• Title/Summary/Keyword: health costs

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A Proposal of Emotion Recognition Mobile Application to Improve Depression in Young People (청년층의 우울증 개선을 위한 감정 인식 모바일 애플리케이션 제안)

  • Park, Jaewan;Choi, Bokgiu;Lee, Sangwon;Lee, Hyunju
    • The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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    • v.20 no.2
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    • pp.594-606
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    • 2020
  • On the contrary to the steady rise of social problems about depression, only a few take care of mental health themselves due to their negative perception of psychotherapy. In this study, we propose service design and user interface design of mobile applications that introduce an automatic emotional recognition system to prevent leaving depression unattended. First, we have come up with improvements in the usability of existing apps through literature research and case analysis, and draw out Personas from surveys and in-depth interviews of young people. As an essential element of the design of the Depression Improvement Service, we recommend having three components: writing a diary to manage schedule, recognize users' emotional state through avatar management, and tracking down emotional points to improve the cognitive system. Through this proposal, we want to prevent the development of depression and help to resolve the changes in perception of depression and longitude depression on our own. Ultimately, we publicize the necessity of mental health care application design and expect to lower the personal and social costs for psychiatric care.

Perception of environment-friendly foods and satisfaction with school meals among students, their parents, and nutrition teachers at elementary schools in the Jindo area, Jeonnam (전라남도 진도 인근지역의 초등학생, 학부모, 영양(교)사의 친환경식품에 대한 인식과 학교급식 만족도)

  • Jung, Moon-Hee;Chang, Moon-Jeong;Kim, Sun-Hee
    • Journal of Nutrition and Health
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    • v.46 no.4
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    • pp.369-381
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    • 2013
  • The aim of this study was to investigate the perception of students, their parents, and nutrition teachers regarding environment-friendly foods (EFF) and the satisfaction with school meals at elementary schools. Questionnaires were sent to nutrition teachers at five elementary schools located in the Jindo area, Jeonnam province, and were distributed to students and their parents. A total of 351 questionnaires from students and 334 from parents were collected from March to April, 2013. In addition, 43 nutrition teachers/dietitians working at elementary schools in the Jindo area responded to questionnaires. Nutrition teachers primarily recognized the classification and certification standards of EFF, and verified the certification mark of EFF when they purchased foods. However, 13.4% of students and 38.6% of parents replied as 'know well' regarding the classification and certification standards of EFF and they verified the mark of EFF less often than the nutrition teachers (p<0.001). Most of the nutrition teachers and parents indicated 'safety' as the main advantage of EFF. The students and parents were satisfied with EFF at home and school meals because of the safety and favorable effect on health. The results showed that EFF compromised 20~40% of monthly food costs for 51.1% of nutrition teachers. The overall score for satisfaction with school meals for students was 3.88 based on a 5-point Likert scale; however, that of the parents was 3.72. The nutrition teachers realized that the parents were more interested in EFF and satisfied with EFF than the students. The major barriers to using EFF in school meals were 'lack of information about EFF' and 'unstable supply.' Therefore, the above results suggested that there should be improvement in the supply of EFF to include more EFF in school meals and efforts should be made to provide students and parents with more information for understanding EFF.

Efficacy of mid-upper arm circumference in identification, follow-up and discharge of malnourished children during nutrition rehabilitation

  • Mogendi, Joseph Birundu;De Steur, Hans;Gellynck, Xavier;Saeed, Hibbah Araba;Makokha, Anselimo
    • Nutrition Research and Practice
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    • v.9 no.3
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    • pp.268-277
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    • 2015
  • BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Although it is crucial to identify those children likely to be treated in an appropriate nutrition rehabilitation programme and discharge them at the appropriate time, there is no golden standard for such identification. The current study examined the appropriateness of using Mid-Upper Arm Circumference for the identification, follow-up and discharge of malnourished children. We also assessed its discrepancy with the Weight-for-Height based diagnosis, the rate of recovery, and the discharge criteria of the children during nutrition rehabilitation. SUBJECTS/METHODS: The study present findings from 156 children (aged 6-59 months) attending a supplementary feeding programme at Makadara and Jericho Health Centres, Eastern District of Nairobi, Kenya. Records of age, weight, height and mid-upper arm circumference were selected at three stages of nutrition rehabilitation: admission, follow-up and discharge. The values obtained were then used to calculate z-scores as defined by WHO Anthro while estimating different diagnostic indices. RESULTS: Mid-upper arm circumference single cut-off (< 12.5 cm) was found to exhibit high values of sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio at both admission and discharge. Besides, children recorded higher rate of recovery at 86 days, an average increment of 0.98 cm at the rate of 0.14mm/day, and a weight gain of 13.49gm/day, albeit higher in female than their male counterparts. Nevertheless, children admitted on basis of low MUAC had a significantly higher MUAC gain than WH at 0.19mm/day and 0.13mm/day respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Mid-upper arm circumference can be an appropriate tool for identifying malnourished children for admission to nutrition rehabilitation programs. Our results confirm the appropriateness of this tool for monitoring recovery trends and discharging the children thereafter. In principle the tool has potential to minimize nutrition rehabilitation costs, particularly in community therapeutic centres in developing countries.

Prevention of Missing the Fee of Medical Supplies and Improvement Activity of Cost Cutting (진료재료대 수가누락방지 및 비용절감 개선활동)

  • Choi, Hyun-ju
    • Quality Improvement in Health Care
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    • v.21 no.1
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    • pp.52-61
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    • 2015
  • Objectives: Because recently hospital had to faced with financial hardship, we have to have more effective hospital management. The purpose of this study was to reduce loss costs of the hospital through the systematic management of medical supplies and increase operational efficiency. Methods: The team was composed of outpatient nursing staff, medical record administrator, nurses in medical insurance, medical computer center, dermatologists for this study. We surveyed for 114 people including outpatient nursing staff, nurse aids, medical assistant, physician assistant. Pre-survey period was 2013.03.11 ~ 03.30(2 weeks), and post-survey period was 2013.09.03 ~ 09.17(2 weeks). Result: We improved this way through the computational improvement, conservation campaigns, inventory management, staff training, replaced by low-cost medical supplies. The finding of this study were as follows: Comparing before and after the activity of outpatient nursing staff's degree of knowledge, performance, economic consciousness, the degree of knowledge, performance was increased, but there was no significant change in economic consciousness. Performance of Married person is higher than the unmarried, In addition, the high-position people were more the degree of knowleage, economic consciousness. After activity, correlation of goods and treatment, examinations is increasing, but statistically there was no mean. Conclusion: This study revealed that knowledge in a short period of activity, but also can improve, perform the same change in behavior is not easy. This one shows the intensive training required to sustained and systematic behavioral changes, such as changes in behavior, perform rituals to help the economy. Expensive medical supplies to replace a similar effect as the cost of materials just to have a lot of cost savings. Therefore, more medical supplies change is necessary to develop alternative treatment and cost cutting.

Factors Influencing Physicians' Prescriptions in Some Frequent Diseases (일부 다빈도 질환에서 개원의의 의약품 처방에 영향을 미치는 요인)

  • 박실비아;문옥륜;강영호
    • Health Policy and Management
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    • v.8 no.2
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    • pp.166-190
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    • 1998
  • This study presents the status on drug prescription for clinic outpatients' bronchitis, gastritis, and gastric ulcer, and also the physician factors that affects their prescriptions. In this research project the physician factors are as follows: their demographic features, their work related features, education related features, drug information related features and drug promotion related features. The variables in drug prescriptions are drug expenses, daily drug expenses, days of medication, the highest price of the drugs used and the number of the different drugs used. Analysis of the use of prescription drugs was performed on NFMI(National Federation of Medical Insurance) 1994 medical expense claim data. Data on physicians' characteristics were collected by mailing surveys. Patients with secondary diseases were excluded. In this study, 388 adults with bronchitis, 1,038 children with bronchitis, 1,158 patients with gastritis, 369 patients with gastric ulcer were included. The older physicians tend to allow the lower drug costs: this explains that the older doctors who are more experienced less depend on the medicines. It can be also explained that doctors are likely to use the medicines that had been used for their intern and resident practice/training period. General practitioners give more intensive prescription compared to specialists. And specialists prescribed medicines to patients for longer period. The doctors' prescriptions for patients are largely affected by commercial sources. So objective and reliable sources for drug information is needed for patients' benefits. Physician factors explain better at the daily drug expenses, the drug price and the number of different drugs than days of medication. Gastric ulcer are better explained by the prescription model adopted in this study than other diseases.

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An Analysis on Characteristics of High Sodium Intaker and Affecting Factors (나트륨 고섭취자의 특성 및 섭취 영향 요인에 대한 분석)

  • Han, Byeol;Kim, Ji-Young;Yang, Sung-Bum
    • The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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    • v.31 no.3
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    • pp.395-399
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    • 2018
  • The objective of this study is to analyze characteristics of high sodium intaker and factors affecting sodium intake using the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). For this study we used two statistical methods, the cluster analysis and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Cluster analysis was used to classify groups of sodium intake. For the analysis of the factors affecting sodium intake, we applied the ANOVA. The average daily intake for Korean is about 3,783 mg sodium per day; this amount is high than recommendation of the WTO. The demographic characteristics of people with higher sodium intake were found to be men more so women, and younger men with a higher education. Height, weight and size of a person's waistline were also characteristics of those with higher sodium intake. Also worker, smoker, those without a hypertension diagnosis, as well as those with a higher the drinking rate and higher eating out frequency tended to have a higher intake of sodium. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) had established a plan to reduce sodium intake to 3,500 mg per day to 2020. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to educate people about high sodium intake, particularly those at higher risk, according to the results of this study. Through these efforts, the social costs of high sodium intake could be reduced, improving national health.

Strategic Planning for the Contract-Managed Hospital Foodservice Through QFD Methodology (QFD 기법을 이용한 병원 위탁급식 운영전략 수립)

  • 양일선;박수연;김현아;박문경;신서영;이해영
    • Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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    • v.8 no.5
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    • pp.744-754
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    • 2003
  • At present, health care industries throughout the world are struggling with the challenges to set up financial structures as cost-effective ways and means of satisfying customer needs for health care services. Many hospitals consign foodservice management to foodservice companies for the purpose of efficiency. The companies taking charge of hospital foodservice are also striving to gain an advantage over keen competitions. This study applied Quality Function Deployment(QFD) to one hospital (which will be shown as $\ulcorner$A hospital$\lrcorner$ below) managed by a contract foodservice company for the purpose of strategy planning to provide sustainable competitive advantage. First of all, this study scanned internal and external environment of $\ulcorner$A hospital$\lrcorner$ by means of a Quality Measurement Tool and a fieldwork study. With the result of environment scanning, this study elicited 20 strategies through SWOT analysis, which were categorized by 4 perspectives such as financial, customer, internal process, learning and growth perspectives. Finally, the priorities of 20 strategies were extracted from QFD methodology. According to the results obtained by applying QFD to $\ulcorner$A hospital$\lrcorner$'s foodservice, the strategies which $\ulcorner$A hospital$\lrcorner$ foodservice was obliged to introduce and implement were : the specialization of Children's hospital foodservice, scientific foodservice management through the standardization of foodservice operations, the maintenance of sanitary quality through sanitary system, the remodeling of facilities, the introduction of new equipment, the prompt and accurate response to customer needs, the development of appropriate patient menus, the provision of competitively priced meals for patient selection, the development of a demand forecast model by considering the characteristics of a children's hospital, improvement of productivity and the reduction of labor costs through the employment of experienced employees based on their seniority.

Effect of Bioaugmentation on Performance of Intermittently Aerated Sewage Treatment Plant (Bioaugmentation이 간헐폭기 오수처리장치의 운전효율에 미치는 영향)

  • Jeong, Byung-Gon
    • Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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    • v.34 no.3
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    • pp.233-239
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    • 2008
  • In order to improve reactor performance of existing sewage treatment plants, the feasibility of enhancing reactor performance by bioaugmentation using EM as bioaugmentation agent and the effects of anoxic: oxic time ratio on reactor performance were investigated. Continuous and intermittent aeration modes were compared under the 6 hr of HRT. Three different types of intermittent aeration modes, that is, 15 min, of anoxic:45 min of oxic, 30 min of anoxic: 30 min of oxic, and 45 min of anoxic: 15 min oxic respectively were chosen as test modes to study the effects of anoxic : oxic time ratios on reactor performance. The optimum anoxic: oxic time ratio was 30 min:30 min when considering simultaneous removal of organic, nitrogen and phosphorus. When applying EM into a continuously aerated reactor under the varying dosing rates of 50-200 ppm, reactor performance in terms of organic and nitrogen removal efficiencies was not improved at all. Nitrogen removal efficiency was increase when the EM dosing rate was increased. However the degree of improvement was slight when the EM was injected above 100 ppm. However optimum phosphorus removal was found at the EM dosing of 200 ppm. Thus it was found that optimum injection concentration of EM is 200 ppm. It is apparent that putting EM into a sewage treatment plant significantly affects the T-N removal efficiency of the reactor by enhancing denitrification efficiency especially in operational conditions of relatively long anoxic periods. To achieve reciprocal condition in a reactor with intermittent aeration it is necessary to enhance the reactor performance by EM injection. In the case of modifying existing continuously aerated reactors into intermittent aerated reactors, it is obvious that operating costs of aeration would be reduced by reducing aeration time when compared with existing conventional sewage treatment plants.

Actual Wearing Conditions and Attitude: An Initial Report on an Outdoor Wearing Survey for Man and Woman in their 30s to 50s (30~50대 남녀의 아웃도어 웨어 착용실태 및 인식조사(제 1보))

  • Paek, Kyung Ja;Hwang, Young Mi;Lee, Jeong Ran
    • Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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    • v.15 no.5
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    • pp.787-796
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    • 2013
  • This study is an initial report of actual wearing conditions and attitude based on a survey of wearing outdoor wear for men and women in their 30s to 50s who enjoy daily leisure sport activities. Most middle-aged men and women who enjoy outdoor activities were interested in new trends and clothing styles. The greatest area of interest was health(42.9%), followed by leisure and sports(38.4%); in addition, hiking(40.2%) was the most popular outdoor activity. The majority of subjects participated in outdoor activities for over 5 years(34.4%). The highest frequency of outdoor activities was conducted once or twice a month, and it took one to three hours for each activity. Nearly half of the respondents( 47.7%) answered that the goal of outdoor activities was to maintain their health. Subjects in their 40s and 50s were more equipped in their outdoor activities and in their 50s made ongoing investments despite costs. When wearing clothing, the subjects placed a priority on design(in the case of subjects in their 30s) and comfort(for subjects in their 40s and 50s). This survey shows that the subjects emphasized access to outdoor wear and equipment. In all age groups, the biggest complaint about outdoor wear was price; in addition, they were unsatisfied with the length and the sleeves of outdoor jackets. Outdoor wear will draw a positive attention for its practical use of clothing if it is developed according to consumer demands based on functionality for outdoor activities and convenience in daily life.

Design of Operating room Patients Location System for u-Hospital (u-Hospital 환경에서의 수술실 환자 위치추적 시스템 설계)

  • Kim, Seokhun;Jung, Jinyoung;Kim, Sookyun
    • Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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    • v.18 no.1
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    • pp.103-110
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    • 2013
  • RFID is estimated to have great potential for hospitals to reduce various costs, reconsider patients' safety, and provide high quality medical service. As the ubiquitous technology allows the medical market to expand, medical centers all around the country are fiercely competing against one another. In order to increase the hospital's competitive edge by reducing IT expenses and concentrating on medical practice, the need to establish a u-Hospital using advanced IT technology is rapidly rising. This paper implements an RFID based u-Hospital system by using ubiquitous computing technology to design a location tracking device for all surgical patients, which can secure the patients' safety and increase the quality of medical service through interlocking hospital information systems.