• 한국의료질향상학회지
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• 제7권1호
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• pp.106-116
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• 2000

Background : Severance Hospital is an university hospital which has 1,580 beds. A LAN system was installed in the Medical Record Department in 1992 and discharge abstract data have been added to the discharge abstract database(DB) The previous work flow in the Medical Record Department had 5 levels: 1) chart collection from wards, 2) assembling, 3) abstracting data from medical record on worksheet by 2 RRAs, 4) checking deficiencies and coding diagnosis and procedures by 4 RRAs, 5) inputting the data into the discharge abstract data base by 1 RRA. The average processing time took 19.3 days from the patient discharge date. It had the production of monthly statistical report delayed. Besides, it caused the users in the hospital to complain. Methods : A CQI team was organized to find a way to shorten the processing time less than 10 days. The team identified the factors making the processing time long and integrated three levels from the 3rd level into one. Each of 7 RRAs performed the integrated level on her workstation instead of taking one of three separate levels. The comparison of processing time before and after the changes was made with 3'846 discharges of April, 1999 and 4,189 discharges of August, 1999. Results : The average processing time was shortened from 19.3 days to 8.7 days. Especially the integrated level took only 3.6 days, compared with 12.3 days before the change. The percentage of finishing up the whole processing within 10 days from discharge was increased up to 77.6%, which was 2.4% before the integration. The prevalence of error in data input was not increased in the new method. Conclusions : The integrated processing method has the following advantages: 1) the expedition of production of monthly statistical report, 2) the increase of utilizing rate of dischare abstract data by Billing Dept, Emergency Room, QI Dept., etc., 3) the improvement of intradepartmental work follow, 4) the enhancement of medical record quality by checking the deficiencies earlier than before.

• 한국의료질향상학회지
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• 제8권2호
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• pp.208-217
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• 2001

Background : The objective of this study is proving the basic data for developing a management system for the discharges against medical advice(AMA) by identifying the characteristics of the AMA patients of an university hospital for 10 years. Methods : By using discharge abstract data base, we divided the total discharges(435,254) into two groups, discharge against medical advice and discharge with discharge order. We confirmed the characteristics of AMA group by analyzing discharge abstract data of the both groups by SAS software V6.12 and $x^2$ test. Medical records of AMA patients in the year 2000 were reviewed to identify the reasons for AMA which we couldn't extract from discharge abstract DB. Result : The total number of AMA for 10 years were 9,358(2.15%) and the AMA rate has been continuously decreased for 10 years. Male, admission through emergency room, discharges admission via other hospital, patients without operation during hospitalization, discharges in hopeless or not improved condition showed higher AMA rate. The AMA rate was higher as the age of the patients was higher, and the average length of stay was longer in AMA patients than in those with discharge order. The AMA rate in psychiatry was highest(14.3%) and it was higher in surgery departments than those of medical or other sections. The AMA rate varied by attending physicians even in the same department and it was statistically significant. Patients with the principal diagnosis of "medical observation and evaluation for suspected diseases" showed the highest AMA rate(15.5%), and that of schizophrenia or psychosis was the nest. One hundred twenty-one patients(19.5%) out of 622 AMA in 2000 discharged against medical advice for transfer to order health care facilities. Among them 71 patients(58.7%) discharged with their medical care information, such as copies of medical record, medical certificates, summaries, etc. Written oath of the patients discharged AMA was filed in their medical records in 466 cases(74.9%) although some of them were incomplete. Conclusion : Characteristics of AMA discharge could be used as the basic data in developing a system to manage the patients who have risk factors to leave the hospital against medical advice. By reducing number of patients leaving the hospital against medical advice we can increase satisfaction of medical providers and consumers.