• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.157-172
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• 2024

Purpose: Ensuring prompt and consistent 119 emergency services for all citizens is crucial and requires every region to adhere to prescribed deployment standards Methods: This study assessed the compliance with 119 emergency resource deployment standards in 229 districts (si-gun-gu) by analyzing data from 18 fire headquarters as of December 31, 2022. Results: At the Sigun-gu level, 16 areas (7%) did not meet the fire station standards. Among the 229 si-gun-gu, 25 (10.9%) failed operational ambulance standards, and 114 (49.8%) did not meet the 119 first responder standards. Areas lacking fire station standards had lower financial self-sufficiency and higher elderly and single-person elderly household proportions (p<.05). Areas not meeting ambulance standards had lower proportions of these populations, but higher financial self-sufficiency. In addition, areas that did not meet the 119 first-responder standards had greater financial autonomy (p<.05). Areas meeting only basic fire station standards had higher proportions of elderly and single-person households and lower financial self-sufficiency. Areas meeting only ambulance standards had lower financial autonomy, whereas those meeting only emergency medical technician standards had lower financial self-sufficiency and a higher elderly proportions (p<.05). Conclusion: Si-gun-gu, with a large elderly population and poor finances, often fails to meet fire station standards and meets only the basic criteria. Continuous monitoring and targeted management are crucial for reducing disparities in 119 resource allocation and improving the overall deployment.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.287-300
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• 2009

The study aims to investigate factors affecting subjective well-being of the pre-elderly. The factors considered were 'leisure activities', 'leisure activities', 'leisure satisfaction' and some 'background variables'. The subjects were 251 pre-elderly persons ($50{\sim}60$ years old) who completed the questionnaire assessing the variables for the study. The results include: 'Life satisfaction' of the pre-elderly is affected with the variables of 'health', 'financial situation', 'leisure activities without their partner', 'leisure activities with family', 'local community leisure activities', 'social satisfaction' and 'psychological satisfaction in leisure activities'. Their emotion is positively influenced by the variables of 'health', 'financial situation', 'leisure activities without a partner', 'leisure activities with family', 'social satisfaction in leisure activities'. and negatively influenced by the variables of 'age', 'health', 'financial situation', 'leisure activities without a partner', 'social satisfaction in leisure activities'. In conclusion, leisure satisfaction and a partner for leisure activities are more important determinants than frequency of leisure activities in pre-elders' subjective well-being.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Health Science
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.1-16
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• 2014

Purpose. For a more efficient hospital management, this study aims to provide basic data so that the hospital management and staff in charge of hospital administration may systematically classify and collect hospital information, by analyzing the ordinary characters of an upper-level general hospital system and its common-type balance sheet, common-type profit and loss statement and financial ratio. Methods. By using information about an upper-level general hospital in C Province, provided by Alio(www.alio.go.kr), a public organization information provision site, Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service(www.hira.or.kr) and Ministry of Health and Welfare(www.mw.go.kr), this study analyzed 3 year's data from 2010 to 2012 and provided basic data by analyzing the ordinary characters of an upper-level general hospital system, and its common-type balance sheet, common-type profit and loss statement and financial ratio. Results. After analyzing the ordinary characters, common-type balance sheet, common-type proft and loss statement and financial ration of this general hospital, based on the 2010 to 2012 data, this study came to the following conclusions. Firstly, out of all the 1,069 hospital staff, there were 272 doctors working for 24 medical departments, out of whom the majority was 33 physicians. Most of the nurses were third-class ones, and about 2,000 outpatients and 600 inpatients on average were treated per day. Secondly, as a result of analyzing the common-type balance sheet, this study discovered that intangible assets out of fixed assets accounted for 41%, the majority, out of which usable and profitable donation asset buildings were of great importance, and the liquid assets increased more in 2012 than 2011. In the financial structure, the ratio of liquid liabilities was over 50% out of all the liabilities in 2012, and the ratio of purchase payables was high as well. The ratio of fixed liabilities reached up to 40%, out of which the retirement benefit appropriation fund was quite high. The capital was over 80%, but the surplus was in a deficit state. Compared to the capital, the ratio of total liabilities was about 90%, which indicates the financial structure of this general hospital was vulnerable. Thirdly, as a result of analyzing the common-type profit and loss statement, this study found out that the medical profits from inpatients were higher than profits from outpatients. The material cost was related to the medical quality of this general hospital, and it was as high as 30% out of the total costs and was about 45% of the labor cost. This general hospital showed 10% in the ratio of non-medical profits, and it seemed because of government subsidies. The ratios of medical profits and current net income were gradually changing for the better in 2012, compared to 2011. Lastly, as a result of analyzing the financial ratio, it was found that the liquidity ratio kept decreasing, from 110.7% in 2010 and 102.0% in 2011 to 77.2% in 2012. Besides, it was analyzed that the liquidity ratio and the net working capital ratio greatly decreased, while the quick ratio and the liquid ratio kept decreasing. Conclusions. 1. It is necessary to take the risk management into more consideration, and particularly, it is needed to differentiate and manage the levels of risk in detail. 2. By considering the fact that investments into hospital infrastructures were mostly based on liabilities, it is needed to deal with the scale of losses when evaluating risks. 3. By reflecting the character that investments into hospital infrastructures were based on liabilities, it is necessary to consider the ratio of ordinary profits as well as the ratio of operating profits to sales, and it is also important to consider sales productivity factors, such as the sales amount per a sickbed, by comparing them with other hospitals. As for limitations of this study, there may be some problems in terms of data interpretation because of the lack of information about the number of inpatients and the number of outpatients per year, which are needed for the break-even point analysis. Besides, to suggest a direction for the improvement of hospital management through analyses, non-financial factors should be reflected, such as the trend of economy, medical policies, and politic backgrounds. However, this study only focused on the common-type balance sheet, common-type profit and loss statement and financial ratio, so this study is actually limited to generalizing all the factors by analyzing public data only.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.19 no.2 s.20
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• pp.213-223
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• 1986

Ratio analysis allows a hospital to evaluate its own performance over time and to compare its performance with that of other hospitals. For this study, three types of ratio analysis were conducted based on some data on hospitals in Massachusetts. First, Key ratios influencing financial performance were identified using discriminant analysis. Second, the financial structures of the teaching and the non-teaching hospitals were compared using ratios and multiple comparison method. Third, the effects of the prospective reimbursement law of the state on financial performance were examined using ratios and paired t-test. The purpose of the law is to reduce hospital costs by setting the revenue ceiling prior to the effective budget year. The findings of this study were as follows: 1) When hospitals were divided into three groups, according to their operating income, only profitability ratios showed a consistent difference among the groups. 2) In the discriminant analysis, five ratios were selected: current ratio, operating margin, return on assets, fixed assets turnover, and inventory turnover. They are the key ratios to be monitored periodically for the purpose of evaluating the financial performance of hospitals. 3) When teaching hospitals were compared with non-teaching hospitals, acid ratio, days of cash on hand, and inventory turnover were statistically significant before the law went into effect, whereas only fixed assets turnover and inventory turnover were significant afterward. Contrary to previous studies, profitability ratios of teaching hospitals were higher than those of non-teaching hospitals, although the differences were not statistically significant. 4) When the ratios between the two periods (before and after the law) were compared, three profitability ratios (operating margin, return on assets, and return on equity) were significant for teaching hospitals, whereas three activity ratios (total assets turnover, fixed assets turnover, current assets turnover) were significant for non-teaching hospitals. Furthermore, while both total operating revenue and expenses were decreased, net operating income was increased, due to a greater decrease in total operating expenses. This shows that the law can indeed, simultaneously, achieve both a reduction in costs as well as an improvement in the financial situation of hospitals.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.81-87
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• 2009

In recent years, reductions in infant mortality have mainly been accomplished by improving the survival of premature and low birth weight infants, however premature infants still remain at great risk. The purpose of this study was to review the maternal child health service related to premature infants and to provide a future direction for improving maternal child health (MCH) in Korea. We reviewed two MCH services which are directly related to premature infants: 1) a registry and financial support program for families with a premature infant, and 2) financial support to build neonatal intensive care units in rural public hospitals. Suggestions are made for the development of a national vital signs record system to identify high risk infants and to monitor the trends in infant mortality due to prematurity. Prevention efforts and preconception care for childbearing women is also an important strategy to reduce the rate of preterm births. Finally, we need consider long-term follow-up plans for premature infants for a successful transit to the special education system. Developing MCH policy related to premature infants that decreases the occurrence of premature may decrease infant mortality, and also improve maternal and child health services.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.21-34
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• 2008

Objectives : This paper analysed the alternative methods of calculating conversion factor for oriental medicine in the National Health Insurance and estimated the conversion factor(reimbursing price level) of the oriental medical services, based on health insurance claims data and macro economic data. Methods : Comparing cost accounting method, SGR model, and index model to estimate conversion factor in the national health insurance, six empirical models were derived depending on the scope of revenue considered in financial indicators. Classifications of data and sources used in the analysis were identified as officially released by the government. Results and Conclusion : Cost accounting analysis and SGR model showed a two digit decrease in the physician fee schedule of oriental medical services in the national health insurance, while index model indicated a positive increase in the fee reimbursed. As expected, SGR model measured an overall trend of health expenditures rather than an individual financial status of medical institutions, and index model properly estimated the level of payments to oriental medical doctors. Upon a declining share of health expenditures on oriental medicine, a global budget system fixed to a flat rate of total budget could be an opportunity as well as a challenge.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.1-23
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• 2004

This study was carried out to investigate the activities and job satisfaction of public health doctors in charge of community health programmes. Subjects were 138 public health doctors charged with community health project, registered in the roll of public health doctors, made out by Central Supporting Team for the District Health Work in 2002. Data was obtained from Ninety-six public health doctors. The response rate was 70%. The survey was conducted from March to April in 2003 bye-mail. The items of the questionnaire consisted of general characteristics of participants, understanding of their activities, support system, job satisfaction, and suggestions to improve the system. Collected data was analyzed using PC-SPSS 10.1. Descriptive analysis, t-test, and ANOVA test were used. The results are as follows: Most of the respondents showed a low participation rate in community health services, but they agreed to the importance of their activities and the necessity to modify and improve the system. 70% of the respondents were dissatisfied with their jobs. The participation in health planning and programmes of health center, and the degree of acceptance of their opinion from health center workers were significantly related to their job satisfaction. The participation rate of the public health doctors having specialty, in community health services is higher than that of the others. In terms of the supports for system operation, the reflection of one's intention in job arrangement process, education and public relation of this system, and the administrative and financial supports made significant differences in the job satisfaction and the accomplishment of their duty. The respondents hoped that the administrative and financial supports for public health doctors in charge of community health programmes should be reinforced to motivate them. They also wanted that they could keep from being overloaded with clinical services. They favored to conduct home visit, community diagnosis, health planning, and health promotion programs as their appropriate activities. From these results, we suggest some strategies to motivate and empower the public health doctors in charge of community health programmes.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.119-128
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• 2017

This study estimated the optimal nursing workforce and financial costs of providing comprehensive nursing services at hospitals under the national health insurance system. Data on registered nurses, nursing aids, medical institutions, and number of patients were obtained from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. The optimal size of the nursing workforce was calculated using the workload model. A bottom-up approach was used to estimate the annual total financial cost of comprehensive nursing services. The number of registered nurses and nursing aids would need to be increased by 81.75% and 83.23%, respectively, in order to fully apply comprehensive nursing care on a national scale. The additional financial costs for comprehensive nursing services at all hospitals was estimated to be as much as 110.39% of the current cost. For the comprehensive nursing service, nurses with a career and newcomers need to be retained at their hospitals, and the validity of the nurse-patient ratio should be continuously checked. The financial shock to the national health insurance system could be minimized by gradually extending the system to all hospitals.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.247-254
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• 2015

Objectives : The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of foreign and institutional investors in the pharmaceutical industry on R&D investments. Methods : The empirical analysis was done for the years 2009 to 2013 which examined the period after the influence of the financial crisis. Financial statements and comments in general and internal transactions were extracted from the TS-2000 of the Korea Listed Company Association. STATA 12.0 was used as the statistical package for the panel analysis. Results : The results show that the shareholding ratio of foreigner investors turned out to have a statistically significant influence on R&D investment. No statistical significance was found in the shareholding ratio of institutional investors. Conclusions : The findings of this study, which indicate that a higher shareholding ratio of foreigner investors leads to greater R&D investment, indicate that foreign investors directly or indirectly impose pressure on a manager to make R&D investments for the long-term.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.1-27
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• 2007

This study is designed to estimate an appropriate level of patient's cost-sharing for oriental medical services in the Korean National Health Insurance. The findings of this study can be summarized as follows: 1) The current co-payment system for oriental medical services does not reflect its cost structure in clinical practice due to inconsistency of cost-sharing plan in the NHI. 2) Both oriental medical institutions and their patients, as a result, are at a relative disadvantage in financial burden, compared with other services. 3) The substantial proportion of patients' cost-sharing depends on the amount of co-payment and the range of medical cost that a flat rate is applied to. 4) The extension of the range doesn't make any substantial decrease in patient's cost-sharing. 5) The fixed amount of co-payment is more sensitive than a range to total variations of patient's cost-sharing. Based on the above, the budget impacts of a new co-payment system were estimated for each co-insurance rate, according to given scenarios. The results range from -59 billion Won (-8.5%) to 16 billion Won(2.3%).