• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.72-111
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• 1996

Background: Group occupational health program by non-for-profit agency, started five years ago, for management of health problems in small and medium sized industries, is one of the measures to cope with limited human and financial resources in occupational health. The program has been rapidly expanding to include 54 participating institutions, private as well as public, all over the country. In spite of its potential impact on health of employees and practice of occupational health in small and medium sized industries, comprehensive evaluation in terms of quality has not been tried. Objectives : The aim of this study are to develop and apply criteria to assess quality of newly developed Korean group occupational health program. Methods : By defining occupational health services, in particular for small and medium sized industries, as one of the primary health care, we included followings as core elements of sound occupational health program; accessibility, continuity, intersectoral collaboration, comprehensiveness, community participation, technical quality, adequacy, focus on preventive services, acceptability, and workers' satisfaction. Again we divided each elements into five major components of national health system infrastructures developed by World Health Organization; development of health resources organized arrangement or resources, delivery of health care, economic support, and management. In turn, we categorized each component into input, process and outcome aspects. After discussions in expert panel, several criteria were selected for evaluation of program. The criteria were modified according to each group of interviewees. Results: We developed five sets of questionnaire that evaluate the quality of 'Group occupational health program'. Conclusion : The refining of the measurement tool and the continuing evaluation process for the 'Group occupational health institute' should be done further.

• Journal of Computational Design and Engineering
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.37-52
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• 2016

To injection mould polymers, designing mould is a key task involving several critical decisions with direct implications to yield quality, productivity and frugality. One prominent decision among them is specifying sprue-bush conduit expansion as it significantly influences overall injection moulding; abstruseness anguish in its design criteria deceives direct determination. Intuitively designers decide it wisely and then exasperate by optimising or manipulating processing parameters. To overwhelm that anomaly this research aims at proposing an ideal design criteria holistically for all polymeric materials also tend as a functional assessment metric towards perfection i.e., criteria to specify sprue conduit size before mould development. Accordingly, a priori analytical criterion was deduced quantitatively as expansion ratio from ubiquitous empirical relationships specifically a.k.a an exclusive expansion angle imperatively configured for injectant properties. Its computational intelligence advantage was leveraged to augment functionality of perfectly injecting into an impression gap, while synchronising both injector capacity and desired moulding features. For comprehensiveness, it was continuously sensitised over infinite scale as an explicit factor dependent on in-situ spatio-temporal injectant state perplexity with discrete slope and altitude for each polymeric character. In which congregant ranges of apparent viscosity and shear thinning index were conceived to characteristically assort most thermoplastics. Thereon results accorded aggressive conduit expansion widening for viscous incrust, while a very aggressive narrowing for shear thinning encrust; among them apparent viscosity had relative dominance. This important rationale would certainly form a priori design basis as well diagnose filling issues causing several defects. Like this the proposed generic design criteria, being simple would immensely benefit mould designers besides serve as an inexpensive preventive cliché to moulders. Its adaption ease to practice manifests a hope of injection moulding extremely alluring polymers. Therefore, we concluded that appreciating injectant's polymeric character to design exclusive sprue bush offers a definite a priori advantage.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.254-263
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• 2016

Objective: Written information could be helpful for senior population to adhere to complex medication therapies, but must be well prepared and empirically assessed to achieve such end. We purposed to develop a drug information leaflet for senior citizens by applying 'performance-based user-testing.' Methods: We employed a user-testing, a mixed method to figure difficulties out with patients' leaflets from the user perspective. The cycle made of test and revision can be repeated as necessary. We recruited senior citizens with age of 65 or above who were taking antihypertensive medications at the point of participating and excluded the elderly who suffered illiteracy. We firstly rectified a drug information leaflet of antihypertensive medications for the general public distributed by the Korean authority based on focus group interviews (9 participants). The revised leaflets were tested four times with 8~12 participants in each round (40 seniors in total). We targeted to develop a leaflet which more than 80% of participants understood 10 key information. Main outcomes measures were to be able to find information and be able to understand information. This study was approved by the Yeungnam University Research Ethics Committee. Results: Focus group interviews identified difficulties with small font of words, professional language, long information, and a poor structure. The leaflet was revised and in the first round questionnaire found problems with 4/10 information points; interviews disclosed all but one (normal blood pressure range) were ill-understood. The second round questionnaire and interview found fewer problems but the comprehensiveness of participants was still poor in several points. For the third and fourth rounds we revised the leaflets in the individual-targeted manner. Finally, the fourth round showed all key information found and understood by at least 80% of participants except one question about drug name. Conclusion: The drug leaflets need to be developed in a personalized mode for the seniors. There was a limit for Korean seniors to understand nonproprietary name of their drugs because they used to producers' trade names which the Korean health system predominantly works with.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.73-80
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• 2020

Objective: The Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) is a national drug subsidy program. Given the similarity and comprehensiveness of the Australian PBS and the Korean National Health Insurance (NHI) data, these data are increasingly used for pharmacoepidemiological investigations, as well as international comparative studies. This study aims to introduce the various sources of publicly available PBS data and provide a practical guide to researchers conducting drug utilization studies. Methods: We searched literature and websites to detail and compare the collection, structure, components, and characteristics of each PBS data format. We identified different characteristics of the PBS data from the Korean NHI claims data which are mainly owing to their unique co-payment policies and data collection processes. In addition, the utilization and expenditure of atorvastatin, a widely used treatment for hyperlipidemia, were analyzed using two different sources of PBS data and the different results were interpreted. Results: There exist differences in when data were collected or non-subsidized uses of medicine were included among sources of PBS data. Additionally, two countries have different cost sharing methods inmedicine subsidy scheme; co-payment in Australia and co-insurance in Korea. Therefore, it should be noted that prescriptions under co-payment are not included in some data sources in Australia. Conclusion: Despite several analytical challenges, open access and easy data management are the strengths of the PBS data sources. A detailed knowledge of the PBS data can ensure robust methodology and interpretation of pharmacoepidemiological investigations or international comparative studies.

• Advances in nano research
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.263-276
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• 2020

In this article, the acoustic responses of free vibrated natural fibre-reinforced polymer nanocomposite structure have been investigated first time with the help of commercial package (ANSYS) using the multiphysical modelling approach. The sound relevant data of the polymeric structure is obtained by varying weight fractions of the natural nanofibre within the composite. Firstly, the structural frequencies are obtained through a simulation model prepared in ANSYS and solved through the static structural analysis module. Further, the corresponding sound data within a certain range of frequencies are evaluated by modelling the medium through the boundary element steps with adequate coupling between structure and fluid via LMS Virtual Lab. The simulation model validity has been established by comparing the frequency and sound responses with published results. In addition, sets of experimentation are carried out for the eigenvalue and the sound pressure level for different weight fractions of natural fibre and compared with own simulation data. The experimental frequencies are obtained using own impact type vibration analyzer and recorded through LABVIEW support software. Similarly, the noise data due to the harmonically excited vibrating plate are recorded through the available Array microphone (40 PH and serial no: 190569). The numerical results and subsequent experimental comparison are indicating the comprehensiveness of the presently derived simulation model. Finally, the effects of structural design parameters (thickness ratio, aspect ratio and boundary conditions) on the acoustic behaviour of the natural-fibre reinforced nanocomposite are computed using the present multiphysical model and highlighted the inferences.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.100-106
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• 2014

Background: There is no consensus on the definition of primary care in South Korea. This study's objective was to define the concept of primary care using a Delphi method. Methods: Three expert panels were formed, consisting of 16 primary care policy researchers, 45 stakeholders, and 16 primary care physicians. Three rounds of voting, using 9-point appropriateness scales, were conducted. The first round involved rating the appropriateness of 20 previously established attributes of primary care. In the second round, panelists received a summary of the first-round results and were asked to once again vote on the 10 undetermined attributes and the provisional definition. The final round involved voting on the appropriateness of the revised definition. The Korean Language Society reviewed the revised definition. Results: Four core (first-contact care, comprehensiveness, coordination, and longitudinality) and three ancillary (personalized care, family and community context, and community base) attributes were selected. The Korean definition of primary care was accomplished with all three panel groups arriving at a 'very good' level of consensus. Conclusion: The Korean definition of primary care will provide a framework for evaluating performance of primary care in South Korea. It will also contribute to resolving confusion about the concept of primary care.

• Archives of design research
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.79-88
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• 2004

This study is aimed to grasp the organization of Internet information resources and to infer the characteristics of resource search engines so that criteria may be established to classify and evaluate Internet information resources. In addition, the author has compared and analyzed interior design classification systems of directory sites of each subject that provide classification system based on the Internet, foreign sites to be used to search for information, and domestic information-specialized sites in order to set up models of interior design classification systems of directories of each Web subject. The systems have been analyzed against such four measures as comprehensiveness of the subject scope, logicality of classification systems, preciseness of subject terms, and effectiveness of searches. Information of interior designs is mixed with that of related fields, and so its information search and classification are not organized systematically. The author has analyzed such a problem so as to present models of search engine classification systems for interior design information classification after considering both academic and practical aspects.

• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.173-214
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• 2013

Traditionally, the Supreme Court has held that medical treatment agreements covered by national health insurance should be distinguished from other medical treatment agreements which are viewed as a consummation of the autonomous free will between doctor and patient. Namely, the Supreme Court views medical treatment agreements covered by national health insurance to be bound by the National Health Insurance Law with the intent to promote the applicability and comprehensiveness of the national health insurance scheme. Yet, issues of voluntary non-reimbursable treatments are triggered not only by the mistakes or moral hazard of medical care institutions but also by systemic limitations of national health insurance coverage criteria. Thus, there is a need for legislative measures that allow certain medical treatments to be included or reflected in the national health insurance coverage system so that patients may receive prompt and flexible medical treatments. To reflect such concerns, the Supreme Court made an exception for voluntary non-reimbursable treatments and developed a strict test to be applied in such cases in Supreme Court Judgment 2010 Doo 27639, 27646 (ruled on June 8, 2012 by the Grand Bench). Such judgment, however, is not a fundamental overturn of the Supreme Court's prior rulings that voluntary non-reimbursable treatments are not allowed under the law. It is only a slight revision of its previous stance for cases in which there is a lack of legislative measures to make coverage of a new yet valid medical treatment possible under the current national health insurance coverage system.

• Korean Medical Education Review
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.125-131
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• 2016

Recent changes in educational paradigms that emphasize the performance or outcomes of education are redefining how learning objectives are being described as 'learning outcomes' in various academic disciplines. Medical education is not an exception to this trend. However, it has come to our attention that the key concepts and appropriate descriptions of learning outcomes have not been well understood among educators and that this lack of understanding has hindered our efforts to implement the practice in the field. This study aims to provide a direction to establish and describe learning outcomes by examining previous studies that have focused on setting learning objectives as well as learning outcomes. Setting and describing learning outcomes starts from reflection on the approach of behavioral learning objectives, which overemphasizes learner's acquired knowledge, skills, and attitude in each classroom rather than actual performance. On the other hand, the learning outcome approach focuses on what the learner is able to do as a result of a learning experience. This approach is more learner-friendly and encourages students to lead and be responsible for their learning process. Learning outcomes can best be described when the relevance of actual contexts and the hierarchy of learning objectives are considered. In addition, they should be in the form of context, task, performance, and level, as well as be planned with proper assessment and feedback procedures. When these conditions are met, the learning outcome approach is beneficial to students as it presents a curriculum that is more open to learners. Despite these advantages of the learning outcome approach, there is a possible concern that setting the learning outcomes and describing them can restrict evaluation to lower cognitive skills if the concept of learning outcome is narrowly interpreted or is set too low. To avoid such narrow applications, it is important for educators to understand the comprehensiveness of the learning outcome setting and to consider long-term outcomes embedded in an organizational vision rather than only short-term behavioral outcomes.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.434-444
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• 2013

Background: Regional Cardiocerebrovascular Centers (RCC) were established for the prevention and treatment of cardiocerebrovascular disease and funded by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate the measurement tool of public benefits in RCC. Methods: Through the intensive literature review, experts surveys and their repetitive feedback, we selected the 46 items about the public benefits in RCC. Development of measurement tool involved content validity test using Content Validity Index (CVI), construct validity test through factor analysis and reliability test. Results: Thirty-five items were selected by content validity test, which CVI was 0.08 or higher. Through the construct validity test, 32 items in 7 factors were derived. And Cronbach's alpha was 0.951. Finally, public benefits measurement tool is composed of 32 items in 7 factors which are comprehensiveness of health care services, market complement, emergency care, cost, governance, quality improvement, and government control. Conclusion: Though we developed the measurement tool of public benefits in RCC, it would be utilized to measure the public benefits of various health agencies.