• Information Systems Review
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.59-73
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• 2013

Healthcare costs are continuously increasing due to longer life expectancy and providing global healthcare services through medical tourism is new service growth engine for Korea. Several countries have well established programs and infrastructure dedicated to medical tourism. South Korea is attempting to become a major player in this domain by undertaking broad initiatives. The success of medical tourism is greatly impacted by easy access to two types of information, namely, medical and travel information. The National Health Insurance System in Korea collects huge amount of clinical and financial information from all hospitals. However, this information does not get used effectively in health and travel information systems to support medical tourism. This paper provide clear process map of medical tourism to understand how the patient and information process both medical and tourism fields also describe the need of customer and service provider. In this paper, we develop a medical tourism service system that will promote information exchange and service delivery.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.835-840
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• 2008

Acupuncture has long been contended to be effective in an ischemic stroke. A real-time monitoring of glutamate, an excitotoxin in the process of ischemic neuronal damage, in the striatum is tried in a rat model of global ischemia. Global ischemia was induced by the 11 vessel occlusion method for 10 minutes, during which acupuncture stimulation on GB34 and GB39 points was executed. Glutamate release in the rat striatum was monitored 256 times per second using real-time amperometric biosensor. Real time measurement data of 10 minutes prior to the induction of ischemia served as baseline data. Data acquisition continued for 30 minutes after the initiation of reperfusion. Peak concentration of glutamate release along with incidentally measured EEG and cerebral blood flow was compared between cases with and without acupuncture stimulation. Peak concentration of glutamate lowered when acupuncture stimulation was executed. A real time monitoring system of 11 vessel-occlusion induced global ischemia model was successfully established. The effect by acupuncture on acute global ischemia was successfully observed in this real-time monitoring setting, which may be one of the neuroprotective mechanism of acupuncture.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.227-236
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• 2016

Main purpose of this study is to provide some basic data necessary to research, education, and policy to cultivate professional talents, by investigating what competencies needed to hospital administrative staffs and managers in performing their jobs in the global age. A survey was conducted through self-administered questionnaires for hospital administrative staffs and managers including first-line hands-on workers who were working in 77 hospitals located in Busan, Keongnam, Ulsan areas in South Korea. Major results are as follows: (a) The analysis for the competencies needed to hospital administrative staffs and managers in order to perform successfully their jobs revealed that interpersonal competency, knowledge of management skills in healthcare field, understanding ability for healthcare, in that order of importance, had significant influence on performing their jobs. (b) Regarding the analysis for the detailed competencies necessary to hospital administrative staffs and managers in order to perform successfully their jobs revealed that problem-solving ability, sense of responsibility, positive attitude, leadership, in that order of importance, had significant influence on performing them. This study suggests that universities opened courses related to health care management should newly open a subject 'problem-solving ability in health care' to link with health care field and their curriculums are necessary to change over to practice-oriented curriculum system.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
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• 2010.10a
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• pp.145-146
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• 2010

This paper proposed a new concept of global healthcare system based on M2M technology with the combination of networks by using IPv6 techniques. The proposed system consists of 6LoWPAN based wearable sensors, gateway for the connection of different networks, and server program offering health information. Thus our approach presents an intelligent system which allows direct exchange of information between machines without human assistance with the epoch-making extension of measurement environment in healthcare areas appropriately.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.470-478
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• 2020

In this paper, a theoretical model that separates one single conversion factor into two conversion factors for both outpatients and inpatients is introduced. By using hypothetical numbers, two conversion factors and an adjustment factor were calculated. The major implications are as follows. Firstly, by introducing two conversion factors, a minimum incentive mechanism for admitting outpatients to a clinic and high risk inpatients to a hospital was installed. Secondly, the introduction of two conversion factors decreased the drive to admit outpatients to a hospital by reducing the economic benefits for the hospital. Thirdly, it is possible to make explicit contracts for several factors rather than a single conversion factor, so that it can be used as an appropriate management tool for rapidly increasing medical expenses. Finally, this research can be used to set up policy tools to establish a proper healthcare delivery system in Korea by inducing behavioral changes in healthcare institutions.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.17-21
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• 2021

In 2020, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused unprecedented disruptions to global health systems. The Korea has taken full-fledged actions against this novel infectious disease, swiftly implementing a testing-tracing-treatment strategy. New obligations have therefore been given to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) to devote the utmost effort towards tackling this global health crisis. Thanks to the universal national health insurance and state-of-the-art information communications technology (ICT) of the Korea, HIRA has conducted far-reaching countermeasures to detect and treat cases early, prevent the spread of COVID-19, respond quickly to surging demand for the healthcare services, and translate evidence into policy. Three main factors have enabled HIRA to undertake pandemic control preemptively and systematically: nationwide data aggregated from all healthcare providers and patients, pre-existing ICT network systems, and real-time data exchanges. HIRA has maximized the use of data and pre-existing network systems to conduct rapid and responsive measures in a centralized way, both of which have been the most critical tactics and strategies used by the Korean healthcare system. In the face of new obligations, our promise is to strive for a more responsive and resilient health system during this prolonged crisis.

• International Journal of Contents
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.76-82
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• 2016

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the dual-punishment system by analysis of the financial performance of pharmaceutical companies before and after introduction of the dual-punishment system. This study analyzed the business performance of 136 pharmaceutical companies from 2009 to 2011. The results from paired t-tests found that sales, operating cost, and EBITDA showed significant differences in performance, and, according to the variance analysis, the five groups obtained through a hierarchical cluster analysis differed from each other in sales, operating cost, EBITDA, and research and development cost. Differences in financial performance among the groups seem to be related to the strategy for response to the regulation. The introduction of the dual-punishment system is generally acknowledged to have had positive effects on the pharmaceutical industry. However, some companies appear to be continuing kickback practices.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.19-27
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• 2016

Purpose: This study shows a changing tendency of Japanese psychiatric hospitals, presenting "Visions in Reform of Mental Health and Medical Welfare", changed to "Hospitalized Medical Treatment to Living in the Community" and reducing the number of beds since 2004. Methods: This study uses a documentary survey, especially Jananese "Visions in Reform of Mental Health and Medical Welfare System" and a field survey on hospital built for early treatment and return to society after 2004. Results: Change tendencies of psychiatric hospitals are 1) diversification of isolation room and ward, 2) cluster of patient's room, 3) phased organization of space, 4)individualization. Implication: This study will be an important data for researching plan of Korea psychiatric hospital which needs to change by global tendency.

• Journal of the Economic Geographical Society of Korea
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.289-309
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• 2023

While South Korea's universal healthcare system has garnered attention in public health, the issue of inequality in healthcare service provision among different age groups has incessantly become a significant concern. The focus of this concern is primarily on essential healthcare services, encompassing fundamental aspects of healthcare such as internal medicine, family medicine, and pediatric and adolescent care. This inequality is not limited to differences among age groups (both junior and senior demographics) but also extends to potential disparities in healthcare services based on geographic location, particularly in urban and rural contexts. This paper aims to investigate disparities in primary healthcare service resources in South Korea's evolving economic landscape between 1995 and 2021. We utilize a set of inequality indices with a spatial perspective through geographic cluster analysis. The findings reveal that concerns about inequality have been amplified during various economic events, including the IMF crisis in 1999, the global financial crisis in 2008, and the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. These years are identified as significant phases that have contributed to manifesting spatial disparities in primary healthcare provisions, with a particular emphasis on the senior-aged population rather than junior or all population groups. Our findings underscore the pressing need to address the unequal distribution of essential healthcare resources as part of preparedness for potential economic impacts, requiring a comprehensive consideration of the interconnected nature of demographic and spatial dimensions in healthcare services.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.167-187
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• 2012

Organizational growth is achieved through the process of finding opportunities in the environment and establishing a business model with internal and external resources. Bestian Hospital, which primarily focuses on saving the lives of patients with severe burns, has enlarged its business domain through deep understanding of burn patients' problems, including pain and complications during treatments, long-term treatments, skin reconstruction, and so on. Now Bestian is accelerating research for development of antipyretics and cosmetics for burn patients. The success of Bestian has been due to utilization of human and material resources that are essential to performance in the medical field. Also, Bestian properly used a management service organization(MSO) model and constructed an information technology(IT) system for supporting its businesses. However, previous successes do not guarantee continued success. Bestian is entering a new domain with different challenges than it has experienced so far, and how it deals with these challenges will decide its future.