• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.117-144
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• 2020

In accordance with Article 15 of the Medical Law, medical personnel in Korea cannot refuse treatment of a patient unless there is a justifiable reason, and violation of this obligations is subject to criminal penalties. Japan also stipulates the same content in the law. However, this violation of obligations in Japan is not subject to criminal penalties, and is used as a judgment element of the liability for damages of doctors only in the case of damage to the patient. However, in both countries, it is difficult to interpret and apply the law because the regulation is a little ambiguous. In particular, the key is to find out what is the justifiable reason for the doctor to refuse treatment of the patient. Recently, Japan has completed the work of re-examining the discussion on medical refusal from a modern perspective in terms of improving the excessive working environment of doctors. On the other hand, in Korea, it is not clear in what cases it is possible to refuse treatment. because there is a lack of systematic discussion on medical refusal. Rather, unnecessary misunderstandings and controversies have resulted in the loss of trust between patients and doctors. In Korea, there is already a legal right for a doctor to reject it according to his religious beliefs or conscience in the implementation of the suspension of life-sustaining treatment decisions. And in the case of an abortion, debates are underway that doctors should be given the right to refuse it. This study introduces the current state of discussion in Japan, and examines the issues surrounding medical refusal in Korea. It is hoped that this study will facilitate further discussions on the medical refusal.

• 건강소식
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• v.16 no.9 s.166
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• pp.39-42
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• 1992

국민의 생명ㆍ건강을 책임지고 있는 의사의, 진료거부는 어느 선까지 형사적 책임을 져야 하는 것인지 알아본다.

• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.81-109
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• 2021

This paper review about the relationship between the prohibition against medical refusal and the principle of private autonomy in medical contracts. The obligation to this Prohibition in Medical Law does not restrict the liberty of contracting a medical contract. On the other hand, the prohibition limits the freedom to terminate medical contracts. Medical contracts can be terminated if the trust between doctors and patients is vanished. However certain restrictions should be placed on termination of the medical contract, because termination of the contract should not be detrimental to patients' health. According to the current medical law the medical contract is to be enforced in principle and can be revoked only with justifiable reason. At the Civil Code on Medical Contracts the freedom to terminate the medical contract is permitted, but this paper suggests the restrictions of the revocation under certain conditions. The Criminal Punishment Regulations against medical refusal should be removed. Refusal the provide medical service should be regulated by administrative sanctions under the National Health Insurance Act's obligation.

• RED RIBBON
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• s.64
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• pp.20-21
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• 2005

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.16 no.11
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• pp.72-82
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• 2016

Various studies have been done in medical service area but they have just focused on the examination of the relationships between cause and effect variables. This study, thus, empirically analyzed qualitative data regarding medical service problems using word cloud technique. The major results of the paper are as follows. The data reveal ten sources in medical service - forced treatment, excess inspection, misdiagnosis, carelessness, inexperienced service, waiting for emergency, reservation problem, unkindness, process problem, and inconvenience. Major words in the category of irrecoverable service failure are misdiagnosis, careless treatment, and inexperienced service whereas those in recoverable service failure are unkind attitude and negative experience in reservation system. Those who experienced a medical service problem are usually engaged in a public act and they make public protests and legal action against very severe problems. The conclusion of this study also suggests a summary, implication, and agenda of the research.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.106-113
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• 2013

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the characteristics and the psychosocial factors associated to the referral to psychiatric care in the suicide attempters visiting emergency center. Methods: We conducted a systematic chart review of 377 suicidal attempters visiting emergency center of the Korea University Ansan Hospital between January 2008 and December 2011. We gathered a data contain 20 items including psychosocial characteristics and factors related to suicide and factors related to psychiatric treatment. Multivariate logistic regression models were fitted to data to estimate the unique effects of sex, drunken status, companion, suicidal methods, place of suicide and current use of psychiatric medication on the referral to psychiatric care. Results: The female gender(OR=1.63, 95% CI=0.99-2.69), suicidal attempts at home(OR=3.40, 95% I= 1.21-9.56) and drunken state at visit(OR=2.34, 95% CI=1.10-5.01) are the factors that predict the risk of the non-referral of the patients to psychiatric intervention. Place of suicidal attempt was the most important factor do play a role in determining whether referral to psychiatric care will take place or not. Current use of psychiatric medication showed a trend toward significance(p=0.08, OR=1.67, 95% CI=0.95-2.95). Conclusions: These results suggest that when deciding whether to adapt or to refuse the referral to psychiatric care, the factors such as suicidal intent, lethality of suicide methods, familiar factors and alcohol may contribute onto the referral to psychiatric care. Additional research is required to investigate an association of these factors with referral to psychiatric care.

• Proceedings of the KAIS Fall Conference
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• 2010.11b
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• pp.992-995
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• 2010

본 연구는 기존의 필름 운영체계에서 PACS 운영체계로 전환 시 업무 변화에 따른 보건소 구성원 간의 인식을 조사하고 이들이 가지고 있는 새로운 업무에 대한 저항감을 줄여 새로운 시스템 도입에 적극적으로 적응할 수 있도록 하여 업무의 효율성을 높일 수 있는 기초 자료를 제공하고자 시행하였다. 연구기간은 2009년 6월1일부터 2009년 12월 16일까지이며 연구방법은 대전, 충남북에 소재하고 있는 필름운영체계에서 PACS 체계로 바뀐 보건소의 의사, 방사선사, 간호사, 기타 직종을 대상으로 하였으며 70부의 설문이 분석에 사용되었다. 임상적 유용성 인식은 방사선사(2.8) > 의사(2.7) > 간호사(2.4) > 기타(2.0)로 모든 직종이 향상된 것으로 인식하고 있었으며 PACS 가 필름시스템 보다 임상적으로 사용자 편리서, 접근 용이성 등이 모두 우수하며 임상적으로 유용하다고 답했다. 업무변화 및 효율성 인식은 방사선사(3.2) > 간호사(2.0) > 의사(1.988) > 기타(1.983) 순으로 직종별 차이를 보여 PACS 운영이후 업무가 효율적으로 변화되었다고 인식하고 있었다. 진료 및 근무환경 인식은 방사선사(3.6) > 의사(3.2) > 간호사(3.1) > 기타(3.0) 순으로 진료 및 근무환경이 향상되었다고 답했다. 교육적절성에 관한 인식은 기타(3.5) >간호사(3.0) > 의사(2.8) > 방사선사(2.5) 순으로 직종별 차이를 보였다. 적응 및 만족도 인식에서는 방사선사(2.9) > 기타(1.7) > 간호사(1.6) > 의사(1.5) 순으로 직종별 차이를 보였으며 PACS 운영이후 사용자의 적응도와 만족도가 높다는 것을 알 수가 있었다. 병원정보시스템의 핵심인 PACS 도입과 같은 보건소정보화 과정에서의 보건소 구성원의 인식을 알아본 결과, 임상적 유용성 인식, 교육 적절성에 관한 인식에서는 근무 년 수가 적을수록, 유용성이 높다고 했으며, 업무 변화 및 효율성 인식, 진료 및 근무환경 인식, 적응 및 만족도 의식에서는 근무 연수가 길수록 유용성이 높다고 인식하고 있었다. 성별에 따른 임상적 유용성 인식과 업무 변화 및 효율성 인식에서는 남자가 여자보다 유용하다고 인식하고 있었다. 연령별 차이에 따른 임상적 유용성 인식, 업무 변화 및 효율성 인식, 진료 및 근무 환경 인식은 40대 이상에서 높다고 인식하였다. PACS 도입으로 인해 보건소 구성원의 거부반응과 같은 저항감이나 부담감, 소극적 참여의지 등의 태도나 인식이 예상되었으나 연구 결과 대체적으로 모두 긍정적으로 인식하였으며 PACS가 보건소 구성원들에게 기존 필름체계를 대체할 수 있는 수단으로 유용하게 인식하고 있었다. 다만 본 연구결과는 향후 새로운 PACS 도입 시 성공적인 운영을 위해 직종에 따른 정보 제공 및 맞춤형 훈련 교육이 필요함을 시사하고 있다.

• Journal of Internet Computing and Services
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.13-23
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• 2015

In order to reduce public medical expenses as well as to provide effective medical services, telemedicine between doctors and patients is considered as an alternative to the conventional hospital visit. But the medical community has been protesting the introduction of telemedicine for the efficacy and safety reasons. Korean government has been conducting a number of pilot projects to demonstrate the efficacy and safety of telemedicine for more than 10 years. However, still the system is not yet legalized. In this study, we have conducted a telemedicine pilot project in Cambodia for one year, where telemedicine can be more freely exercised. After the project, we conducted a survey based on the 'Rogers diffusion' theory. Survey results show that both physicians and patients are positive about the relative advantage of the telemedicine. However, the complexity and high cost of the equipment used in telemedicine has been found to be a possible obstacle. In addition, we found that there is no problem for providing telemedicine services under challenged environment, such as in Cambodia.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.95-100
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• 2005

Purpose: Critical pathways (CP), also known as clinical pathways, are management plans that display goals for patients and have led to improved outcomes for many disease entities. This study was aimed at developing a critical pathway for the surgical treatment of gastric cancer patients and evaluating its usefulness. Materials and Methods: A CP was developed and implemented by a team of surgeons, nurses, nutritionists, and administrative officials. Among the 117 patients who received curative gastrectomies for gastric cancer at Kangnam St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, between October 2003 and August 2004, 26 patients were treated according to the CP. We evaluated its usefulness by comparing the clinical characterisctics, postoperative progress, hospital stays, and costs between the CP and the non-CP groups. Patient satisfaction was also surveyed with questionnaires. Results: Of the initial 26 patients in the CP group, two were excluded from the final evaluation; one patient had a duodenal stump leakage, and the other had a gastric stasis postoperatively. In 8 patients, protocol violation occurred; six patients refused to be discharged on the $7^{th}$ postoperative day, one patient who had an gastric staisis postoperatively stayed for 2 additional days, and one patient who needed ICU care stayed for 4 additional days. The drop-out rate was $7.7\%$ (2/26), and the variance rate was $30.8\%$ (8/26). The mean hospital stay was 11.3 days ($10\~15$ days) for the CP group compared with 17.5 days ($9\∼68$ days) for the non-CP group, resulting in a difference of about 6 days (P<0.05). The mean hospital stays after surgery were 10.3 days ($7\∼68$ days) and 8.3 days ($7\∼12$ days) for the non-CP and the CP groups, respectively, but the difference was statistically not significant (P>0.05). The mean charge during the hospital stay was higher in the non-CP group ( $\\$ 6,292,200) than in the CP group ( $\\$ 4,863,685). The charge per hospital day was higher in the CP group ( $\\$ 430,414) than in the non-CP group ( $\\$ 359,554). Patient satisfaction was higher in the CP group than in the non-CP group. Conclusion: By developing and applying a critical pathway in the surgical treatment of stomach cancer patients, we could reduce the length of hospital stay as well as the cost. A multi-centered prospective study to establish a standard treatment pathway and to demonstrate its effectiveness is needed in the future.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Computer Information Conference
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• 2017.07a
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• pp.291-292
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• 2017

우울증은 매우 보편적인 정신병이다. 보건복지부에 따르면 지난해 우리나라 우울증 환자는 61만 3000명으로 전체 국민의 1.5%를 차지했다. 그러나 대부분의 환자들은 본인이 우울증인지도 모르거나 정신병원 진료 기록이 남는다는 이유로 치료를 거부하여 상태를 악화시키는 경우가 적잖다. 그럴 때 다른 이의 도움이 필요하나 정신적인 질환은 겉으로 봐서는 알아차리기가 어렵고 폐쇄적인 우울증 환자의 특성상 직접 만나는 등의 물리적인 도움을 주기는 많이 어려운 것이 사실이다. 그래서 우리는 인터넷이라는, 가장 광범위하고 가장 긴밀한 플랫폼을 통하여 이런 우울증 환자들에게 다가가고자 '선플 로봇'을 고안하게 되었다.