• Journal of the Korean Data and Information Science Society
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.201-209
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• 2010

Due to the dramatic increase of mortality from ischemic heart disease (IHD) during the last decade, it is highly warranted to present the effective prevention strategy. Therefore this study identified the major risk factors of IHD over 10 years of follow-up among 2,268,018 participants of National Health Insurance Exam in 1996 with Cox proportional hazard model. In men, BMI, blood pressure, smoking were significantly associated with IHD, whereas hypertension, perceived health status and ${\gamma}$-GTP were related with IHD in women.

• Journal of East-West Nursing Research
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.172-178
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• 2010

Purpose: We examined the relationship between the health-related issues of elderly women and bone density and identified specific factors that affect the prevalence of osteoporosis to provide basic data for developing a health care program on osteoporosis prevention. Methods: This study is a secondary data analysis of 118,903 66-yr-old women who received a health examination conducted by the National Health Insurance Corporation in 2008. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors affecting the prevalence of osteoporosis. Results: The prevalence of osteoporosis was 46.8%, whereas the prevalence of osteopenia was 38.4% among elderly women in this study. Statistically significant differences were observed between the osteoporosis and non-osteoporosis group in terms of smoking (p<.001), exercise (p<.001), obesity (p<.001), waist circumference (p<.001), depression (p<.001), falling experience (p<.05), and the cognitive function risk (p<.05). Based on the multiple logistic regression results, the risk for osteoporosis was high in those who were under-weight, smoked, or were depressed. In contrast, moderate or high level obesity showed a negative relationship with osteoporosis. Conclusion: The prevalence of osteopenia and osteoporosis was 85.2%. Therefore, there is a need to develop health care programs pertaining to osteoporosis intervention and prevention for elderly women. Because smoking, non-exercise, and obesity are main osteoporosis risk factors, it is highly recommended that some sound practical life programs and psychological support programs be considered for this population.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.379-388
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• 2023

This study aims to propose the implementation of innovative payment models in Korea in order to promote the financial sustainability of the national health insurance system by reviewing the current status of the payment system in Korea and examining other countries' experiences with various innovative payment models. Korea primarily uses a fee-for-service payment system and additionally uses various payment systems such as case payment, per diem, and pay-for-performance. However, each payment system has its limitations. Many OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries have pointed out the limitations of existing payment systems and have been attempting various innovative payment models (e.g., add-on payment, bundled payment, and population-based payment). Therefore, it is essential for Korea to consider innovative payment models, such as a mixed payment model that takes into account the strengths and weaknesses of each payment system, and to design and pilot these models. This process requires stakeholders to work together to build a social consensus on the implementation of innovative payment systems and to refine legal and systematic aspects, develop an integrated health information system, and establish dedicated organizations and committees. These efforts towards innovative payment models will contribute to developing a sustainable health insurance system that ensures the public's health and well-being in Korea.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.59-67
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• 2024

Objectives : This study aims to systematically examine the determinants of the intention to take herbal medicine among individuals with experience in Korean medicine. Methods : This study utilized the 3,245 respondents from the 2020 Korean Medicine Utilization and Herbal Medicine Consumption Survey who reported having used Korean medical services; the responses were selected through a complex sample analysis, and analytics techniques including frequency analysis, Rao-scott chisquare test, and logistic regression were used to analyze the responses. Results : The results of data analysis reveal that the intention to take herbal medicine in the future among these individuals was significantly influenced by factors such as enrollment in private health insurance, the facility environment of Korean medical institutions, and treatment outcomes. Conclusions : Therefore, it is imperative for Korean medical institutions to continuously try reasonable action strategies, including improving medical facilities/environments and building institutional mechanisms among medical staff and members to enhance the quality of Korean medical services. Additionally, the Ministry of Health and Welfare needs to make policy efforts to reduce patients' medical expenses, such as reducing the co-insurance rate in the pilot project of applying health insurance to herbal medicine.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.142-165
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• 2009

Although providing universal coverage for health care through the National Health Insurance(NHI) is a remarkable achievement, the issue of limited benefit coverage of the NHI has been at the core of national debate over how to improve its coverage. This study aims to evaluate benefit extension strategies and implemented policies with regard to the NHI since 1989 using 'policy window theory' proposed by John W. Kingdon. Understanding problem stream, policy stream, political stream, and coupling streams regarding the NHI, in particular benefit extension, would contribute to broaden policy debates and to develop more effective strategies for the future. Historically, political stream had opened policy window in the past two decades and policy streams can be characterized by three waves. Three streams have been coupled since 2003 and the government had a strong will to fulfill better performance of NHI coverage. Study findings indicate that identification of problem structure regarding NHI benefit was not connected with policy stream tightly. In addition, there has been limited discussion on policy goal and principles for extension coverage of the NHI. Policy strategies to improve coverage of the NHI should be linked to characteristics of problem and sought solutions under the principle which is expected to be sustainable through consensus in the society.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.467-496
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• 2012

Public participation in the decision making for scarce health resources is important because health policy requires trust based consensus, which can be achieved by public's understanding and involvement of related policies. In the past, opportunities for interaction between health policy decision makers and lay public were rare in Korea. As political impulses towards public participation in health policy have increased, a few of deliberation methods were attempted. However, there is little research, reporting such cases with a critical examination of relevant theories and previous studies. We first critically review the literature on public participation within theories of democracy, governance, and empowerment. Next, we report a case of a citizen council experiment, which was held to examine public's preferences among different benefit options regarding new drugs and medical technologies. Specifically, in an one-day long citizen council with a total of 28 lay public, twelve questions of whether a drug or a technology should be included in the benefit package of health insurance were asked. Pre- and post-surveys investigated participants' perception of public engagement in health policy. Although it was experimental, the citizen council ensured that lay public could be careful enough to rationally compare the costs and benefits of different options and collectively make decisions. Further, results from pre- and post-survey showed a strong willingness of members to be involved in health care decision making. In the conclusion, we emphasize that better theories and methods need to be developed for more cases of citizen participation in health care policy and management.

• The Journal of Information Technology
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.121-136
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• 2004

The purpose of this paper is to study the current situations of trade financial EDI based on The BOLERO system, New BOLERO system, The NACCS system in Japan and The EDEN(Electronic DElivery Negotiable document) system and problems in application of marine insurance contracts. Entwined with the contracts of carriage in international sale transactions is a contract of marine insurance by which the goods are insured against maritime perils. In the thesis I tried to explain the problems of paperless marine insurance contracts based on problems in relating to formation of the transit insurance contract and replication the functions of the marine insurance policy electronically.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.84-101
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• 2002

This study collected and analyzed the datum related to consultation fee in National Health Insurance Corporation and characteristics of dental clinics for 819 dental clinics in Daegu and Kyungpook districts to specify the distribution and concentration rate of health insurance consultation fee and the critical elements of insurance consultation fee income. The average health insurance consultation fee per one dental clinics is 77.2 million won and the case of women dentists is 78.7 million won. That is higher than 79.9 million won that the case of man dentist. According to age, under 39 is 85.5 million won that is highest, declining little by little above 60s the number decreased to merely 23.9 million won. And the dentists whose business years from 5 to 10 are the highest and declining gradually. The more of engaging members to dental clinics is the larger the income. The average insurance consultation fee of Daegu province is 69.3 million won, but that of Kyungpook is 89.6 million won. Decile distribution ratio of dental clinics consultation fee income is 0.526 and Gini coefficient is 0.303. Decile distribution ratio of Daegu district is 0.489, Gini coefficient is 0.320. This explain the larger inequality compared with Kyungpook(0.623, 0.273). With age, Gini coefficient of below 39 is 0.260, the higher age is, the larger the number is, up to abode 60 the coefficient is 0.504, the degree of inequality is most extremely. insurance consultation fee and the number of cases of consultation is related to the age of dentists, duration of practice, the number of dentists and staffs engaging and provinces. That is, the lesser the age is, the longer the years of engaging are, the more the number of dentists and staffs we, the larger insurance consultation fee income and the number of cases of consultations we. And the fee fur one case is closely related to age and provinces. The fee for one case is higher in lower age, and that of in Daegu dental clinics is higher than in Kyungpook.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.117-134
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• 2006

Korean health care system introduced the reform for separation between prescribing and dispensing of drugs (SPD reform) in the latter part of the year 2000. The objective of this paper is to look at what change this reform has brought about in the financial situation of Korean public health insurance scheme, particularly in terms of insurance benefit outlay. Since the inception of the reform is a development of more than five years ago, its impact on the finance situation would now start to become apparent. Hypothesis is set in this study for each of three components of drug reimbursement in health insurance, i.e. average price level, composition of drugs and their overall volume. In terms of the classification of health care services by mode of production, the impact of the SPD reform is confined mainly to the last two among three drug reimbursement fields including inpatient department, out-patient department and pharmacy. Pure impact of the SPD reform was estimated to be more or less than 1.7 trillion won, 13.1% of the total outlay of the Nation Health Insurance in 2001, and more than 2.0 trillion won, 14.9% of the total outlay of the Nation Health Insurance in 2003. Both dispensing fees for the pharmacists, which had been newly introduced on occasion of the SPD reform, and larger share of expensive drugs in the medicines prescribed by doctors were confirmed to be main drivers of the augmentation of drug reimbursement.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.20-44
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• 2004

The National Health Insurance Expenditure has been increased rapidly since the introduction of the separation of prescription and dispensing in 2000, and this trend of rapid growth in overall spendings rate has been observed predominantly among medical practitioners. This study was conducted to investigate the growth rate and distributional changes in private medical practitioners' expenses from 1999 to 2002 and its determinants using the National Health Insurance claims data. The total increasing rate of all medical practitioners' expenditure paid by the National Health Insurance between 1999 and 2002 was $41.71\%$, which exceeding that of general hospitals by $20\%$p. But the income distribution among each practitioner was improved as the changes in Gini coefficient(from 0.40 to 0.38) and decile distribution ratio(from 0.25 to 0.29) during the same period showed. However, this improvement in distributional patterns is not enough since even in 2002 it turned out that the highest $10\%$ income group earned 33times more than the lowest $10\%$ income group did. Also, higher Gini coefficient was observed in larger cities and some department like plastic surgery, obstetrics and gynecology. The major causes of this differentials in medical practitioners' expenses were factors related to medical demand like proportion of old population, residential economic status in a given area. In addition, providers' economic incentives also played an important role in determining their income distribution. The large income differentials among physicians may imply a skewed distribution of patients and thus long waiting time, inefficient utilization of resources and potential inadequate quality of care. In this sense, unreasonable distributional gaps should be reduced, so effective measures as well as ongoing monitoring would be necessary to correct current distributional problems.