• 한국임상약학회지
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• 제27권4호
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• pp.250-257
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• 2017

Objective: The prevalence rate of osteoarthritis in Koreans aged 50 years or older is 14.3%, and the total amount of medical costs is more than KRW 1 trillion. Recently, the reimbursement guidelines for osteoarthritis treatment have changed. Methods: In this study, we sought to describe prescription patterns of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and gastro-protective agent (GPA) and analyze the clinical and economic impacts of the new policy using the national health insurance claims data. The incidence of upper gastrointestinal adverse event by policy change was identified through the odds ratio, and changes in medicine and medical costs related to osteoarthritis through mean and median. Results: There were 204,552 patients before the reimbursement guidelines relaxation and 239,710 after it, a 17.2% rise. The prescription ratio was 3.3% for the patients prescribed with COX-2 selective NSAIDs alone and 1.3% for those with both COX-2 selective NSAIDs and GPA combination before the reimbursement guidelines relaxation. The reimbursement guidelines relaxation significantly increased their ratios to 6.9% and 2.8%, respectively. Gastrointestinal adverse events significantly reduced by 1.21%p after reimbursement guidelines relaxation. The average medicine cost per person increased significantly to KRW 140,291 from KRW 137,323 after the reimbursement guidelines relaxation, while the average medical cost per person slightly decreased from KRW 311,605 to KRW 310,755 after the relaxation, showing no meaningful difference. Conclusion: The reimbursement guidelines relaxation may influence on decreasing the upper gastrointestinal adverse event, increasing the medicine costs and maintaining the medical costs for osteoarthritis.

• 보건행정학회지
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• 제21권2호
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• pp.249-262
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• 2011

Since May 1st in 2008, the products of ginkgo biloba extract have had to be used with the patient's out-of-pocket payment due to reimbursement restriction guidelines. This study aims to analyze the policy effects of reimbursement restriction on pharmaceutical expenditures using interrupted time series(ITS) analysis. We retrieved monthly NHI claims data for the period between May, 2005 and December 2009. The ingredients identified as a substitute for ginkgo biloba have similar indications based on the similar pharmacological activities. The effects of changes in reimbursement scope were evaluated both for all relevant pharmaceuticals within the same therapeutic class and for 2 separate groups : ginkgo biloba's and its substitutes. According to the study results, restrictions on reimbursement scope resulted in savings of the drug expenditures in the targeted therapeutic class. Direct restriction on ginkgo biloba was associated with a decrease in expenditure level by 60.1% and changes in trend from an average increase rate of 1.4% to an average decrease rate of 1.5% for the therapeutic class, with a dramatic decrease in expenditure level(-191.5%) for ginkgo biloba itself, but with an increased expenditure level(+50.1%) and changes in trend from an average increase rate of 2.0% to an average decrease rate of 1.0% for the substitute group. Further policy to restrict nicergoline was associated with additional decrease in expenditure level for the therapeutic class. Additionally, we could identify the balloon effect - a new policy squeezing one part results in bulging out elsewhere. After the restriction of ginkgo biloba, the utilization of and expenditures on its substitutes increased significantly. In conclusion, we demonstrated that consecutively introduced policies effectively reduced overall expenditures on the therapeutic class of interest. Some ingredients played as a substitute while others did not. Further studies need to be conducted to identify which factors determine a substitute.

• 대한영양사협회학술지
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• 제8권1호
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• pp.26-32
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• 2002

In Korea, implementation of nutrition support guidelines has been limited due to strict health insurance reimbursement policies as well as the lack of consensus on the best approach to TPN management. We examined the impact of TPN provision to hospitalized patients where NST (nutrition support team ) consultations were not requested by their primary physicians. The study showed the followings : 1. The median dutation of TPN provision was 8 days, but many patients were on TPN for less than 1 week. 2. The intake of energy and protein were less than the patient's requirements 3. Lipid emulsion was not provided to the most TPN patients. In conclusion, the role of NST should be expanded and studies are needed not only on TPN formulations which are suitable to Koreans but also on the cost-effectiveness of NST activities. TPN policies and protocols should be established based on the needs of each hospital.

• 보건행정학회지
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• 제14권2호
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• pp.58-77
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• 2004

Cost containment has become high political issues since financial crisis of the Korean Health Insurance fund in 2000. Korean Government has developed and implemented several measures to reduce the pharmaceutical expenditures. Pharmaceutical economic evaluation can be a tool in decision to allocate scare resource efficiently. In order to increase the quality of economic evaluation for pharmaceuticals, the Korean Health Insurance Review Agency(HIRA) is considering the development of a guideline for economic evaluation. It mandates that pharmaceutical companies could submit the result of an economic evaluation when demanding reimbursement of new pharmaceutical drugs. The purpose of this study is to provide a critical review of the economic evaluations of health care technologies published in the Korean context whether they have been performed according to current guidelines and therefore whether their results are directly useful for decision making. We found there exist important problems and deviation from, good practice' both in the general features of the studies, like the study design and perspective, and in terms of cost measurement and valuation. There are needs to develop clear guidelines and to educate and train researchers in performing economic evaluations.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제14권11호
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• pp.6487-6491
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• 2013

To investigate the cognition of medical professionals when following screening guidelines for colorectal cancer (CRC) and barriers to CRC screening. Between February 2012 and December 2012, an anonymous survey with 19-questions based on several CRC screening guidelines was randomly administered to gastroenterologists, oncologists, general surgeons, and general practitioners in Jiangsu, a developed area in China where the incidence of CRC is relatively high. The average cognitive score was 26.4% among 924 respondents. Gastroenterologists and oncologists had higher scores compared with others (p<0.01 and p<0.01, respectively); doctor of medicine (M.D.) with or without doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) or holders with bachelor of medical science (BMS) achieved higher scores than other lower degree holders (P<0.05). More importantly, doctors who finished CRC related education in the past year achieved higher scores than the others (p<0.001). The most commonly listed barriers to referring high-risk patients for CRC screening were "anxiety about colonoscopy without anesthesia", "lack of awareness of the current guidelines" and "lack of insurance reimbursement". Lack of cognition was detected among doctors when following CRC screening guidelines for high-risk populations. Educational programs should be recommended to improve their cognition and reduce barriers to CRC screening.

• Journal of the Korean Data and Information Science Society
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• 제25권1호
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• pp.37-52
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• 2014

본 연구는 가정 호스피스완화의료 제도도입방안 연구의 일부로 가정호스피스 기관들의 실태를 파악하여 가정 호스피스완화의료 표준지침 개발을 위한 기초자료로서 활용하기 위해 시행되었다. 별도의 인력을 배정하고 지속적으로 가정호스피스를 운영하고 있는 7개 기관의 실무자들을 대상으로 개방식 서면조사와 포커스그룹 인터뷰를 실시하였다. 인터뷰에 참여한 기관들은 24시간 on call 서비스, 의사와 간호사, 사회복지사, 사목자를 포함한 호스피스팀 구성, 정기적 팀회의, 사별가족관리 등을 가정 호스피스완화의료의 필수사항으로 여기고 있었고, 필수 시설은 방문간호사 사무실 및 물품준비 공간, 필수 장비는 방문용 가방으로 파악되었다. 방문을 가장 많이 하는 인력은 간호사였고, 가정방문서비스를 위한 전담인력을 두어야 한다는 데에 합의하였다. 가정호스피스 활성화의 장애요인으로 가정 호스피스에 대한 보험수가보상이 없어 팀원의 방문이 제한적이고, 집에서 처방변경이 어려우며, 24시간 주 7일 입원연계가 어려운 점, 가정 내 돌봄제공자가 없는 경우가 늘어나고 있는 점 등이 제시되었다. 가정호스피스 제도화를 위해 가정호스피스 서비스의 표준 개발은 매우 시급하고도 중요하며, 이에 본 연구의 결과는 서비스 표준안의 초안 마련에 근거자료로 활용될 것이다.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제67권2호
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• pp.88-94
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• 2009

Background: From November 2006, The national health insurance system in the Republic of Korea began to cover prescribed long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT) in patients with chronic respiratory insufficiency. This study examined the current status of LTOT after national health insurance coverage. Methods: Between November 1, 2006 and June 30, 2008, the medical records of patients who were prescribed LTOT by chest physicians were reviewed. The data was collected from 13 university hospitals. Results: 197 patients (131 male and 66 female) were prescribed LTOT. The mean age was 64.3${\pm}$13.0 years. The most common underlying disease was chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (n=103, 52.3%). Chest physicians prescribed LTOT using arterial blood gas analysis or a pulse oxymeter (74.6%), symptoms (14%), or a pulmonary function test (11.2%). The mean oxygen flow rate was 1.56${\pm}$0.68 L/min at rest, 2.08${\pm}$0.91 L/min during exercise or 1.51${\pm}$0.75 L/min during sleep. Most patients (98.3%) used oxygen concentrators. Only 19% of patients used ambulatory oxygen supplies. The oxygen saturation before and after LTOT was 83.18${\pm}$10.48% and 91.64${\pm}$7.1%, respectively. After LTOT, dyspnea improved in 81.2% of patients. The mean duration of LTOT was 16.85${\pm}$6.71 hours/day. The rental cost for the oxygen concentrator and related electricity charges were 48,414${\pm}$15,618 won/month and 40,352${\pm}$36,815 won/month, respectively. Approximately 75% of patients had a regular visit by the company. 5.8% of patients had personal pulse oxymetry. 54.9% of patients had their oxygen saturation checked on each visit hospital. 8% of patients were current smokers. The most common complaint with LTOT was the limitation of daily activity (53%). The most common complaint with oxygen concentrators was noise (41%). Conclusion: The patients showed good compliance with LTOT. However, only a few patients used an ambulatory oxygen device or had their oxygen saturation measured.