• Health Policy and Management
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.45-52
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• 2022

Background: There are regional variations in the incidence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which means that some regions are more exposed to the risk of COVID-19 than others. Therefore, this study aims to investigate regional variations in the incidence of COVID-19 in Korea and identify risk factors associated with the incidence of COVID-19 using community-level data. Methods: This study was conducted at the districts (si·gun·gu) level in Korea. Data of COVID-19 incidence by districts were collected from the official website of each province. Data was also obtained from the Korean Statistical Information Service and the Community Health Survey; socio-demographic factor, transmission pathway, healthcare resource, and factor in response to COVID-19. Community risk factors that drive the incidence of COVID-19 were selected using a least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression. Results: As of June 2021, the incidence of COVID-19 differed by more than 80 times between districts. Among the candidate factors, sex ratio, population aged 20-29, local financial independence, population density, diabetes prevalence, and failure to comply with the quarantine rules were significantly associated with COVID-19 incidence. Conclusion: This study suggests setting COVID-19 quarantine policy and allocating resources, considering the community risk factors. Protecting vulnerable groups should be a high priority for these policies.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Health Science
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.582-592
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• 2016

Purpose. For more effective hospital management, it analyzes the trend through general characteristics, balance sheet, income statement, and financial ratio analysis, grasps the causes of the problems, and analyzes management of the hospital in order to use the result as baseline data for development of the hospital in the future. Methods. The collected data of 3 years from 2011 to 2013 about 3 tertiary hospitals in metropolitan cities from Alio (provider of public institution information; www.alio.go.kr), Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service (www.hira.or.kr), and the website of the Ministry of Health and Welfare (www.mw.go.kr) were analyzed and general characteristics, balance sheet, income statement, and financial ratio, analysis are used as data. Results & Conclusions. From the result of data analysis from 2011 to 2013, general characteristics, balance sheet, income statement, financial ratio analysis, and pie charts could lead to conclusions as follows. In the result of comprehensive analysis, the 3 tertiary hospitals showed increase of fixed expense due to extension of the buildings and so did the scale of fund and asset. Although medical revenue increased, the margin of increase for medical expense was greater than that of medical revenue, which consequently led to loss. In prediction for the 3 tertiary hospitals based on characteristics so far, it is expected to see improved revenue structure after building extension is completed, but it is necessary to exert management effort to maintain its optimal level by enhancement in stability of management and inventory turnover through management of inventories.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.406-415
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• 2018

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the hazards of cosmetic ingredients in Korea. Methods: An Excel database of cosmetic ingredients was developed on a website(Korea Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary) and used for a hazard assessment based on Tox-free, a database containing toxic information such as on carcinogens, mutagens or reproductive toxicants(CMRs) and endocrine disrupting chemicals(EDCs), as well as other regulated chemicals in Korea. Results: A total of 16,605 chemicals were registered with the cosmetic ingredient dictionary and 308 of them were identified as either CMRs or EDCs. CMRs included formaldehyde and nickel gluconate, and EDCs included parabens, benzophenon, styrene, and toluene. Reproductive toxicants such as xylene, zinc chloride, toluene, and formaldehyde were regulated by the Occupational Safety and Health Act and the Act on the Registration and Evaluation, etc. of Chemical Substances(the Chemical Control Act). Conclusions: Regulations on cosmetics components should be strengthened, and the right to know about cosmetics containing hazardous chemicals should be guaranteed.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.5-15
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• 2018

Purpose - Nowadays customers have become empowered by information communication technologies. This state of customers has brought enormous pressure to bear on organizations, thus, organizations have to stay relevant, market-oriented and profitable. The insurance sector is one that is constantly challenged by its exposure to ICT and the associated need for e-services by myriad customers. With increasing competition in the health insurance environment, it is necessary for the sector to understand customer expectations and how they perceive the services offered. This study seeks to determine the role played by e-services in relation to customer satisfaction in health insurance industry in Botswana where a substantial investment has been made in the sector. Research design, data, and methodology - This study is conducted using two prominent medical aid schemes in Botswana namely BPOMAS and PULA. Subscribers of these medical schemes were the respondents whose views were sourced using both closed and open ended questionnaires. Systemic sampling technique was used to select the participants, while descriptive statistical techniques were mainly used to analyze socio-demographic data of the samples. Results - The results reveal that the level of usage of the medical insurance firm's website and email service is higher for PULA participants than for BPOMAS participants. Conclusions - The findings of this study have practical implications for managers who should understand customers' value perceptions regarding e-service quality in Botswana.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.2-13
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• 2022

Purpose: This study assessed the status of the Development and Utilization of critical pathways (CP) in South Korea. Methods: We surveyed 195 hospitals obtained on the Korean Hospital Association website. Data were collected using structured questionnaires for staff members in charge of CP management personnel in these hospitals. The questionnaire included CP developed by the institutions, the coverage rates and completion rates of CP in the current year, and management indicators related to CP. The questionnaire also included CP support systems and content within the institutions and questions regarding the advantages of CP utilization and obstacles associated with the CP development process. Results: Analysis of the responses from 70 hospitals (35.9% response rate) showed that a total of 1,370 CP sets were developed. The number of CP related to surgery departments was 365 (26.6%), and CP related to surgery and procedure was 1,093 (79.8%), respectively. The CP coverage rate was the most frequently used indicator to monitor the effect of CP (97.1%), followed by the completion rate (90.0%) and the length of stay in hospital (61.4%). CP managers reported that CP were highly useful for communication (3.39±0.493) and accurate information provision (3.39±0.491). The perception that CP violated doctors' autonomy in treatment was relatively low (2.87±0.645). Conclusion: It is necessary to establish an infrastructure in hospitals for CP. CP can facilitate communication and provide accurate information.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.5-24
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• 2023

Purpose: The objective of this review was to identify the research trends in Information and Communication Technology (ICT)-based health-related intervention studies for children and adolescents published in South Korea over the past 10 years. Methods: A scoping review was performed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analyses (PRISMA) and the system classification framework for digital health intervention 1.0 of the World Health Organization (WHO) was applied to analyze how technology was being used to support the needs of the health system. Results: A total of 18 studies were included in the final analysis. The participants were mainly children with a variety of diseases. No studies had used innovative technology platforms such as artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and robotics. In addition, the scope of application of the WHO classification criteria was quite limited. Finally, no intervention study considered technical operational indicators, such as the number of website visits and streaming as outcome measurements. Conclusions: Researchers should introduce advanced technology-based strategies to provide customized and professional healthcare services to children and adolescents in South Korea and continue efforts to integrate innovative ICT for various research purposes, subjects, and environments.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.255-267
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• 2012

High Internet usage and the public's keen interest on health have influenced the health care system, and a potential value of the online health information and medical consultation market is immense. This study reveals results from data collected from Seoul residents in the age group of 20s in 2011. Out of 499 respondents, 75.2% answered that they used online health information; however, only 7.2% answered that they have used online medical consultation services. Findings on the purposes of using online medical consultation included treatments of symptoms(33.6%) and self-disciplines of one's health(19.5%). Mostly used Websites for health information search included search engines and blogs, but respondents preferred to use government sites and hospital sites in the future. When choosing a medical consultation, respondents preferred a certain website for different reasons including creditability of the consultant(23.7%), creditability of the organization(23.7%), rapid responses(21.2%), and more. Overall, although health information search via web is being highly utilized among people in their 20s, utilization of online medical consulting is not. Thus, promotion efforts to increase awareness and utilization of online medical consulting based on the site selection criteria, type of personal information disclosure, and other preferences are essential. Also, creating websites meeting these criteria is important.

• KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Systems (TIIS)
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.231-244
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• 2022

With the improvement of people's living standards and the development of tourism, tourists have greater freedom in choosing destinations. Therefore, as an indicator of satisfaction with scenic spots, tourist comments are becoming increasingly prominent. This paper aims to compare and analyze the landscape image of the Five Great Mountains in China and provide specific strategies for its development. The online reviews of tourists on the Online Travel Agency (OTA) website about the Five Great Mountains from 2015 to 2018 are collected as research samples. The text analysis method and R language are used to analyze the content of the tourist reviews, while the high-frequency words in the word cloud are used for visual display. In addition, the entropy weight method is used to determine the index weight and tourist satisfaction is evaluated to understand the weaknesses of those scenic spots. The results of the study show that firstly, the tourist satisfaction with the Five Great Mountains is basically consistent with its popularity. Secondly, through weight analysis, tourists pay special attention to the landscape features and environmental health of the scenic area, so that relevant departments should focus on building the landscape characteristics and improving the environmental health of the scenic area. At the same time, the accommodation and service management of the scenic spot cannot be ignored. Finally, according to the analysis results, suggestions are made on how to improve the tourist satisfaction with the Five Great Mountains.

• Healthcare Informatics Research
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.283-291
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• 2018

Objectives: To identify the current status of smartphone usage and to describe the needs for smartphone-based cardiac telerehabilitation of cardiac patients. Methods: In 2016, a questionnaire survey was conducted in a supervised ambulatory cardiac rehabilitation (CR) program in a university affiliated hospital with the participation of heart failure or heart transplantation patients who were smartphone users. The questionnaire included questions regarding smartphone usage, demands for smartphone-based disease education, and home health monitoring systems. Results were described and analyzed according to principal diagnosis. Results: Ninety-six patients (66% male; mean age, $5{\pm}11$ years), including 56 heart failure and 40 heart transplantation patients, completed the survey (completion rate, 95%). The median daily smartphone usage time was 120 minutes (interquartile range, 60-300), and the most frequently used smartphone function was text messaging (61.5%). Of the patients, 26% stated that they searched for health-related information using their smartphones more than 1 time per week. The major source of health-related information was Internet browsing (50.0%), and the least sought source was the hospital's website (3.1%). Patients with heart failure expressed significantly higher needs for disease education on treatment plan, home health monitoring of blood pressure, and body weight (${\chi}^2=5.79$, 6.27, 4.50, p < 0.05). Heart transplantation patients expressed a significant need for home health monitoring of body temperature (${\chi}^2=5.25$, p < 0.05). Conclusions: Heart failure and heart transplantation patients show high usage of and interest in mobile health technology. A smartphone-based cardiac telerehabilitation program should be developed based on high demand areas and modified to suit to each principal diagnosis.

• The Journal of Korean Society for School & Community Health Education
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.67-78
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• 2010

Background & Objectives: Current trend is that funding agencies require investigators to share their data with others. However, there is limited guidance how to access and utilize the shared data. We sought to determine what common data sharing practices in U.S.A. are, what data-related to adolescent health are freely available, and how we deal with the large dataset adopting the complex study design. Methods: The study included only research data-related to adolescent health which was collected in USA and unlimitedly accessible through the internet. Only the raw data, not aggregated, was considered for the study. Major keywords for web search were "adolescent", "children", "health", and "school". Results: Current approaches for public health data sharing lacked of common standards and varied largely due to the data's complex nature, large size, local expertise and internal procedures. Some common data sharing practices are unlimited access, formal screened access, restricted access, and informal exclusive access. The Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention were the best data depository. "Data on the net" was search engine for the website providing data freely available. Six datasets related to adolescent health freely available were identified. The importance and methods of incorporating complex research design into analysis was discussed. Conclusion: There have been various attempts to standardize process for open access and open data using the information technology concept. However, it may not be easy for researchers to adapt themselves to this high technology. Therefore, guidance provided by this study may help researchers enhance the accessibility to and the utilization of the open source data.