• Title/Summary/Keyword: External Quality

Search Result 1,339, Processing Time 0.027 seconds

Development of the Model for Total Quality Management and Cost of Quality using Activity Based Costing in the Hospital (병원의 활동기준원가를 이용한 총체적 질관리 모형 및 질비용 산출 모형 개발)

  • 조우현;전기홍;이해종;박은철;김병조;김보경;이상규
    • Health Policy and Management
    • /
    • v.11 no.2
    • /
    • pp.141-168
    • /
    • 2001
  • Healthcare service organizations can apply the cost of quality(COQ) model as a method to evaluate a service quality improvement project such as Total Quality Management (TQM). COQ model has been used to quantify and evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of TQM project through estimation between cost and benefit in intervention for a quality Improvement to provide satisfied services for a customer, and to identify a non value added process. For estimating cost of quality, We used activities and activity costs based on Activity Based Costing(ABC) system. These procedures let the researchers know whether the process is value-added by each activity, and identify a process to require improvement in TQM project. Through the series of procedures, health care organizations are service organizations can identify a problem in their quality improvement programs, solve the problem, and improve their quality of care for their costumers with optimized cost. The study subject was a quality improvement program of the department of radiology department in a hospital with n bed sizes in Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). The principal source of data for developing the COQ model was total cases of retaking shots for diagnoses during five months period from December of the 1998 to April of the 1999 in the department. First of the procedures, for estimating activity based cost of the department of diagnostic radiology, the researchers analyzed total department health insurance claims to identify activities and activity costs using one year period health insurance claims from September of the 1998 to August of the 1999. COQ model in this study applied Simpson & Multher's COQ(SM's COQ) model, and SM's COQ model divided cost of quality into failure cost with external and internal failure cost, and evaluation/prevention cost. The researchers identified contents for cost of quality, defined activities and activity costs for each content with the SM's COQ model, and finally made the formula for estimating activity costs relating to implementing service quality improvement program. The results from the formula for estimating cost of quality were following: 1. The reasons for retaking shots were largely classified into technique, appliances, patients, quality management, non-appliances, doctors, and unclassified. These classifications by reasons were allocated into each office doing re-taking shots. Therefore, total retaking shots categorized by reasons and offices, the researchers identified internal and external failure costs based on these categories. 2. The researchers have developed cost of quality (COQ) model, identified activities by content for cost of quality, assessed activity driving factors and activity contribution rate, and calculated total cost by each content for cost for quality, except for activity cost. 3. According to estimation of cost of quality for retaking shots in department of diagnostic radiology, the failure cost was ₩35,880, evaluation/preventive cost was ₩72,521, two times as much as failure cost. The proportion between internal failure cost and external failure cost in failure cost is similar. The study cannot identify trends on input cost and quality improving in cost of qualify over the time, because the study employs cross-sectional design. Even with this limitation, results of this study are much meaningful. This study shows possibility to evaluate value on the process of TQM subjects using activities and activity costs by ABC system, and this study can objectively evaluate quality improvement program through quantitative comparing input costs with marginal benefits in quality improvement.

  • PDF

Clinical Efficacy of External Application Containing Betula platyphyllae Cortex, Viticis Fructus, Agrimoniae herba in Atopic Dermatitis (아토피 피부염에 대한 화피(樺皮), 만형자(蔓荊子), 선학초(仙鶴草) 함유 외용제의 임상 효과)

  • Hong, Jee-Hee;Jung, Hyun-A
    • The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
    • /
    • v.27 no.1
    • /
    • pp.1-16
    • /
    • 2014
  • Objectives : The aim of this study is to examine the effect of external application containing herbal extracts (Betula platyphyllae Cortex, Viticis Fructus, Agrimoniae herba) to patients with atopic dermatitis. Methods : Twenty patients (experiment group) were treated with the external application containing herbal extracts (Betula platyphyllae Cortex, Viticis Fructus, Agrimoniae herba) and other twenty patients (control group) were treated with normal external application that doesn't contain herbal extracts for 2weeks. We observed comparisons between experiment and control group after 1week, 2weeks. Degrees of severity of atopic dermatitis were measured by SCORAD index (Scoring of Atopic Dermatitis Index). Statistical significance was achieved if the probability was less than 5% (p<0.05). Results : 1. After 1week of external application treatment, SCORAD Index in experiment group was significantly decreased comparing with control group, which is a marginally significant result between two groups. But after 2weeks the experiment group showed no statistically significant result. 2. After 1week of external application treatment, Intensity Criteria (Erythema, Edema/papulation, Total) in experiment group was significantly decreased comparing with control group, which is a statistically significant result between two groups. But after 2weeks the experiment group showed no statistically significant result. 3. After 1week and 2weeks of external application treatment, comparison of changes in Subjective Symptoms (Pruritus, Insomnia) indicated that the experiment group showed no statistically significant result. 4. After 1week of external application treatment, Total Quality of life through Skindex-29 in experiment group was significantly decreased comparing with control group, which is a marginally significant result between two groups. But after 2weeks the experiment group showed no statistically significant result. Conclusions : As a result of applying the external application containing herbal extracts to patients with atopic dermatitis and watching the progress, we can speculate that the external application containing herbal extracts has especially short-term therapeutical effects in mitigating the symptoms of Atopic Dermatitis. Thus, it is concluded and considered that the external application containing herbal extracts can be used by atopic patients effectively with almost no side-effect.

Is the Risk-Standardized Readmission Rate Appropriate for a Generic Quality Indicator of Hospital Care? (일반 질 지표로서의 위험도 표준화 재입원율의 적절성)

  • Choi, Eun Young;Ock, Minsu;Lee, Sang-il
    • Health Policy and Management
    • /
    • v.26 no.2
    • /
    • pp.148-152
    • /
    • 2016
  • The hospital readmission rate has been widely used as an indicator of the quality of hospital care in many countries. However, the transferrability of this indicator that has been developed in a different health care system can be questioned. We reviewed what should be considered when using the risk-standardized readmission rate (RSRR) as a generic quality indicator in the Korean setting. We addressed the relationship between RSRR and the quality of hospital care, methodological aspects of RSRR, and use of RSRR for external purposes. These issues can influence the validity of the readmission rate as a generic quality indicator. Therefore RSRR should be used with care and further studies are needed to enhance the validity of the readmission rate indicator.

Water Quality Modeling of the Eutrophic Transition Zone in a River-Type Reservoir Paldang (부영양화된 하천형 호소(팔당호) 전이대의 수질모델링)

  • Kong, Dongsoo
    • Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
    • /
    • v.30 no.4
    • /
    • pp.429-440
    • /
    • 2014
  • This study was conducted to investigate the main cause of water quality deterioration during the spring season in the transition zone between the South Han River and the river-reservoir Paldang. A water quality model modified from QUAL2E (U.S.EPA) was used, and the model showed that eutrophication and algal production in the low flow season affected about 60% of the organic pollution at the downstream of the South Han River. This result means that phosphorus control is prior to external organic material management to ameliorate the deterioration of water quality in the water body.

IPA(Importance Performance Analysis) of Hospital Choice in Internal and External Customers (종합병원 선택요인에 대한 내.외부고객의 중요도 - 성과도 분석)

  • Lee, Hyun-Sook;Lee, Hae-Jong
    • Korea Journal of Hospital Management
    • /
    • v.17 no.3
    • /
    • pp.83-98
    • /
    • 2012
  • The purpose of this study is to investigate IPA(Importance Performance Analysis) of the hospital choice factor between internal and external customers at S general hospital. This study was used 5 types of choice factors such as physical, interpersonal, accessibility, connection, and image. This study was used Importance Performance Analysis which can be applied to identify the strengths and weaknesses attributes from hospital customers' viewpoint. The sample was selected 116 patients and 97 internal employees for S hospital in Seoul. Data were collected with self-reported questionnaires from April 1 to 29 in 2012 and analyzed by paired t-test, scatter plot graph. The result of the study was that the perceptional gaps between internal and external consumers were existed in physical, connection and image factors, except interpersonal, accessibility. The "Keep up the good work" quadrant was interpersonal factor, and the "Low Priority" quadrant was accessibility. The findings of this study will be applied to make hospital strategic decision making and to improve marketing service quality in administrative department of hospital.

  • PDF

Flexural Behavior of Continuous Composite Bridges with Precast Concrete Decks

  • Chung, Chul-Hun
    • Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
    • /
    • v.15 no.4
    • /
    • pp.625-633
    • /
    • 2003
  • For the construction of open-topped steel box girder bridges, prefabricated concrete slab could offer several advantages over cast-in-situ deck including good quality control, fast construction, and elimination of the formwork for concrete slab casting. However, precast decks without reinforcements at transverse joints between precast slabs should be designed to prevent the initiation of cracking at the joints, because the performance of the joint is especially crucial for the integrity of a structural system. Several prestressing methods are available to introduce proper compression at the joints, such as internal tendons, external tendons and support lowering after shear connection. In this paper, experimental results from a continuous composite bridge model with precast decks are presented. Internal tendons and external tendons were used to prevent cracking at the joints. Judging from the tests, precast decks in negative moment regions have the whole contribution to the flexural stiffness of composite section under service loads if appropriate prestressing is introduced. The validity of the calculation of a cracking load fur serviceability was presented by comparing an observed cracking load and the calculated value. Flexural behavior of the continuous composite beam with external prestressing before and after cracking was discussed by using the deflection and strain data.

Uni-axial behaviour of normal-strength concrete-filled-steel-tube columns with external confinement

  • Ho, J.C.M.;Luo, L.
    • Earthquakes and Structures
    • /
    • v.3 no.6
    • /
    • pp.889-910
    • /
    • 2012
  • Because of the heavy demand of confining steel to restore the column ductility in seismic regions, it is more efficient to confine these columns by hollow steel tube to form concrete-filled-steel-tube (CFST) column. Compared with transverse reinforcing steel, steel tube provides a stronger and more uniform confining pressure to the concrete core, and reduces the steel congestion problem for better concrete placing quality. However, a major shortcoming of CFST columns is the imperfect steel-concrete interface bonding occurred at the elastic stage as steel dilates more than concrete in compression. This adversely affects the confining effect and decrease the elastic modulus. To resolve the problem, it is proposed in this study to use external steel confinement in the forms of rings and ties to restrict the dilation of steel tube. For verification, a series of uni-axial compression test was performed on some CFST columns with external steel rings and ties. From the results, it was found that: (1) Both rings and ties improved the stiffness of the CFST columns and (2) the rings improve significantly the axial strength of the CFST columns while the ties did not improve the axial strength. Lastly, a theoretical model for predicting the axial strength of confined CFST columns will be developed.

External Technology Acquisition of SMEs in the Machinery Industry of Bangalore

  • Subrahmanya, M.H. Bala;Hussain, Zeeshan;Chand M., Ashwin
    • Asian Journal of Innovation and Policy
    • /
    • v.3 no.1
    • /
    • pp.50-71
    • /
    • 2014
  • This paper is an attempt to understand the external technology acquisition (ETA) process of the machinery SME sector in Bangalore city, India. With the onset of economic liberalization, Bangalore based machinery SMEs have significantly shifted their ETAs from India to abroad, particularly Germany and Japan, among others. The primary objective of ETAs is to enhance their competitiveness by means of improving product quality and productivity as well as meeting customer demand. Replacing outdated machinery or overcoming technological obsolescence is a primary objective of only a few. As a result, majority of the SMEs has gone for multiple ETAs since their inception and we found a statistically significant positive correlation between firm age and number of ETAs. The present study has made two empirical contributions: (i) We have thrown light on the core technology up-gradation issue - How do SMEs approach the problem of external technology acquisition in the current globalization era? (ii) We are able to identify and develop a map of ETA process based on the "learning and experiences" of these SMEs.

Boundary Characteristics of Transitional Space in Modern Korean Houses (한국 현대단독주택 전이공간의 경제적 특성에 관한 연구)

  • Kim, Hae-Young;Kwak, Kyoung-Suk;Kim, Hyung-Woo
    • Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Interior Design Conference
    • /
    • 2008.05a
    • /
    • pp.128-133
    • /
    • 2008
  • As societal development improves the quality of life and changes the structure of society, the needs of the residents have been varied. As a result, the spaces in Korean houses have also been varied. This phenomenon can be found in both external and internal spaces; a transitional space, which connects the outside space and the inside space, is formed as transition occurs at each phase of movement. As the importance of external and internal spaces is emphasized, and as internal spaces are extended to the exterior, various forms of transitional space are needed. In this study, the boundary types of internal/external spaces are analyzed through transitional spaces that are formed in relation with internal and external spaces. Based on the analysis, transitional spaces in modem Korean houses are classified into the addition type, the cutting type, and the connection type. The results of the study show that transitional spaces in detached houses tend to be placed closely to rooms and a public space, and in terms of material use, the externalization of internal spaces is occurring.

  • PDF

Temperature sensor without reference resistor by indium tin oxide and molybdenum (인듐틴옥사이드와 몰리브데늄을 이용한 외부 기준 저항이 필요 없는 온도센서)

  • Jeon, Ho-Sik;Bae, Byung-Seong
    • Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
    • /
    • v.19 no.6
    • /
    • pp.483-489
    • /
    • 2010
  • Display quality depends on panel temperatures. To compensate it, temperature sensor was integrated on the panel. The conventional temperature sensor integrated on the panel needs external reference resistor. Since the resistance of external resistor can vary according to the variation of the environment temperature, the conventional temperature sensor can make error in temperature sensing. The environmental temperatures can change by the back light unit, driving circuits or chips. In this paper, we proposed a integrated temperature sensor on display panel which does not need external reference resister. Instead of external reference resistor, we used two materials which have different temperature coefficient in resistivity. They are connected serially and the output voltage was measured at the point of connection with the applied voltage to both ends. The proposed sensor was fabricated with indium tin oxide(ITO), and Mo metal electrode temperature sensor which were connected serially. We verified the temperature senor by the measurements of sensitivity, lineality, hysteresis, repeatability, stability, and accuracy.