• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2004

Korean health insurance has adopted preliminary DRG payment system through 8 DRGs from 1997. But present DRG payment system gives economic incentives for hospitals to hire less nurse. This study was attempted to develope DRG adjust index to differentiate DRG price by nurse staffing level for nursing care quality. Method: We analyzed inpatient care cost by medical institute and developed DRG adjust index to differentiate DRG price by nurse staffing level. Results: Among same medical institute, inpatient care cost are very different according to hospital's nurse staffing level. In the case of casarean section, inpatient care cost of the 1st grade general hospital are more expensive 85,732won than the 6th grade hospital. The cost difference are 8.24% of total casarean section DRG price and 16.48% of DTG variable price. We developed DRG adjust index-a to apply DRG variable price and index-b to apply DRG total price for compensation cost difference of hospitals. Conclusions: DRG price adjust index will give economic incentive for hospitals to hire more nurse and improve nursing care quality.

• Journal of The Korean Dental Society of Anesthesiology
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.120-125
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• 2007

Background: Propofol has been used extensively for short-acting intravenous sedative agent during monitored anesthesia care (MAC). This study was designed to evaluate the safety and availability of MAC using propofol in implant surgery of the one-day admission patients. Methods: In this study, subjects were divided into two groups according to ASA physical status. The heart rate, blood pressure, peripheral oxygen saturation and ECG of a patient were estimated under MAC by an anesthesiologist and the vital signs were recorded in recovery room periodically afterwards. The subjective satisfaction with regard to outpatient ambulatory surgery under MAC procedure was evaluated the next day. Results: Systolic and diastolic blood pressure were significantly decreased during MAC in ASA I group, but other remarkable changes in vital sign were not observed. There was no significant difference in pain and anxiety level between ASA I and ASA II, III group. Satisfaction rate was high in both groups. Conclusion: Monitored-Anesthesia Care using propofol during implant surgery of the one-day admission patients might be safe and available procedure because heart rate, blood pressure and oxygen saturation are stable before and during surgery, and adequate control of pain and anxiety is supported.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.48-55
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• 2011

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of Diagnosis-Related Group (DRG)-based payment on the length of stay and the number of outpatient visits after discharge in for patients who had undergone caesarean section. Methods: This study used the health insurance data of the patients in health care facilities that were paid by the Fee-For-Service (FFS) in 2001-2004, but they participated in the DRG payment system in 2005-2007. In order to examine the net effects of DRG payment, the Difference-In-Differences (DID) method was adopted to observe the difference in health care utilization before and after the participation in the DRG payment system. The dependent variables of the regression model were the length of stay and number of outpatient visits after discharge, and the explanatory variables included the characteristics of the patients and the health care facilities. Results: The length of stay in DRG-paid health care facilities was greater than that in the FFS-paid ones. Yet, DRG payment has no statistically significant effect on the number of outpatient visits after discharge. Conclusions: The results of this study that DRG payment was not effective in reducing the length of stay can be related to the nature of voluntary participation in the DRG system. Only those health care facilities that are already efficient in terms of the length of stay or that can benefit from the DRG payment may decide to participate in the program.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.32-45
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• 2000

Background : Critical pathway is an optional sequencing and timing of interventions by physicians, nurses, and other staff for a particular diagnosis or procedure, designed to minimize delays and resource utilization, and to maximize quality of care; abbreviated versions of case management plans that show critical outcome and key incidents that occur in a predictable and timely fashion to achieve an appropriate length of stay. This study is to develop a critical pathway for vaginal delivery and cesarean section to assess the degree of contentment of the patients and medical personnel and to implement clinical application to see how we could meet the need to guide patients to achieve continuum of care. Method : Critical pathways were developed for normal vaginal delivery and casarean section. LOS(length of stay) target for vaginal delivery was 1 day after delivery & 5 days after C-section. It was distributed to the mother at the OPD and explained thoroughly. It was applied when patients got into the Labor & Delivery Floor. We applied total of 42 patients (30 normal deliveries & 12 C-sections) from February to March, 2000. We performed patient satisfaction survey to all 42 patients, 24 nurses, and 7 residents for internal customer satisfaction. Results : Twenty six patients out of 42 responded to the survey. Twenty one patients out of 26 answered satisfactory. Eighty four percent of 21 respondents replied Critical pathway worked very well. Treatment column got the most compliance. Eleven out of 31 employees thought critical pathway is very helpful for the patient care. Eighteen people didn't see any difference. In their opinion, treatment got the least compliance, which is the contrary to patients opinion. Fifty eight percent of respondents thought that critical pathway can expedite early discharge. Conclusion : Patient satisfaction was higher than we expected but we still need to revise the form. It is recommended to analyze the cost and variance check in the future.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.109-117
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• 2011

Purpose: This study examined the impact factors of cesarean section based on the ecological approach in Korea. Methods: Population-based data (Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs) were used from 2,849 delivery cases during 2003~2009. Data were analyzed using geographic statistics with STATA 10.0 and hierarchical logistic regression with SPSS/WIN 12.0. Results: The range of cesarean section rate was 28.8~44.7% with geographic distribution. The proportion of mother's problem was increasing in choice of cesarean section. According to the ecological model, age of mother (OR=1.08), time of birth (OR=0.79), delivery in hospital (OR=1.83), delivery in clinic (OR=1.46), and education of mother (OR=2.61) had significant impact on cesarean section. Conclusion: This study contributes to provide the impact factors of the high cesarean rate in Korea ecologically. Policy maker and health care provider can consider these results to reduce cesarean section rate.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.54-62
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• 2011

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to test the effects of aroma inhalation on subjective quality of sleep, state anxiety, and depression of mothers who underwent a Cesarean section delivery. Methods: This study was designed as a nonequivalent control group quasi-experimental study based upon data acquired through a pre-post test. The experimental group (n=33) was given general obstetric nursing care plus dry inhalation method using lavender essential oil, in which each mother put one drop on a tissue and breathe near it for 5 minutes before going to bed. Then they put 1~2 drops on their pillow for 6 nights. The control group (n=34) was only given general obstetric nursing care. Data were collected using a questionnaire for measures of subjective quality of sleep, state anxiety, and depression by self-report. ${\chi}^2$-test, Fisher's exact test, t-test, and ANCOVA with SPSS/Win12.0 were used to analyze the data. Results: There were significant differences in subjective quality of sleep (p<.001), state anxiety (p=.049) and depression (p=.029). Conclusion: The results suggest that aroma inhalation method can be an effective nursing intervention to improve quality of sleep and decrease anxiety and depression in postpartum mothers suffering from stress related to a Cesarean section delivery.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.21-37
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• 2001

The purpose of this study is to examine internet agent of IT(Information Technology) in health care industry Since IT is essential for corporate strategy in service management, this section examines IT in health care service, especially from the view of 'Agent Technology' that has been recently issued. Intelligent agent is a new paradigm for developing software applications. More than this, agent-based computing has been hailed as 'the next significant break-through in software development' and 'the new revolution in software'. And health care service is a non-mechanic, human-based service. This paper reviewed what possible suggestions or advices can be made to the health care service. Since many health care services using internet have been attempted over the recent years, this study will hopefully be able to come up with good suggestions from many aspects. Thus, information inequality between producer(physician) and consumer(patient) in health care service will be decreased through the introduction of agent technology.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.70-85
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• 1997

Background : 6.1% of red blood cells and whole blood issued to the operating room was not transfused to the patients and discarded in Seoul National University Hospital in 1994. Objectives : We planned to set up an effective management program of blood in the operating room and we investigated whether this program could reduce the disposal rate of blood. Methods : We made a guideline of blood management in the operating room through a workshop. The guideline was revised after a preliminary application. The revised guideline was applied for 5 months from May to September in 1996. The disposal rate was compared before and after the installation of the new program. Results : 5,336 units of blood were issued to the operating room for 5 months. Disposal rate of red blood cells and whole blood was markedly reduced from 6.2% in May to 2.1% in September(p<0.05). The average disposal rate was 3.7% during the five months. Conclusion : We were able to reduce the disposal of unused blood in the operating room through the development and the application of a new blood management program.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.60-84
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• 1999

Hospitals under competitive environment are getting more interested in PR(public relations) as a means of marketing. A typical form of public relations for the hospital is publicity, and its principal instrument is the press release that provides the mass media with the raw material and background for a news story. The purpose of this paper is to examine and analyze the public relations articles associated with hospitals in the section of health care in major daily newspapers. Three major daily newspapers, Chosun, Joongang and Hankyoreh have been analyzed for a year from January 1, 1998 to December 31, 1998. All articles in the health care section are classified by content, size, press comments, and style. This study has found some perverse aspects of the public relations such as the preponderance of health articles on tertiary medical institutions, inappropriate publicity focused on certain medical treatments, doctors, and hospitals, and the positive press comments on the hospitals that are affiliated with the same corporate group as the newspaper.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.257-264
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• 2016

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship among knowledge and attitude toward palliative care and perception of death for Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) nurses. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted with 110 nurses who work in NICUs in South Korea. The participants filled out a questionnaire regarding their knowledge, attitude towards palliative care and perception of death. The attitude scale was divided into 3 subscales: comfort level, nurses' role and nurses' involvement with family. Results: Comfort level regarding attitude towards palliative care was positively correlated with knowledge (r=.220, p=.016) and the perception of death (r=.194, p=.042). Nurses' role showed a positive correlation with perception of death (r=.395, p=.001). Conclusion: NICU nurses' knowledge of palliative care was below standard across the board, implying that there is a definite need for palliative care education for nurses. The education program for palliative care should include a section that focuses on fostering a positive perception of death as well as defining and delineating the role of nurses.