• Title/Summary/Keyword: waiting room

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Analysis of the Issues received by Quality Improvement Department and their Management in a Medical Center (일 의료원의 통합 고충처리센터 접수 내용과 이에 대한 해결방안 분석)

  • Tark, Kwan-Chul;Park, Hyun-Ju;Chun, Ja-Hae;Kang, Eun-Sook;Moon, Ju-Young;Choi, Mi-Young;Kim, Hyun-Ju;Kang, Jin-Kyung
    • Quality Improvement in Health Care
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    • v.7 no.1
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    • pp.118-131
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    • 2000
  • Background : A continuous healthcare quality improvement is needed to provide high quality healthcare service as well as to maintain trust in terms of satisfying the needs of the patients. Recently it also became an essential issue. in hospital management, recognized for it's competitive potentiality among healthcare organization groups. This study was conducted to analyze patient complaints and issues received by the Quality Improvement Department. Its purpose is to improve healthcare qualities within the hospital, as well as establish policies and appropriate strategies in hospital management. Method : From July 1st to September 30th of the year 1999, we analyzed all complaints and issues made by various patients and their families, which were received through 24 hour phone consultation, numerous suggestion boxes, letters and E-mails, The issues were classified into 16 different categories based on a Patient Satisfaction Assessment Tool. All data were segregated according to the departmental frequencies and their contents. To come up with for environmental and patient satisfaction improvement, all complaints or issues were communicated with hospital administrators, medical and nursing staff and employees. Comprehensive customer satisfaction activities including improving phone etiquette were discussed in Customer Satisfaction Team, CQI Team and each Department. All opportunities for improvement were implemented. Feedback actions were discussed. Results : A total of 317 cases were collected. Issues regarding parking and other accommodation facilities were most common complaints that were 14.5% of total. Issues regarding admission rooms (10.7%), admission procedures (10.7%), waiting room environment (8.8%), nurses and nurse assistants (7.6%), physicians (6.6%) and others (23%) followed. Thirteen of 45 departments received more than 8 complaints. The Nursing Department had the most complaint, receiving 9.8% of total complaints. Complaints regarding the Nursing Department were predominantly related to the environment of patient rooms. The Department of Psychiatry for phone etiquette (4.7%), Department of Otolaryngology for the nursing staff's attitude and phone etiquette (4.4%), and the Admission Department followed. As a part of efforts to improve patient satisfaction, a new parking structure was built and reallocation of the parking space was done. Renovation of other accommodation facilities were carried out by hospital administration, Monthly phone call and answering attitude survey was done by QI Department. Based on this survey we made a phone etiquette manual and distributed throughout the hospital. Compare to the last year, Patient Satisfaction Index measured by Korea Productivity Center using National Customer Satisfaction Index was improved 7 points. According to our organization's own study, we confirmed the phone etiquette was improved 11% than last year. Conclusions : Issues related to parking and other accommodation facilities ranked first followed by complaints made regarding the patient care area, the admission and cashier process, and nurses' and doctors' attitude. The Nursing and Psychiatry Departments need improvement regarding phone etiquette. Results were shared and played a vital role in policymaking and strategic planning of the hospital. It is imperative that we keep our database updated by listening to and solving the needs of each patient. The CQI activities can be achieved only by full commitment of the hospital top management supported by related personal.

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Expectations of the First Visit to Orofacial Pain Clinic for the Patients with Temporomandibular Disorders (구강안면통증클리닉에 처음 내원한 턱관절장애 환자들의 내원 목표)

  • Won, Sang-Yeon;Kim, Hye-Kyung;Kim, Mee-Eun
    • Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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    • v.35 no.4
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    • pp.265-273
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    • 2010
  • Understanding patients' expectation for health visits and providing appropriate care may increase patients' satisfaction with health care, leading to more positive treatment outcome. The study aimed to investigate expectations of the patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMD) at their first visit to university-based orofacial pain clinic and to evaluate any relation with duration of pain, presence of previous treatment, pain severity and pain interference. Inclusion criterion was patients aged over and 18 years old and diagnosed as TMD during 3 months' period from Aug to Nov 2010. They were asked to complete the questionnaires for patients' expectation and the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) at waiting room prior to consultation. 322 TMD patients participated in the study(M:F=1:1.5, mean age=36 years old). The study indicated that the most important top 3 expectations were 'cure of pain', 'understanding their problem' and 'doctor-patient communication' in order. This finding was not affected by gender, duration and previous treatment history but affected by sub-category of TMD and BPI pain severity and pain interference. 'Pain relief' and 'understanding their problems' were relatively highlighted in the patients with muscle disorders and combination (joint-muscle) disorders of TMD than those with joint disorders who wanted communication and further investigation relatively more (p=0.000). While expectation for pain relief was expected more with increase of pain severity and interference, patients with mild level of pain severity and interference expected communication and further investigation relatively more (p=0.000, 0.017, respectively). Based on the results of the study, though pain relief was the primary concern for TMD patients suffering from pain, their satisfaction with care may be increased by explanation for etiology and mechanism of TMD to make them understand their problems better and doctor-patient communication and collaborative decision-making for treatment. Importance of patient-centered consultations and availability of written material or web sites for patient information should be stressed out.

Indoor Exposure and Health Risk of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) via Public Facilities PM2.5, Korea (II)

  • Kim, Ho-Hyun;Lee, Geon-Woo;Yang, Ji-Yeon;Jeon, Jun-Min;Lee, Woo-Seok;Lim, Jung-Yun;Lee, Han-Seul;Gwak, Yoon-Kyung;Shin, Dong-Chun;Lim, Young-Wook
    • Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment
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    • v.8 no.1
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    • pp.35-47
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    • 2014
  • The purpose of the study is to evaluate the pollution level (gaseous and particle phase) in the public facilities for the PAHs, non-regulated materials, forecast the risk level by the health risk assessment (HRA) and propose the guideline level. PAH assessments through sampling of particulate matter of diameter < 2.5 ${\mu}m$ ($PM_{2.5}$). The user and worker exposure scenario for the PAHs consists of 24-hour exposure scenario (WIES) assuming the worst case and the normal exposure scenario (MIES) based on the survey. This study investigated 20 PAH substances selected out of 32 substances known to be carcinogenic or potentially carcinogenic. The risk assessment applies major toxic equivalency factor (TEF) proposed from existing studies and estaimates individual Excess Cancer Risk (ECR). The study assesses the fine dusts ($PM_{2.5}$) and the exposure levels of the gaseous and particle PAH materials for 6 spots in each 8 facility, e.g. underground subway stations, child-care facilities, elderly care facilities, super market, indoor parking lot, terminal waiting room, internet caf$\acute{e}$ (PC-rooms), movie theater. For internet caf$\acute{e}$ (PC-rooms) in particular, that marks the highest $PM_{2.5}$ concentration and the average concentration of 10 spots (2 spots for each cafe) is 73.3 ${\mu}g/m^3$ (range: 6.8-185.2 ${\mu}g/m^3$). The high level of $PM_{2.5}$ seen in internet cafes was likely due to indoor smoking in most cases. For the gaseous PAHs, the detection frequency for 4-5 rings shows high and the elements with 6 rings shows low frequency. For the particle PAHs, the detection frequency for 2-3 rings shows low and the elements with 6 rings show high frequency. As a result, it is investigated that the most important PAHs are the naphthalene, acenaphthene and phenanthrene from the study of Kim et al. (2013) and this annual study. The health risk assessment demonstrates that each facility shows the level of $10^{-6}-10^{-4}$. Considering standards and local source of pollution levels, it is judged that the management standard of the benzo (a)pyrene, one of the PAHs, shall be managed with the range of 0.5-1.2 $ng/m^3$. Smoking and ventilation were considered as the most important PAHs exposure associated with public facility $PM_{2.5}$. This study only estimated for inhalation health risk of PAHs and focused on the associated cancer risk, while multiple measurements would be necessary for public health and policy.

Dental Fear Level according to Oral Symptom Awareness in College Students (일부 대학생들의 구강 내 증후증상 인식과 치과공포수준)

  • Yoon, Hyun-Seo
    • Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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    • v.17 no.12
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    • pp.198-204
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    • 2016
  • This research studied the relevance of oral symptoms and fear to find solutions for prevention and treatment at the right time. The study was conducted over a three-month period from September to November 2015. College students who lived in the region of Busan were surveyed, and the data from 288 respondents were analyzed. The female students felt a higher level of fear in every item than the males. To be specific, there were statistically significant differences in postponing the appointment (p=0.014), tension during treatment (p=0.001), dread when making the appointment (p=0.001), dread upon arrival (p=0.001), dread in the waiting room (p=0.001), dread of dental smells (p=0.006), dread while undergoing anesthesia (p<0.001), dread when receiving an injection (p<0.001), dread when looking at a tool for tooth preparation (p<0.001), dread of the sound of a tool for tooth preparation (p<0.001), dread of the feelings of tooth preparation (p<0.001), dread during scaling(p<0.001), and apprehension about the entire treatment (p<0.001). Concerning the fear level according to oral symptom awareness, the respondents with dental caries experienced a higher level of fear in terms of treatment avoidance (p=0.001), physiological reactions (p=0.001) and overall Dental Fear Survey (DFS)(p=0.003), and the students whose teeth were broken had a higher level of fear in terms of treatment avoidance (p=0.010), stimulus factors (p=0.031) and overall DFS (P=0.019). The students who had a missing tooth felt a higher level of fear in terms of physiological reactions (p=0.019) and overall DFS (p=0.033), and the respondents with gingival pain felt a higher level of pain in terms of the stimulus factors (p=0.013) and overall DFS (p=0.034). Therefore, college students should be educated to visit a dental clinic when they are aware of any oral symptom, and methods to reduce the stimulus factors as much as possible should be considered carefully to relieve dental fear.

Study on economic effects of outsourcing of food materials on the hotel kitchen - Focus on cooking Western food in the first class hotel - (식재료 아웃소싱이 경제적 주방에 미치는 영향에 관한 연구 - 특1급호텔 양식조리를 중심으로 -)

  • 성태종
    • Journal of Applied Tourism Food and Beverage Management and Research
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    • v.13 no.2
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    • pp.45-69
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    • 2002
  • This study is designed to examine feasibility and limitation of outsourcing in cooking Western food in a hotel, to interpret importance of outsourcing(eg. outside order, outside procurement, outside supply) in a broad sense in order to reinforce the core capacity in the cooking department, and to know whether the cooking human power is efficiently used and how much the chefs recognize outsourcing of food materials. As many companies conduct restructuring to cut down its size, the reduction of human power led the Western food cooking in the hotel to lower core capacities, lower quality, and lower efficiency. In addition, the sagging morale of chefs undermined creativity. To change from the traditional kitchen to an economic kitchen needs to look into importance of outsourcing, cognitive attitude of chefs, relation with outside suppliers. Here suggests performance of positive changes in the structure The study examined feasibility and limitation of outsourcing in the hotel kitchen as well as chefs' cognitive attitude toward outsourcing of food materials to reinforce core capabilities of the hotel kitchen. 1. Companies of outsourcing are selected according to variability of price conditions, flexibility of contract conditions, popularity of the outsourcing company, and reputation of the outsourcing company. 2. The importance of outsourcing in the Western food cooking is divided into 4 factors such as standard of selecting outsourcing companies, policies of cooking manu, quality of cooking, and quantity of cooking. 3. The most feasible section in outsourcing of food materials is a process of kneading flour for bread, which shows that many Western-food chefs expect to put higher possibility of outsourcing on the kneading. In other words, when it comes to confectionery and bakery, there are many outside expert processing companies supplying high quality products. In the order of outsourcing feasibility, sauce is followed by processed vegetable, garnish of main dish, and soup. The least feasible section in outsourcing of food materials is appetize. Appetize includes a concept of a improvised dish and needs speed. Due to its color, freshness, and sensibility of taste, the appetize plays a key role in the Western food cooking. 4. When outsourcing is taken in place, the highest risk is to lower the inner cooking skills. Therefore chefs in charge of the Western food sequently recognize both internal problems including storage of cooking skills, unstability of layoffs, and loss of cooperation between departments, and external problems including inferior goods, difficulty of differentiating manu, delay of delivery, and expiration date. It shows that most of the Western food chefs consider risks of the internal problems at first. 5. A effective outsourcing needs appropriate selection of outsourcing companies, maintenance of credibility, active communication, check and management of hygiene. However regardless of their position or career, chefs in charge of the Western food have the same cognitive attitude toward selecting successful outsourcing companies after the outsourcing system is enforced. The core of cooking, or a final stage in the full process of so-called artistic cooking, should be treated with insourcing. Reduction of several cooking processes resulted in shortened cooking time, increased efficiency, faster cooking, cutting the waiting-lines, and finally more room for customers. The outsourcing system can reduce or eliminate the following processes in cooking: buying various food materials, checking, storing, preparing, and processing. Especially in the Western food cooking department of a hotel, the outsourcing system should be enforced to make an economic kitchen and to efficiently manage it. Wow it's time to change from the traditional kitchen to an economic kitchen in the hotel cooking department. For that, the cooking department should become a small but strong organization by outsourcing except its core work.

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Maximum Value Calculation of High Dose Radioiodine Therapy Room (고용량 방사성옥소 치료 병실의 최대치 산출)

  • Lee, Kyung-Jae;Cho, Hyun-Duck;Ko, Kil-Man;Park, Young-Jae;Lee, In-Won
    • The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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    • v.14 no.1
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    • pp.28-34
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    • 2010
  • Purpose: According to increment of thyroid cancer recently, patients of high dose radioiodine therapy were accumulated. Taking into consideration the acceptance capability in the current facility, this study is to calculate the maximum value of high dose radioiodine therapy in patients for treatment. Materials and Methods: The amount and radioactivity of waste water discharged from high dose radioiodine therapy in patients admitted at present hospital as well as the radiation density of the air released into the atmosphere from the high dose radioiodine therapy ward were measured. When the calculated waste water's radiation and its density in the released air satisfies the standard (management standard for discharge into water supply 30 Bq/L, management standard for release into air 3 $Bq/m^3$) set by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, the maximum value of treatable high dose radioiodine therapy in patients was calculated. Results: When we calculated in a conservative view, the average density of radiation of waste water discharged from treating high dose radioiodine therapy one patient was 8 MBq/L and after 117 days of diminution in the water-purifier tank, it was 29.5 Bq/L. Also, the average density of radiation of waste water discharged from treating high dose radioiodine therapy two patients was 16 MBq/L and after 70 days of diminution in the water-purifier tank, it was 29.7 Bq/L. Under the same conditions, the density of radiation released into air through RI Ventilation Filter from the radioiodine therapy ward was 0.38 $Bq/m^3$. Conclusion: The maximum value of high dose radioiodine therapy in patients that can be treated within the acceptance capability was calculated and applied to the current facility, and if double rooms are managed by improving the ward structure, it would be possible to reduce the accumulated treatment waiting period for radioiodine therapy in patients.

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Analysis of Actual State for Hospice Programs in Korea (호스피스 프로그램 운영 현황 조사)

  • Chang, Hyun-Sook;Park, Sylvia;You, Sun-Ju
    • Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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    • v.3 no.1
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    • pp.4-17
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    • 2000
  • Purpose : This study aimed to investigate and to evaluate the present conditions of hospice programs in Korea for supplying data useful in making policy in hospice, which is not institutionalized yet. Method : For this purpose we surveyed 59 hospice programs regarding the general characteristics, manpower, patients, services, financial conditions, and facilities. Thirty-seven hospice programs answered the questionnaires. Result : They were 11 tertiary hospitals, 11 other hospitals, 3 clinics, 12 home care hospice, and 1 freestanding hospice. Only 9 hospice programs have all of the essential professionals: physicians, nurses, social workers, clergies, and volunteers. In some hospice programs, volunteers who had not been trained for hospice provided services to terminal patients. More than half of the hospice said they provided services to the patients who lost their consciousness and were not suitable for hospice care. 16% of the hospice said they did not keep the patients' record. Some hospitals including tertiary hospitals provided such intensive care as radiotherapy, TPN, injections to hospice patients. Many hospice programs other than hospitals didn't charge patients for hospice care. 60% of the hospice said they suffered from financial problems. Most of the hospice wards were not built for hospice use at first. So they did not have such supplementary facilities as dayroom, waiting room, special bathing facilities etc. Conclusion : For improving the quality of terminal patients and promoting the cost effective use of health care resources, it is necessary to consider the institutionalization of hospice. The institutionalization of hospice programs can improve the quality of hospice care and the standardization of the hospice program can hasten its institutionalization.

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Pain Disability of Orofacial Pain Patients (구강안면통증 환자의 통증활동제한)

  • Choi, Se-Heon;Kim, Ki-Suk;Kim, Mee-Eun
    • Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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    • v.34 no.2
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    • pp.217-225
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    • 2009
  • As Pain is a comprehensive, biopsy chosocial phenomenon, improved understanding and successful management of pain need assessment of health-related quality of life and psychological states. The purpose of this study was to evaluate pain severity and pain-related interference to daily lives for patients with non-dental, orofacial pain(OFP) and a possible relation of OFP with psychological morbidity. Relation with such factors as gender, age, pain duration and diagnosis was also assessed. Inclusion criteria was all new patients with non-dental OFP attending the oral medicine.orofacial pain clinic of Dankook University Dental Hospital over 3 months' period, who completed the questionnaires of the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Prior to the first consultation, the patients were asked to fill out the questionnaire in the waiting room and were diagnosed through consultation and clinical examination. Total subjects were 163 with M:F ratio of 1:1.5 and mean age of 34.6${\pm}$17.7 years. Mean duration of pain was 13.3${\pm}$26.2 months and all patients were divided into; Trigeminal Neuralgia group (TN, N=8), Neuropathic Pain group (NeP, N=9), Persistent Idiopathic Facial Pain group (PIFP, N=8), and Temporomandibular Disorders group (TMD, N=138), subdivided into muscle problem (TMD-m, N=73), joint problem (TMD-j, N=24) and muscle-joint combined problem (TMD-c, N=41). OFP patients showed moderate pain severity and moderate pain-related interference. There was no gender difference in overall pain severity and interference and levels of anxiety and depression. Elderly patients aged ${\geq}$ 60 years showed higher pain severity (p<0.05). Patients with chronic pain ${\geq}$ 3 months reported more increased level of anxiety and depression than those with acute pain (p<0.05). Compared to TMD patients, patients with TN, NeP and PIFP suffered from higher level of pain and pain-related interference and reported higher level of anxiety and depression (p<0.05). Pain interference was closely correlated with their pain severity and with psychometric properties such as anxiety and depression. Pain severity was weakly correlated with levels of anxiety and depression. The results suggest a need for psychosocial assessment and support for successful management of OFP in addition to control of pain itself.