Strategies for Application and Introduction of Activity Based Costing for Korean Hospitals

병원 활동기준원가계산 모형의 적용방식과 도입전략

This research has a purpose to develop strategies for application and introduction of activitiy based costing for Korean hospitals. A 700 bed-sized general hospital in Taejon was chosen to conduct this study. The conventional costing and ABC methods were simultaneously applied to the Obstetrics & Gynecology department, using data surveyed from June 21 to 30, 1998. The difference of two costing methods' results were analyzed and ABC's superiority was recognized. It showed that the new ABC model was more rational, fair, and objective in allocating indirect costs. The strategies to introduce ABC model to hospitals were suggested as followings: 1)a committee to manage ABC should be organized; 2)education for the employees about costing and cost saving should be provided; 3)the computerized ABC program should be developed; and 4)more advanced and rigourous methods to identify activities and measure the resource consumption should be developed.