-searching behavior. Method : The data for this study were collected from 838 respondents in five university hospital located in three areas?Seoul, Gyeonggi province, and Chungchong province. As the first step of the study, we conducted a preliminary survey from September 23?26, 2008. At the second step, we conducted a survey on the effect of information-searching behavior on those individuals who had visited. Furthermore, personal interviews were conducted through a face-to-face survey between September 30 and October 17, 2008. Results : The major research findings that were obtained from the study were as follows : First, the age, educational level, and residential district were associated with information source utilization. Second, the level of information searching effort and quality of service had a significant effect on consumer satisfaction. Conclusion : These results show that it is essential for marketers to have in-depth knowledge about the young and educated people who actively search for information and about those who are in the prime of their life and rely on word-of-mouth communication from personal and experi in-al informers. Therefore, marketers should develop different marketing strategies to meet the needs of such consumers.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.177-192
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• 2011

The arguments exist that private health insurance(PHI) policy holders tend to use the health care services more than non-policy holders due to their little out-of-pocket spending, resulting in the adverse effects on the finances of National Health Insurance. This study aims to increase the objective understanding of the issue and to draw a direction of further research, by reviewing the articles, reports and statistics which examined the effects of purchasing PHI policies on health care utilization. Significant differences in healthcare utilization, except for the very partial increase of utilization in outpatient settings, have been not found. The similar trends of the results have existed in a few previous studies which tried to control the endogeneity of medical use and health insurance with latent variables which affect the decision on medical use and health insurance. However, we can not exclude the potential change of healthcare utilization patterns because the portion of the insured of indemnity PHI is becoming rapidly larger in the market. For further research, we should try to obtain the objective information of subjects' past medical history, health status, health related behavior, and income affecting purchase of PHI and utilization of healthcare services. And the efforts of controlling the endogeneity of medical use and health insurance with latent variables which affect the decision on medical use and health insurance, are very considerable.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.19-36
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• 2010

Fee for long-term care insurance in Korea are determined in proportion to resources utilized according to severity rather than based on categorization of beneficiaries in consideration of the characteristics of resource utilization. This adoption is based on the assumption that as beneficiaries of long-term care insurance, characteristically, demands social services rather than needs medical treatments, the characteristics of beneficiaries and the quality of utilized resources are comparatively homogenous. Therefore, the proposition is that the size of resource consumed by beneficiaries in the same grade is identical. However, even in the same grade, the level of utilized resources is different depending on the characteristic of beneficiaries. In this regard, this study is to examine whether there are differences in the volumes of utilized resources depending on the characteristics of beneficiaries even in the same grade. We analyzed time study data for 2003, 2005, 2006 which conducted by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs. To look at differences in the volumes of utilized resources, we identified characteristics of beneficiaries that influence utilized resource volumes and categorized services provided by facilities into the rehabilitation treatment category, the problematic behavior category, and the physical malfunction category. Then, we examined each service in consideration of service difficulty levels and wage weights. The result of examination showed that differences in utilized resource volumes exist in all three grades depending on the characteristics of beneficiaries. Especially, in the first grade with a high level of seriousness, utilized resource volumes were different for those three service categories and the problematic behaviour category considered dementia was found to consume the largest volume of resources. Moreover, there was the inversion phenomenon of utilized resources volumes between the grades. This result indicates that utilized resource volumes are different even in the same grade depending on the characteristics of beneficiaries and it is required to consider case-mix for reflection of the volumes of utilized resources depending on the characteristics of beneficiaries.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.89-100
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• 2016

Objectives: Life style modification leads to decrease health risk and change of health status for person at health risk. This study aimed to suggest essential components and effective strategies for customized health management service to provide individual and risk group in public and private health care organizations. Methods: To systematic review the essential component of health management service, I performed to collect political legislation, research papers, reports, publication and public release for heath management service from 2008 to 2016. Essential components of heath management service were service scope, service design, organizations and applied technology. Results: Service cope was composed of health risk factors, such as smoking, drinking, nutrition, physical activity and weight control. Main strategies were customized health management services, personalized behavior modification programs, evidence-based service protocol, utilization of information and communications technology (ICT), multi-dimension and multi-level approach, and public and private organizations partnership through health policies and health care system. Conclusions: To make the most of the limited resources, it should require a systematic approach that focuses on continuous monitoring and partnership of health management service.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.1-21
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• 2007

The relaxation of the regulation in selection of medical institution allows patients to use their own judgement in choosing proper institution for their diseases. Since the change of the regulation, there should have been many changes in medical institution selection behavior. The analysis of the change in disease specific selection pattern is critical because there be an optimal selection criteria that ensure the efficient and effective utilization of medical resources. This study analysis the institution selection factors by comparing the choice among the cases of acute diseases, the cases of chronic diseases, inpatient services, outpatient services, and emergency medical service. The comparisons performed in terms of size, class and other characteristics of medical institutions. For the study the nationally surveyed database was used and the data were analyzed using logistic regression procedure. The results indicates that the primary care facilities were not properly utilized. This study speculates that the reason for the undesirable pattern of utilization is that the roles of primary care facilities in the healthcare delivery system was not clearly defined. Based on the results, the medical policy implications are discussed.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.93-100
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• 2013

This study sought to explore the relationships between health behavior, oral health behavior and community periodontal index away the adult in korea. The date of 'The fifth korean national health and nutrition examination survey 2010' was analyzed for this study. The questionnaire was measured regarding health behavior, oral health behavior, community periodontal index and socio-economic characteristics. For statistical analysis, the SPSS 19.0 for Windows was used. We determined frequencies, percentage and determining statistical significance using multiple regression analysis. General characteristics showed differences in community periodontal index associated with residence, gender, age, income level, education, division of basic livelihood security. Health behavior showed differences in community periodontal index associated with smoking, AUDIT. Oral health behaviors showed differences in community periodontal index associated with dental care treatment, utilization of dental hospitals, dental check up, tooth brushing, use oral health supplies. In conclusion, in order to reduce community periodontal index of the adult, the importance and needs of periodontal status should be emphasized. periodontal status related education and program for the adult should be operated.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.12 no.7
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• pp.295-305
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• 2012

This study analyzes actual conditions of private health insurance empirically by using the decision to join Korea Health Panel data. First, the study investigates how sociodemographic factors influence joining the private health insurance. Next, the relationship between the private health insurance membership and the frequency of medical service utilization is analyzed. The main results of these analyses can be summarized as follows: the socially vulnerable are less likely to join private health insurance relative to the middle and upper classes. The frequency of medical service utilization of private insurance members is relatively higher. This fact contains the possibility that the middle and upper classes are able to receive more medical services through private health insurance membership, while the socially vulnerable have difficulty with obtaining medical services in spite of much need. Therefore, policies are needed which manage the private health insurance more effectively and secure the publicity of health service socially.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.19 no.7
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• pp.443-452
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to investigate the utilization behavior of medical services according to the characteristics of socioeconomic status (SES) and prevalence by using the 6th National Health and Nutrition Survey data for adults over 25 years old. Frequency and technical statistical analysis, ANOVA, ${\chi}^2$-test, and regression analysis were performed using SPSS 23.0. The results were as follows: more female than male, 65 years old and over, high school graduate, and unemployed and income quintiles were similar. The SES score considering education level, function, and income quintiles was the highest at 7-8, and most of the respondents felt moderate about their subjective health condition. The mean number of prevalence was $1.07{\pm}1.497$, the mean utilization of outpatient services was $0.50{\pm}0.045$, and the mean number of inpatient services use was $0.12{\pm}0.454$. Depending on general characteristics, there was a significant difference between subjects with prevalence and subjective health conditions. Higher age was associated with lower education, skill level, income, and SES score, and average prevalence was associated with poor subjective health conditions. More serious prevalence was associated with greater utilization of inpatient services. More chronic prevalence was associated with utilization of outpatient services. In other words, higher SES score was associated with lower overall use of medical services. Lower SES score was associated with higher use of medical services. In conclusion, we must develop appropriate health education programs that can prevent diseases in groups with low socioeconomic characteristics. There is the need to construct and implement a community-based appropriate health service system so that proper medical services can be used.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.235-243
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• 2015

Objectives: The purpose of the study is to investigate the oral health and oral health beliefs in industrial workers and to analyze the influencing factors on dental health care utilization. Methods: The subjects were 280 adults from 16 to 64 years old in Seoul and Gyeonggi from June 20 to July 31, 2014, A self-reported questionnaire was completed after receiving informed consent. The independent variables consisted of predisposing, enabling, and need factors. The predisposing factors included gender, age, residence area, number of family. The enabling variables included monthly income, education, occupation, type of employment. The need factors included subjective oral health recognition and oral health belief model. These three variables had a direct and indirect influence on dental clinic use. The types of occupation were classified into desk duties, merchandizing and service duties technology and others by KSCO-6. Results: The relating factors to dental health care utilization were sex, oral health beliefs perceived benefits, perceived barriers, and self-efficacy. Female tended to have the higher oral health beliefs perceived benefits, perceived barriers(p<0.01), self-efficacy(p<0.05). Conclusions: Those who received frequent oral examination and health instruction tended to have a favorable impact on maintenance of oral health status and improvement in quality of life.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.57-72
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• 1997

The objectives of this study are : 1) To understand self-care ability, living habits, utilization patterns of medical facililties for the elderly in Puk-Cheju county which has the highest percent age of senior citizens among Cheju rural community: 2) To identify factors which influence living quality and long life for the eldely 3) To develop health care service with a view to guaranteering living quality The eldely population of Puk-Cheju county was $10.8\%$ in 1995. It will be increasing and is projeted $23.0\%$ by 2030. The result indicated that utilizations rate by out-patient were 5.89 claims and utilizations rate by in-patient were 0.17 claims per person. The highest disease among respondents were disease of musculoskeletal system and connective tissue. A total of 310 elderlys were responded to analyze self-care ability and health behavior. The most important factors of long life were to have peaceful mind$(50.0\%)$. The common disease of acute and chronic disease was musculoskeletal system disease. $66.8\%$ of respondents went to hospital and local clinic when they got sick. The most needed health care service was home visiting service among public health center, representing $31.4\%$. The repondent's self-care ability and self-efficacy were relatively superiority. A total of 92 elderlys were conducted the intelligence test for the rate of dementia and their average age was 74.3. The result of Minimental State Scale indicated that 25% of respondents were suspected to be dementia. The followings are recommendations based on the survey result. 1) Concidering every conditions of self-care ability and health status for elderly. It is important to embody appopriate health care service. 2) Considering concrete method, it is necessary to establish health service, which match health status and self-care ability, and various planning for sepecial facilities for the elderly. 3) It is desiable to make actual programs for the elderly in each community level. 4) It must be develop the better use of volunteers and programs for prevention of dementia. Finally, Concerning the orgarnization of public health center, community health center need to be reorganized for health service for the elderly. It is important to develop and operate health promotion for the elderly, and it is necessary to form the foundation for the support of facilities equipments. This contribute to promote health status for the rural elderly.