• 보건행정학회지
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• 제5권1호
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• pp.31-58
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• 1995

The Korean government achieved the universal coverage of health insurance in July 1989, and concomitantly introduced a new measure of regulated health care delivery system in using medical care. There are three reasons why the government took the new health care delivery system. Firstly, there was ample room for improving the allocative efficiency in the use of medical facilities. And the second one was to constrain the dramatic increase of medical demand under health insurance. Thirdly, and the most important reason was to alleviate the patient crowdedness in big general hospitals, particularly tertiary hospitals. There are essentially two different ways to control the use of health care : one is to cut the demand for health care, and the other to regulate behaviors of providers through the use of incentives/disincentives, demand-side approach or supply-side approach. The objective of this study is to examine whether or not medical care utilization behaviors under health insurance scheme have been changed among medical facilities such as clinic, hospital, general hospital and tertiary hospital in comparison with those before and after the introduction, particularly whether the patient crowdedness in tertiary hospitals has been alleviated or not. In order to conduct this study, the insurance claim data during the period of January 1989 and July 1992 were analyzed by focusing on diagnosis of both inpatients and outpatients, and especially the fifteen most frequent diseases in ambulatory care and the seven most frequent diseases in hospitalizatio. In addition, the same analyses were made on the changes in medical care utilization by specialty department. This was because the five departments, such as family medicine, ENT, eye, dermatology and rehabilitation, were exempted from applying the regulated health care delivery system in tertiary hospitals. The study revealed that a remarkable alleviation effect in the crowdness was noted for tertiary hospitals. This effect was most conspicuous for the most frequent mild diseases of both inpatient and outpatient care. For example, the fifteen most frequent OPD care at tertiary facilities have decreased as much as by 40%, of which 34% belonged to the cut in initial visits. Meanwhile, the proportion of those who used general hospitals and private practitioner's clinics have increased due to the shift of patients. The cases from the five special departments were also decreased, but not so much as other departments. A problem was noted that, as time passed by, the decreasing tendencies of crowdness at tertiary hospitals due to the regulated system became slightly smaller. Therefore, through complementary remedies are needed for the future implementation.

• 보건행정학회지
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• 제23권3호
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• pp.266-280
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• 2013

Background: Information asymmetry between physicians and patients is one of the most unique characteristics of health care. But as consumerism spreads in health care sector, health care consumers are searching comparative information about quality and cost of providers from many information sources. Providing comparative information to health care consumers not only makes consumers choose hospital rationally, but also invigorates the health care market by providers' competition. However there are few studies regarding information searching behavior of health care consumers, then this study is carried out. Methods: The purpose of this study is to understand the information searching behavior of health care consumers based on their characteristics and the types of medical institutions. For this purpose, 313 spinal patients' data of 11 medical institutions (university hospital, spine specialized hospital, clinic) located in Seoul were collected by self-administered surveys. Results: The results of this study are as follows: 1) t-test/analysis of variance analysis showed that according to various characteristics of health care consumers and the types of medical institutions, the level of information searching of each source and the amount of information searching and searching outcomes are statistically different. 2) Regression analysis showed that influence on searching outcomes are statistically different according to the level of information searching of each source and searching content and the amount of information searching has positive effects on searching outcomes. Conclusion: The significance of this study is to provide empirical basis for establishment of health care policy reflecting information needs and preference of health care consumers.

• 보건의료산업학회지
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• 제12권1호
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• pp.81-93
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• 2018

Objectives : This cross-sectional study aims to investigate the differences in general health status (GHS) and physical care burdens (PCB) of inpatient groups in long-term care hospitals (LTCH). Methods : The data of 228 patients were analyzed by integrating the electronic medical record (EMR) data of 2016, recorded by the nurses of hospitalized patients in the hospital. Results : There was a statistically significant difference in the GHS between the high-medical demand group and the other groups, but there was no difference in the GHS among other groups. The overall PCB was higher in the high-medical demand group than in the middle-medical demand, and cognitive impairment groups, but not in the problem behavioral group. Conclusions : The current classification of patient groups has shown limitations in terms of the basis of differential benefits of the groups. In particular, the PCB of the problem behavior group was not different from that of any group; hence, it should be adjusted through further study. To control the surge of medical care costs, it is necessary to improve the irrationality of the LTCH pay system in terms of the integration and continuity for elderly care.

• 한국농촌간호학회지
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• 제19권1호
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• pp.44-54
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• 2024

Purpose: This study identifies the factors influencing unplanned readmissions among participants of the medical aid community care pilot program. Methods: This descriptive study analyzed data from 1,013 participants in a medical aid community care pilot program. Data were analyzed using multiple logistic regression analysis. Results: The presence of mental illness, injury-related conditions, long-term care grades, and activities of daily living scores are key factors influencing the likelihood of readmission. In particular, the presence of a mental disorder or an injury-related condition increased the probability of readmission, whereas individuals with long-term care grades 1~2 showed a decreased likelihood of readmission. Conclusion: This study emphasizes the importance of enhancing the management of mental and injury-related conditions, effective utilization of long-term care services, and improvement of ADL scores to reduce readmission. These findings offer crucial insights for enhancing the efficiency of home medical care benefit programs and sustainable expansion of services.

• 지역사회간호학회지
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• 제4권1호
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• pp.58-66
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• 1993

The purpose of this study was to explore the condition of periodic medical examination, and health care services in industries. This will offer some basic data in developing industrial nursing care requirements. To achieve this goal a self-administered questionnaire (developed by the academic affairs of community health nursing) was provided to the nurses working in 40 industries from Dec 20, 1992 to Jan 20, 1993. The statistical computer package SAS, along with t-test, and ANOVA was used to manipulate the date. The results were as follows : 1. General Characteristics: The greater part of the industries studied were manufacturing company, with over 500 employees. The shift system was used with most companies using one or three shifts, and 75.0% of them were organized with Industrial Safety and Health Committees. 2. Periodic Medical Examination : Most of the workers were receiving periodic medical examination from a designated hospital (96.7%). Of those 15.8% had a close medical examination. In the medical examination 9.4% were evaluated at 'C' and 3.8 were evaluated at 'D'. About 55.0% of those workers received the result of the periodic medical examination individually(95.0%). 3. Special Medical Examination : The rate of those who were receiving special medical examination was 98.4% and about 11.7% were evaluated at 'C' and 3.9% were evaluated at 'D'. Those who had any health problems (54.2%) were receiving follow-up care, 52.4% of them had medical treatment while working. The health care managers in the company consulted 97.1% of them who had any suspicious signs and symptoms of occupational diseases. 4. Health Care Services : The average score of health care services was 13.8 out of a possible 28 point. The score of health education and health assessment, was lower than medical diagnosis and environmental hygiene. There were no significant differences in health care services according to the size of the industries(F=.95, P=.429). The score of health care services was higher in the worker who had better health and showed significant differences (F=4.50, p=.025).

• 한국의료질향상학회지
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• 제5권1호
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• pp.2-14
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• 1998

The aim of this study was to examine differences in the level of satisfaction with medical care at a public health center between patients receiving free-care compared to those paying out-of-pocket. SERVQUAL(Comprehensive Service Quality Measurement Scale), a pyschometrically valid measure for evaluating hospital service quality, was used to assess patient satisfaction. The study sample consisted of 279 patients who received medical care at a public health center. The interview was conducted between April 23 and May 7, 1998. The results was as follow: 1. There were more elderly people among free-care patients than out-of-pocket patients. Education and income levels were lower amongs those receiving free-care. There were, however, no differences in the distribution of gender and religion between the two groups. Patients receiving free-care tended to visit the public health center more frequently compared to those self-paying patients. 2. Overall, free-care patients showed higher satisfaction level than that of self-paying patients. except for the dimension on sympathy and shape.

• 보건의료산업학회지
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• 제8권3호
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• pp.49-61
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• 2014

Due to the rapid population's aging, the life span's expansion and social & cultural characteristics, the standards of age classes in senescence are changed. Thus, this study aimed to identify the influential factors on health care utilization in the elderly by age class, and targeted 2,937 adults in their ages over 55 years old from the Korea Health Panel's 2009 Yearly Integrated Data. This study investigated the target health care utilization in the elderly in relation with the gender, the education level, the health-care insurance type, the income, the current job state, the chronic disease. In order to analyze the influential factors on health care utilization in the elderly, the multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to the data. As the results from this study, Concerning the influential factors on the health care utilization, the income, the subjective health state, the chronic disease and the regularly meals for the young-old influenced. Concerning the influential factors on the health care utilization, the subjective health state for the old. Concerning the influential factors on the health care utilization, the subjective health state, the income for the older-old influenced. Concerning the influential factors on the health care utilization, the education level, the spouse, the economic activity and the drinking oldest-old influenced. Therefore, it will need to provide systemic health-care & medical services, to develop health-care & medical programs and the health-care & medical policies and to execute them according to the age classes in senescence.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제23권3호
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• pp.285-295
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• 1990

The utilization of medical care services has been partly regionalized with the implementation of referral requirement by the government since July 1, 1989 when the health insurance coverage was extended to all the people. For the purpose of regionalization, the whole country has been primarily divided into tertiary care regions, and each of them again into secondary care regions. This study investigates the self-sufficiency for in-patient care services of secondary care regions focusing on why it varies among the regions. In doing so, analysis is performed to examine a model which embodies three sets of hypotheses as follows : 1) The regional self-sufficiency for medical care services would be subject to direct influences of regional characteristics, amount of available services and structural properties of regional medical care system ; 2) The regional characteristics would have indirect effects on the self-sufficiency which are mediated by medical care services ; and 3) The amount of available services would indirectly affect the self-sufficiency by influencing the structure of regional medical care system. The results of analysis were generally consistent with the model. The findings have some practical implications. The regional self-sufficiency for medical care services partly depends upon basic properties of each region which cannot be changed in a short period of time. Thus the self-sufficiency for medical care services can be improved mainly by health policy measures. In some of the regions the self-sufficiency for in-patient care services was much higher or lower than can be predicted from the bed-population ratio. Indication is that the allocation of health resources should be made considering a variety of factors bearing upon the supply of and demand for health care ; not on the basis of just a single criterion like the availability. The self-sufficiency of a certain region is related to not only its own characterstics but also the characteristics of neighboring regions. Therefore, attention should be also directed to the inter-regional relationships in health care when the needs for investment of health resources in a region are assessed. However, it should be noted that this study used the data collected before the referral requirement was imposed. A replication of this analysis using recent data would provide an evaluation of the impact on the self-sufficiency of the referral requirement as well as a confirmation of the findings of this study.

• 성인간호학회지
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• 제12권4호
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• pp.641-653
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• 2000

A quantitative descriptive survey was conducted to assess the needs of elderly people in relation to accessibility of medical care. Identifying their functional status was done and accessibility of medical care was ascertained. Using a convenient sampling method, 856 elderly aged 65 and over in Taejon-city participated. A multi-dimensional questionnaire containing sections on health status, Activities of Daily Living(ADLs) and accessibility of medical care in terms of use, time, distance, transport, cost and feeling at ease was developed by the researchers of this study to collect data. Data were collected between October and December, 1999. In general, the result of the self-reports from this study found that approximately 40% of participants had difficulties with their health status and ADLs while about 45% of the population did not access medical care. The majority of respondents stated that they had no difficulties with time distance and transport to access medical care. About two-thirds of the respondents felt that they had many or some difficulties with expenses and strategies for emergency to access medical care. Even though these findings need to be generalized, several recommendations for appropriate medical care delivery for the elderly still can be outlined from the study findings. Recommendations suggested are: To identify impediments to access medical care in emergency in elderly people and to remove those factors preventively are required. Responsible governmental involvement for solving problems of the medical care cost and additional costs in relation to separation of dispensary from medical practice for the elderly is required. More constructive and practical uses of public health community centers are recommended.

• 보건행정학회지
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• 제17권2호
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• pp.33-51
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• 2007

The disabled population is a vulnerable group, having very complex medical conditions, but little is known about differences in the level of access by type of disability. This study was performed to investigate the differences of health care utilization by the type of disability. The database was constructed from registry of the disabled and health insurance and medical aid claims data submitted to the Korea Health Insurance Cooperation during in the year 2003. The disability classified three groups according to the Disabled Welfare Act; physically disability with external dysfunction, physically disability with organic disease, and mentally disability. There were huge differences in health care utilization by the type of disability. For the inpatient care, those with a mental disability were more likely to utilize health care services in terms of average visit number of medical facilities and visit days per case, but the treatment amount per case was the highest in physically disabled with organic disease. For the outpatient care, those who the physically disabled with organic disease were more likely to utilize health care services in terms of average visit number of medical facilities, treatment amount per case, and the treatment days per case. Also, those who physically disabled with organic disease were more likely to utilize general hospital for both inpatient and outpatient care, and spent more out-of-pocket expenditure. As the number of persons with disabilities rises, the need to consider new approaches to protecting their health grows increasingly. Especially, Korean health care system should be refined to be more responsive to the needs of the type of disability.