• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.68-89
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• 1993

This study was conducted to develop a model of a fee schedule for nursing services.'Regardless of the demand for skilled and professional nursing service today, the Korean health insurance system does not furnish a chapter for the nursing service fee schedule. A nation-wide survey of hospital nursing service fee schedules was to provide practical and realistic data about how the variety of nursing services are being charged. From September 1990 to April 1991, data from the fee schedule used by twenty hospitals located in eight large cities which are designated large medical regions in the Korea Health Care and Patient Referral System were collected. Nursing services and the fees charged for them were analyzed. The nursing services were subjected to a secondary analysis with referrence to reports on “nursing services to be charged in Korea”. The total number of nursing services recommended by the literatures was 177 : finally 141 types of nursing services were selected by investigator as chargable nursing services. In addition, data on managerial characteristics of the hospitals were collected to discover influential variables for a nursing fee schedule model. Under the assumption that all the managerial characteristics of the hospitals influenced the fee schedule, the following model was tested : Fee of nursing services (C) = f(A₁, A₂, A₃, A₄, A/sub 5/, A/sub 6/, A/sub 7/, A/sub 8/,) When, A₁ = number of nurses A₂ = the first salary of a nurse educated in a four year A₃ = scale of nursing management division A₄ = location of the hospital A/sub 5/ = the type of hospital management (profit / non-profit) A/sub 6/ = number of hospital beds A/sub 7/ = years of hospital operation A/sub 8/ = number and kinds of clinical divisions The results showed that the model should be built as follows : C = f (A₁, A/sub 4/, A/sub 5/) Each nursing service was applied to the fee schedule with consideration for the professional level and time-taken to provide the services. Detailed fee schedules were presented in the related tables. Of the 141 kinds of nursing services, 24.8% were chargeble to the Korea Health Insurance, 32.6％ of the nursing services were being paid directly by the patienty. The rest of nursing services (42.6％) were not being charged to any source. It was recommened that the Korea Health Insurance Reimbursement system should add a classification system for nursing services that can be used in the national health care program. Further study is needed about how to include 32.6% of the nursing services now being paid for directly by the patients in the health insurance system.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.201-209
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• 2020

In this study, issues related to changes in base year, which have controversial effects on fees in service contracts, were reviewed. In this regard, sensitivity analysis was conducted on the effects of changes in base year on conversion factor by type. The benefits and disadvantages of each specific type of medical institution were examined. Main conclusions are as follows. First, changing the base year to be closer to the present time had a beneficial effect on the conversion factor of hospitals. Second, changing the base year to be closer to the current point of time had an adverse effect on the conversion factor of pharmacies and clinics and had a significant adverse effect on clinics. Third, assuming that a single conversion factor is collectively applied to all types, a favorable effect occurred in all cases when the base year was changed to be closer to the present time. Base year changes can bring about conflicts of interest between insurer and providers, and within providers. Therefore, changing the base year should be pursued upon mutual agreement on a reasonable basis for resource allocation. In addition, it is necessary to provide incentives for temporary compensation for the types of losses incurred.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2002

Objective : To estimate the socioeconomic costs of obesity in Korea,1998. Methods : The 1998 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey(1998 NHNES) data was used and 10,880 persons who had taken health examinations were selected for study. Essential hypertension, NIDDM(non insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus), dyslipidemia, osteoarthritis, coronary heart disease, stroke were included as obesity related disease. The data of direct costs of obesity was obtained from the National Federation of Medical Insurance. The category of indirect costs was the loss of productivity caused by premature death and admission, time costs, traffic costs, nursing fees due to obesity. Multiple logistic regression model was developed to estimate prevalence odds ratio by obesity class adjusted demographic and socio-ecnomic factors and calculate PAF(Population Attributable Fraction) of obesity on obesity related disease. And we finally calculated the socioeconomic costs of obesity in relation to BMI with PAF. Results : The direct costs of obesity were 2,126 billion${\sim}965$ billion Won in considering out of pocket payment to uninsured services, and the indirect costs of obesity were 2,099 billion${\sim}1,086$ billion Won. Consequently, in considering out of pocket payment to uninsured services, the socioeconomic costs of obesity were 4.225 billion${\sim}2,050$ billion Won, which corresponded to about $0.094%{\sim}0.046%$ of GDP and $1.88%{\sim}0.91$ of total health care costs in Korea. Conclusions : Obesity represents a major health problem with significant economic implications for the society. This results are conservative estimates as far as all obesity related disease and all health care and indirect costs were not included due to missing information. further studies are needed to caculate socioeconomic costs of obesity more exactly.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.136-142
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• 2015

The Korean Society of Pediatric Infectious Diseases (KSPID) has participated in the task force team consisting of government authorities as well as civil medical experts and facilities to block the spread of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome in 2015. KSPID posted the "Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) Pop-up" in the homepage of The Korean Pediatric Society and The Korean Society of Pediatric Infectious Diseases. KSPID also released the "Guidelines for testing for MERS in children and adolescents" and the "Instructions for the Operation of National Safe Hospital" for children and adolescents in a timely manner. Such actions were aimed to prevent unnecessary anxieties, studies and isolation of pediatric patients with respiratory symptoms and signs caused by other common microbial etiologies as being suspected for MERS patients. This strategy relieved the doctors and parents from unnecessary fear and prevented the loss of unnecessary health care costs, and has proven to be a well-judged guideline and management protocol as evaluated after the final end of MERS outbreak. KSPID and its members should support the presence of pediatric infectious disease (PID) specialists in every medium size hospitals in Korea by developing the need for consultation fees for PID consultation in the hospital based practice and promoting the potential for cost savings related to prevention of health care associated infections and optimal prescription of antimicrobial agents. KSPID and its members need to approach and develop a communication plan to political decision makers to demonstrate and convince them of the importance of a PID specialist service.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.150-154
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• 2007

Objectives : The aim of this study is to identify factors determining the purchase of private health insurance under the mandatory National Health Insurance(NHI) system in Korea. Methods : The data were collected by the National Cancer Center in Korea. It includes cancer patients who were newly diagnosed with stomach (ICD code, C16), lung(C33-C34), liver (C22), colorectal cancer(C18-C20) or breast(C50) cancer. Data were gathered from the hospital Order Communication System (OCS), medical records, and face-to-face interviews, using a structured questionnaire. Clinical, socio-demographic and private health insurance related factors were also gathered. Results : Overall, 43.9% of patients had purchased one or more private health insurance schemes related to cancer, with an average monthly premium of \65,311 and an average benefit amount of \19million. Females, younger aged, high income earners, national health insurers and metropolitan citizens were more likely to purchase private health insurance than their counterparts. Conclusions : About half of Korean people have supple-mentary private health insurance and their benefits are sufficient to cover the out-of-pocket fees required for cancer treatment, but inequality remains in the purchase of private health insurance. Further studies are needed to investigate the impacts of private health insurance on NHI, and the relationship between cancer patients' burden and benefits.

• The Korean Journal of Rehabilitation Nursing
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.240-247
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• 2001

The history of rehabilitation of disabilities in Korea began with the foreigners and missionaries who were interested in it after Korean War. In 1981, Disabled Persons Welfare Act was enacted and the 88 Paralympics brought the nations attention to the welfare and rehabilitation of persons with disabilities. Since then, the facilities and the services for the disabled persons have expanded rapidly and the rehabilitation treatment and nursing intervention are drawing more attention. Against this background, the survey on the current status of disabilities, welfare service, facilities, and rehabilitation nursing was conducted. The results of this survey are as follows. 1. According to the 2000 census of disabilities, the number of persons with disabilities in Korea is estimated at 1,449,500, or 3.09% of the entire Korean population, 0.74% up from 2.35% in 1995. 2. Disability Types in 2000 The 2000 census showed that the persons with disabilities numbered 1,449,496 out of the total population and 1,024,371 persons are registered for disability, making up 70.7% of the estimated disabled population. Among them, physically disabled persons accounted for the largest 41.7% (605,127) and mentally retarded persons stood at the smallest 9% (13,481). 3. Percentage of Disability Presence The survey showed that more than 90% of disability were acquired. However, 44.8% of mental disability and 61.4% of hearing/speaking disability were not acquired after birth. This means that these disabilities happened by congenital cause or birth accident. 4. Yearly Figure of Registered Disabled Persons In 1989, 218,601 persons registered for disability and, in 2000, the number increased by 4.7 times to 1,024,371. These figures are different from the actual number of disabled persons. According to the 1995 census, 1,053,486 were disabled persons but only 378,323registered for disability. And, in the 2000 census, 1,024,371 out of the 1,449,496 of disabled persons registered for disability. 5. Welfare Service for Persons with Disability 62.6% of the total disabled people are registered and physically disabled persons accounted for the highest percentage of 96.7%. 26.5% of non-registered disabled people said that they didnt know the registration procedure. The rest of them replied that they didnt think they were disabled or that registration didnt seem to give any benefits. 6. Welfare Policies for Disabled Persons The welfare benefits given to the disabled are as follows: Issuance of disabled sign for car drivers, Permission to use LPG fuel, Communication fee reduction, Tax exemption related to cars, Reduction of public facility fees, Household allowance, Tax reduction or exemption, Medical allowance and education subsidy for children, and Housing. 7. Current Condition of Welfare Facilities by Disability Type The welfare institutions for disabilities numbered 188 in total and they can accommodate 16,823 persons. Categories of these institutions are physical disability(37), visual disability(10), hearing/speaking disability(14), mental retardation(59), and sanatoriums(68). 8. Human Resource of Rehabilitation of Disabilities Advanced education programs include rehabilitation nursing in its curriculum and this was selected as the program of Korean Academic Society of Nursing in 1990. In November 1997, Korean Academic Society of Rehabilitation Nursing was launched and many academic meeting and seminars were held. This organization is also making efforts to develop the education program for qualified rehabilitation nursing professionals and to develop the standards of rehabilitation nursing practice. In the professionals of the rehabilitation, there are rehabilitation specialist, physical therapist, speech therapist, occupational therapist. It is needed to come up with the measures to supply stable human resources following the demand of disabled persons and to recognize the private certificates for rehabilitation professionals as official ones after reviewing the education and training programs of private institutions. 9. Rehabilitation Nursing 1) Rehabilitation nursing was taught as an independent subject in 11 undergraduate programs and 9 graduate programs. 2) Research on rehabilitation nursing in Korea were 24 experimental research and 11 non-experimental research. The intervention of experimental research were mostly education and exercise rehabilitation programs. 3) In the three rehabilitation hospitals, nursing is divided into two categories, direct nursing and education & counseling. Direct nursing includes tracheostomy or nasogastric tube care, urination and defication, skin care, pain control, complication prevention and care, prevention of injury from a fall, etc.

• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.363-368
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• 2014

Purpose : The aim of this study was to appraise properties for radiation therapy techniques and effectiveness of time and economy to a patient in the case of applying flattening filter-free (3F) and flattening filter (2F) beam to the radiation therapy. Materials and Methods : Alderson rando phantom was scanned for computed tomography image. Treatment plans for intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) with 3F and 2F beam were designed for prostate cancer. To evaluate the differences between the 3F and 2F beam, total monitor units (MUs), beam on time (BOT) and gantry rotation time (GRT) were used and measured with $TrueBeam^{TM}$ STx and Surveillance And Measurement (SAM) 940 detector was used for photoneutron emitted by using 3F and 2F. To assess temporal and economical aspect for a patient, total treatment periods and medical fees were estimated. Results : In using 3F beam, total MUs in IMRT plan increased the highest up to 34.0% and in the test of BOT, GRT and photoneutron, the values in SBRT plan decreased the lowest 39.8, 38.6 and 48.1%, respectively. In the temporal and economical aspect, there were no differences between 3F and 2F beam in all of plans and the results showed that 10 days and 169,560 won was lowest in SBRT plan. Conclusion : According as the results, total MUs increased by using 3F beam than 2F beam but BOT, GRT and photoneutron decreased. From above the results, using 3F beam can decrease intra-fraction setup error and risk of radiation-induced secondary malignancy. But, using 3F beam did not make the benefits of temporal and economical aspect for a patient with the radiation therapy.