• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.6-17
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• 2002

Background : This study was conducted to investigate the current situation of medical supply purchasing and stock management at general hospitals having more than 150 beds in Korea and to find methods of effective purchasing and optimal stock management. Methods : Survey was done from staff at the purchasing departments of 229 general hospitals throughout Korea. Data collection was done using a structured questionnaire between January 3 to March 15, 2001. The survey form was returned from 88 hospitals (rate of return: 38.4%). Results : Firstly, 13.6% of the hospitals did not carry the optimal stock of medical supplies, the lead time optimal stock was 3 weeks or longer in 64.4% of the hospitals. Secondly, since 69.8% of the hospitals showed passive attitude toward training on purchasing management and stock management techniques. Thirdly, as for the question on the presence or absence of a deliberation committee for purchasing of new medical supplies, 60% of the hospitals with less than 300 beds did not have one, and 9.4% of the hospitals opened the deliberation committee less than twice a year. Conclusion : At the time of purchasing new medical supplies, purchasing should be done according to the decision by the deliberation committee so that no deduction is made at the time of claiming insurance, and by setting a certain period of time, purchasing of those medical supplies that were not purchased during this period needs to be done according to the decision by the deliberation committee.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.350-360
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• 2017

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the present status of falls among inpatients in general hospitals and to identify the fall risk factors that reflect the characteristics of domestic hospitals. Methods: Data were collected between December 15, 2016 and January 15, 2017 from 32 Korean hospitals having 500 or more beds. First, 42 risk factors were extracted based on literature review and expert opinions. Then the importance of each factor was evaluated by 223 nurses from medical and surgical adult ward and intensive care units in 40 hospitals. Results: The incidence rate of falls in 18 hospitals was 3.87 per 1,000 total discharged patients and 0.55 per 1,000 patient-days, and the rate of injury-related falls was 40.5%. Major risk factors for falling were identified as the following: being over 65 years of age, history of falls during admission, physical mobility disorders requiring assistance, physical factors (dizziness or vertigo, unstable gait, general weakness, walking aids, visual problems), cognitive factors (delirium, lack of understanding on limitations), neurological disease, CNS medications Conclusion: The findings provide information that can be in the development of a fall risk assessment tool for inpatients in general hospitals in Korea.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.47-56
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• 2017

Purpose : This study is a basic research to establish guidelines for healthcare facility in Korean healthcare market. As a first step, it is a main purpose for making beginning point of ICU guideline to set a basic level of ICU facility size and quality by analysis current ICU facilities and existed domestic guidelines : law, criteria of healthcare insurance review and assessment service, credit of Korea institute for healthcare accreditation. Methods : First of all, the all requirements of existed guidelines are put together and summarized. The summary is compared with that of US, UK, and Australia to know its quality difference with international market. In addition, all hospitals in Korean market are classified based on total bed number and ICU bed number to know the most occupied facility size range in the market. Second of all, by comparing 15 ICUs' current setting of the public general hospital, a general condition of ICU facility would be extracted based on function, floor area per bed, services Results : 72.8% of hospitals in Korea are belonging below 500 beds hospital. Among them 200-299 beds hospitals occupied 35.3% and are shown as the most occupied hospital size. As 15 public general hospitals are analyzed, it is clear that the more bed size and services the more ICU area per bed. As a result it is sure that the 300~500 bed may be a clear line as a general ICU condition whose function and bed number relatively consistent in the range. Implications : to keep the qualified medical environment and contemporary hospital trend, the guideline as a minimum requirement keep naturally out from current healthcare settings and should reflect their limit to reconcile with the new trend in the market.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.147-163
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• 2001

The purpose of this study was to find out the restructuring strategy for five provincial hospitals through the business analysis and survey of the service area. Through the survey of the service area of 5 hospitals. service area was classified into three groups, such as underserved area, adequate area, and overserved area. The strategy for the restructuring the clinical departments was set up based on the result of the business analysis and characteristics of the service area. The result of the study was as follows; 1) Whether or not a provincial hospital has specialized in specific area according to the circumstances and the needs of the community was the major factor influencing on the operating result of the hospital. 2) Provincial hospitals at the underserved area has to invest according to the changes of the occupancy rate and increasing pattern of the number of patients while maintaining the status as a general hospital. 3) Provincial hospitals at the adequate area has to lower the grade from the general hospital down to the hospital first and has to upgrade the competency through the restructuring the clinical departments and investment in specific area. 4) Provincial hospitals at the overserved area has to lower the grade from the general hospital down to the hospital first and has to seek ways to change the hospital fundamentally into geriatric hospital, pneumoconiosis hospital or psychiatric hospital etc. Provincial hospitals incapable to compete with private hospitals and clinics has to lower the grade from the general hospital down to the hospital first, to specialize in specific area and to restructure some clinical departments into rental base or self-operating basis. In case such methods are judged not so good solution, provincial hospitals has to find out ways such as shut-down of several departments or operating under the attending system.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.63-83
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• 2002

This study is to survey the materials purchasing and inventory management status and the characteristics and opinions of the staff in charge of purchasing and inventory of the general hospitals in Busan area in order to contribute to the rationalization of its management through the grasp of actual situation and the presentation of desirable improvement plan for the materials purchasing and inventory management. The status of medical institute had been surveyed by the purchasing/ administration managers of total 26 general hospitals, and the purchasing/ management questionnaires had been commenced with 86 staff of the 26 hospitals. Its major survey results, after the analysis of 24 medical institute statuses (return rate of 92.30%) and 60 staff questionnaires (return rate of 69.76%), are as follows. First, post-purchasing evaluation system is not used actively, orders are being placed by phone or fax, and general merchandise is being purchased through free contracts in most of the hospitals participated in the survey. Second, as per the materials supplying methods, the requisition and delivery system is currently the most popular in the hospitals surveyed, however, both the requisition and delivery system and the par level transfer system are the most desired in the hospitals of more than 500 beds, and the par level transfer system is the most desired in the hospitals under 500 beds for the materials supplying system in the future. Third, as per the inventory management system that is desired the most in the future, the SPD and JIT types are preferred in the hospitals of more than 500 beds, the stockless strategy is preferred in the hospitals under 500 beds, the senior staff above section chief grade prefer the stockless strategy, and the junior staff prefer the ABC classification and SPD types. Fourth, The necessity of purchasing staff's training for the materials management is highly recognized but the effectiveness is not so much acknowledged, which is because such a training is thought to be so superficial and formal that it is not helpful much in the actual field. When summarizing the survey results as above, the materials purchasing and management system is differed for each group of hospitals according to the size of beds, and the more scientific management system is largely required by the general hospitals in Busan city. They also hope the introduction of joint purchasing system, materials management by the bar-code system, and positive execution of the market survey and training of the relevant staff for the management of purchasing affairs. So the more systematic purchasing and inventory management is regarded to be necessary through the introduction of scientific and specialized education of materials management, market survey, and post-purchasing evaluation system also through the computerization of materials purchasing and inventory management as soon as possible.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.57-74
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• 2011

The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship between the BSC model's non-financial factors such as learning and growth, internal process, customer and financial factor in general hospitals. To achieve research purpose, the data were collected from 293 employees of 5 hospitals using a standardized questionnaires which were constructed to include BSC model, and applied the structural equation modeling to examine the relationship between non-financial and financial factor. The results show that the learning and growth factor of the model has positive effects of the internal process and customer factor. The internal process and customer factor are strongly related to financial factor. Hospitals have to know non-financial factor which has positively relate to financial factor. Therefore, the results of this study help to enhance the health care center to become aligned and focused on implementing the long-term competitive strategy. This study proposes an effective performance indicators for general hospitals and it is expected to be likely to have positive influence upon enhancing services of general hospitals.

• The Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.251-264
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• 2013

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to ascertain the current state of clinical nursing education at hospitals. Methods: Questionnaires were sent out to 236 hospitals which have over 300 beds. Out of these, 116 hospitals responded, and the collected data was analyzed by mean, frequency, t-test, and ANOVA test. Results: These hospitals have teaching agreements with 4.2 nursing colleges and clinical education lasts 8 months. Clinical education status regarding hospital characteristics, between a university hospital, non-university hospitals, among advanced general hospitals, general hospitals, and special hospitals showed statistical differences in colleges per hospital and nurses' degree. 37.9% of cases have no internal regulation for nursing education, and in 68.1% of cases, students' practice was limited to simple nursing care. The current primary guide for student's practice was head nurse (61.25%), and the course professor took charge of mainly the conference. The difficulties as an educational hospital are increases in work load, difficulties in teaching, excessive number of students, simultaneous practical training, complaints from patients, lack in training manpower, and stress. Conclusion: This study determined that the big hospitals are heavily burdened by nursing education and that it will be necessary to establish standards for educational hospitals to ensure higher quality education.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.69-78
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• 1995

This study is intended to understand the architectural characteristics and trends of general hospitals in Europe. The Observations, interviewes with the staff, and analyses of related materials were executed through the study-visits of sample hospitals. Some results of the study could be summarized as follows : (1) The architectural characteristics of sample hospitals could be described as the realization of horizontal design concept, application of urban design method, specialization of service departments, intergration of facility design, and planning for the emergency & disaster. (2) The architectural trends of sample hospitals could be suggested as the decentralization of functions, promotion of building standard, enhancement of interior space, consideration of environment, and autonomous management & operation of facilities. (3) The humanistic and environmental approaches from european hospitals would be preferably applicable rather than the popular concept of automation, ultra-modernization and mega-structure in Korea. First of all, the bed-center and proper facilities for disaster should be considered.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.32-43
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• 2023

Purposes: This research is conducted to identify main features and trends of mission, vision and core values in Korean tertiary general hospitals by using text-mining. Methodology: For the study, 45 mission, 112 vision and 190 core values are collected from 45 tertiary general hospitals' homepages in 2022 and use word frequency analysis and Leyword co-occurrence analysis. Findings: In the tertiary general hospitals' mission, there are high frequency words such as 'health', 'humanity', 'medical treatment', 'education', 'research', 'happiness', 'love', 'best', 'spirit', and mission mainly includes the content of contributing humanity's health and happiness with these words. In case of vision, high frequency words are 'hospital', 'medical treatment', 'research', 'lead', 'trust', 'centered', 'patient', 'best', 'future'. By using these words in vision, it represents the definition and characteristics of vision such as ideal organizations in the future, goals and targets. As a result of the Leyword co-occurrence analysis, vision includes the content of 'high-tech medical treatment', 'special care for patients', 'leading education and research', 'the highest trust with customer', 'creative talents training'. -astly, the high frequency word-pairs in core values are 'social distribution', 'innovation pursuit', 'cooperation and harmony', and it defines standards of behavior for organizations. Practical Implication: To correct the problems of vision, mission and core values from findings, firstly, it needs for Korean tertiary general hospitals to use the words that can explain organization's identity and differentiate others in their mission. Secondly, considering strengthening the role of hospitals in their community and the importance of members in organizations, it is necessary to establish vision with considering community and members to activate vision effectively. Thirdly, because there are no specific guidelines of establishing mission, vision and core values for healthcare organizations, this research concepts and results could be utilized when other organizations establish mission, vision and core values.

• Healthcare Informatics Research
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.327-334
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• 2018

Objectives: The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between the level of Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system adoption and healthcare information technology (IT) infrastructure. Methods: Both survey and various healthcare administrative datasets in Korea were used. The survey was conducted during the period from June 13 to September 25, 2017. The chief information officers of hospitals were respondents. Among them, 257 general hospitals and 273 small hospitals were analyzed. A logistic regression analysis was conducted using the SAS program. Results: The odds of having full EMR systems in general hospitals statistically significantly increased as the number of IT department staff members increased (odds ratio [OR] = 1.058, confidence interval [CI], 1.003-1.115; p = 0.038). The odds of having full EMR systems was significantly higher for small hospitals that had an IT department than those of small hospitals with no IT department (OR = 1.325; CI, 1.150-1.525; p < 0.001). Full EMR system adoption had a positive relationship with IT infrastructure in both general hospitals and small hospitals, which was statistically significant in small hospitals. The odds of having full EMR systems for small hospitals increased as IT infrastructure increased after controlling the covariates (OR = 1.527; CI, 1.317-4.135; p = 0.004). Conclusions: This study verified that full EMR adoption was closely associated with IT infrastructure, such as organizational structure, human resources, and various IT subsystems. This finding suggests that political support related to these areas is indeed necessary for the fast dispersion of EMR systems into the healthcare industry.