• Health Policy and Management
• /
• v.15 no.4
• /
• pp.81-109
• /
• 2005

According to many recent studies suggesting that cash flow analysis method tends to be more effective than traditional financial index analysis method to predict corporate bankruptcy, this study applies the cash flow analysis method to hospital business to identify the significant variables which can distinguish between superior hospitals and bankruptcy hospitals. The author analyzed recent 3 years, i.e. from the year of 2000 to the year of 2002, financial statements of 31 bankrupt hospitals In 2003, and the same number of superior hospitals through using Multiple Discriminant Analysis and Logit Analysis. The results are belows; First, the study releases that Logit Analysis is more likely to be effective than Multiple Discriminant Analysis. Second, this research also shows that traditional financial index analysis method is more superior compare to cash flow analysis method for hospital bankruptcy predict model. Finally, this study suggest that the significant variables, which can distinguish superior hospitals from bankrupt hospitals, are Operating/Current Liabilities$(Y_2)$, CFO/Equity$(Y_5)$ for cash flow analysis method and Net Worth to Total Assets Ratio$(X_1)$, Quick Ratio $(X_3)$, Return on Assets$(X_6)$, Growth Rate of Patient Revenues$(X_{16})$ for traditional financial index analysis method.

• Health Policy and Management
• /
• v.12 no.3
• /
• pp.23-35
• /
• 2002

Fiscal crisis in the medical insurance system has put the pressure upon hospitals by increasing the rate of curtailment, since the implementation of the separation of prescription and dispensing of medicine. The purpose of this study is to analyse the curtailment of mdical and drug expenditure before and after the system of separation between prescribing and dispensing and to suggest the problems about current inspection system. Data were obtained from 13 general hospitals and used for analysis of trends on medical & drug expenditure, and curtailment in 1999-2000 at three months intervals. The results were as follows; The scale of curtailment for drug expenditure has been increased on outpatient and inpatient since 2000. For the curtailed drug cost with outpatient, the ratio of curtailed drug expenditure has been increased in the case of prescription within the hospital. These results suggest that review system in social insurance were over-focused to control the cost and it might to impede the validity of review function in insurance system. Therefore, it' s needed to develope the scientific and reasonable criteria for Inspection and evaluation of durg expenditure.

• Health Policy and Management
• /
• v.16 no.4
• /
• pp.1-23
• /
• 2006

There is general consensus in the research literature that market orientation is related to organizational performance. The study examines this relationship in the Korean hospital industry. One feature of this study is to examine the differences between large and small hospitals in terms of their market orientation, performance and the relationship between these constructs. The other feature is that both market orientation and performance are conceptualized as being multi-dimensional constructs. Hence a structural equations modeling (SEM) technique is used to examine the dimensionality of market orientation and performance and to examine the nature of this relationship. Data for this study are collected using a questionnaire that is mailed to the top marketing-related managers of 1,048 hospitals. Usable responses are obtained from 230 hospitals for a response rate of 21.9%. The SEM results confirm the multi-dimensional nature of both market orientation and performance, and the strong relationships between the constructs. Interestingly, this relationship is found to be much stronger for smaller hospitals than for larger hospitals. For smaller hospitals, this study shows that market orientation has a tremendous influence on performance, with almost 73.9% of the variance in performance being attributed to market orientation.

• Health Policy and Management
• /
• v.20 no.3
• /
• pp.58-72
• /
• 2010

The purpose of this study is to investigate determinants of intent to use a wireless information technology(WIT) of University Hospital Nurses. The independent variables used in the study are usefulness, compatibility, social environment, perceived readiness, technical readiness, organizational readiness and socio-demographic characteristics. The dependent variable is the intent to use a wireless information technology(WIT). The sample used in this study consisted of 297 nurses selected from a university hospital located in Wonju, Gangwon-do, Korea Data were collected with self-administered questionnaires and analyzed using multiple regression analysis. The results of the study revealed that 5 independent variables of usefulness, compatibility, perceived readiness, technical readiness, and organizational readiness were found to have significant effects on the nurses' intent to use a WIT. As a conclusion, it is important to make organizational, clinical, and technical environment WIT-friendly prior to applying WIT to hospital nurses. In addition, it is also important to provide an education and training for nurses to improve their skill of using WIT and to make the new WIT compatible with the existing nursing information system.

• Health Policy and Management
• /
• v.20 no.3
• /
• pp.21-35
• /
• 2010

This study examined the changes in the service mix of Korean hospitals in 6 metropolitan cities between 2003 and 2005, and assessed whether the sample hospitals exhibit consistent trend or chance variation in multiple years. Three measures of hospital service mix, focusing on the specialization of services, were applied: information theory index, internal Herfindahl index, and number of distinct diagnosis-related groups (DRGs) treated. National Health Insurance claims were used to calculate the indexes. Specialization indexes were calculated in each year, and then examined to identify the pattern over time. Kappa analysis was applied to assess the agreements of specialization score between two years after hospitals were categorized into 4 groups with quartiles. Kappa score showed that the service mix of hospitals were changed during the study years. Specialization scores were increased given the market structure for three years. Hospitals which showed higher or lower specialization scores than the average of the scores consistently classified into the same group. Specialization indexes showed relatively consistent pattern over 3 years, and such consistencies were evident for hospitals regardless of the specialization status. Policy makers can identify the degree of specialization with the indexes, and it could provide a picture of how hospital services were mixed and changed over time.

• Health Policy and Management
• /
• v.21 no.4
• /
• pp.599-616
• /
• 2011

This research was performed to investigate the determination factors of medical service to cover the fee for selecting a doctor which is one of the most important causes of debilitating national health insurance in Korea. Data was from Korea Health Panel and analyzed by Dutton(1986)'s medical service model which was an extended Anderson Model and was widely used in the researches on determination factors of medical service. The results were as follows; In the determinants of selecting a doctor in specialized medical institutions and general hospitals, patients with serious diseases selected doctors more often than other patients. By industrial accident compensation insurance law and enforcement ordinances, insurance covers the fee of selecting a doctor in the hospitals appointed by Labor Welfare Corporation for the patients in critical conditions under industrial accident compensation insurance, while health insurance patients pay the fee themselves for selecting a doctor in all cases. It is suggested that patients with serious diseases proved by medical opinion be provided with health care insurance in selecting a doctor and that the health insurance benefit coverage be enhanced by staged lowering of patient's cost-sharing.

• Health Policy and Management
• /
• v.24 no.3
• /
• pp.291-300
• /
• 2014

Background: The efficient knowledge management in hospital organization is generally known as the important activities relevant to employees' knowledge sharing behavior and work performance. This research examined factors affecting employees' knowledge sharing behavior and work performance in top 4 university hospitals. This study is based on individual factors such as incentives, reciprocity, behavioral control, and subjective norms. Also, there are organizational factors such as CEO support, learning climate, IT system, rewards system, and trust. Methods: Data was collected from employees who are working at 3 hospitals university in Seoul and 1 university hospital in Gyeonggi-Do through the self-administered questionnaires. A total of 779 questionnaires were analyzed by PASW SPSS ver. 18.0. (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Results: The significant variables affecting knowledge sharing behavior are behavioral control (in individual factor) and CEO, IT system, and trust (in organization factor). Also the significant variables affecting work performance are incentives, reciprocity, subjective norms, and behavioral control (in individual factor) and CEO support, IT system, reward system, and trust (in organization factor). Conclusion: The personality and organization characteristics factors is important to improve knowledge sharing behavior and work performance of hospital employees. Therefore, to make more efficient knowledge management is to build and system knowledge sharing culture, system, and leadership and to develop practical strategies.

• Health Policy and Management
• /
• v.9 no.4
• /
• pp.1-14
• /
• 1999

The purpose of this study was to estimate the magnitude of patient's actual cost-sharing for hospital services in the National Health Insurance which has been estimated with only a few hospitals or limited number of patients. Also we aimed at analysis of factors influencing the magnitude. Sources of analyzed data were two databases. 1997 medical benefits record of the National Federation of Medical Insurance and 1997 Statistics for Hospital Management from the Korea Institute of Health Services Management(KIHM). We merged two databases and related records for 224 hospitals. based on the identification details of each hospital. The average percent of patients' cost-sharing was 51.7% of total hospital revenues from the insurance. with 40.3% of revenue in inpatient and 67.4% in outpatient. respectively. The contributing hospital factors to the magnitude of cost-sharing were size of hospitals. teaching status. location. number of employed physicians. etc. Larger and university hospital. urban location. and with more physicians were positively correlated with higher level of cost-sharing. Additionally, the higher the expenses of inpatient's treatment was, the higher the size of patient's cost-sharing was. These findings suggest that present level of patients' cost-sharing is quitely high and it is urgent to reduce the patient's cost-sharing to the reasonable level. It would be necessary to extend the coverage of insurance benefits and to develop policies focusing on larger hospitals and inpatient services.

• Health Policy and Management
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.148-173
• /
• 2000

This thesis is a kind of case report on the managerial difficulties and strategies to overcome them for the rural hospitals in Korea. We examined environmental situations and SWOT(Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, Threat) of the hospitals, and suggested some strategies to improve the hospital business through analysing secondary data and brief survey to staffs and patients at 3 case hospitals. Among the strategies were included establishment of their identity as community hospitals, positioning towards high-touch services rather than high-tech services to improve their competence. For this positioning, patient satisfaction should be emphasized to make rapport with the residents in the community, and a few service areas should be selected and strengthened. Emergency care and geriatric health services are recommended to be covered strongly, because rural hospitals are usually the one and only hospital in the region and rural communities have aged population structure. In addition to these, networking is necessary among rural hospitals nationwide and with local clinics and tertiary hospitals near urban areas. And also, complementary role division with community health post should be developed to lessen the competitive relationship between public and private sectors. To support these strategies, fresh organizational culture should be built up to make hospital staff creative and enthusiastic on their job. Finally, inducement of governmental assistance will be necessary to make the environment advantageous to the rural hospitals.

• Health Policy and Management
• /
• v.12 no.4
• /
• pp.68-90
• /
• 2002

The purpose of this study is to investigate the determinants of intent to leave among hospital physicians. A causal model of intent to leave among hospital physicians was constructed based on the exchange theory. The sample of this study consisted of 185 physicians from 8 general hospitals located in Seoul, Taegu, Kyunggi-province, and Kyungsangnam-province in Korea. Data were collected with self-administered questionnaires and analyzed using LISREL. The results of this study indicate that the following variables, listed in order of size, have significant negative effects on intent to leave among hospital physicians; job satisfaction, organizational commitment, task variety, promotional chances, task significance, and pay. Sex (female=0, male=1) was found to have significant positive effects on the intent to leave among hospital physicians. The results imply that hospital administrators should make an effort to improve job satisfaction and organizational commitment which are the key determinants of intent to leave among hospital physicians.