• Journal of Computing Science and Engineering
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.67-78
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• 2012

People are willing to spend more for their health. Traditional medical services are hospital-centric and patients obtain their treatments mainly at the clinics or hospitals. As people age, more medical services are needed to exceed the potentials of this hospital-centric service model. In this paper, we present the design and implementation of CardioSentinal, a 24-hour heart care and monitoring system. CardioSentinal is designed for in-home and daily medical services. It mainly focuses on the outpatients and elderly. CardioSentinal is an interdisciplinary system that integrates recent advances in many fields such as bio-sensors, small-range wireless communications, pervasive computing, cellular networks and modern data centers. We conducted numerous clinic trials for CardioSentinal. Experimental results show that the sensitivity and accuracy are quite high. It is not as good as the professional measurements in hospital due to harsh environments but the system provides valuable information for heart diseases with low-cost and extreme convenience. Some early experiences and lessons in the work will also be reported.

• Perspectives in Nursing Science
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.148-155
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• 2011

Purpose: The aims of this study were to (1) summarize the HF self-management interventions and (2) identify gaps and priorities for further investigation. Methods: A computer search of the literature over the past decade yielded 9 HF self-management studies. Six studies used non-experimental design; only 3 (33%) studies used quasi-experimental design which were included in this review. Results: The three pivotal HF self-management interventions studies were important because they highlight the positive effects of self-management compliance and other quality of life outcomes as well as discussing various issues. The informational booklet and telephone follow-up were the most common modalities in these interventions. The periodic telephone counseling offered in 2 studies effectively facilitated patient self-management compliance. There were some methodological flaws such as small sample sizes (range 8~21 in each group) and lack of experimental designs, long-term follow-up, and random group assignment. Additionally, the use of valid, reliable outcome measures is necessary to compare the effects of the interventions worldwide. Conclusion: More clinical evidence on HF self-management is needed using a larger sample size and the efficacy needs to be tested for various outcomes, including morbidity, mortality, and health care cost.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.37
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• pp.307-326
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• 1999

The primary purpose of this study is to analyze changes, if any, in the financial status and the intensity of health care service utilization of the regional health insurance societies following the 1995 merger of some rural and urban regional health insurance societies. Ultimately, this study is aiming at providing an empirical basis for predicting the impact of the 1998 merger of the Regional Health Insurance Program and the Health Insurance Program for Government Employees and Teachers and, further, predicting the impact of the merger of the entire health insurance programs scheduled for the year 2000. The study results did not suggest that the 1995 merger had brought about notable changes in the rate of increase in the total expenditures or the insurance payment of the merged regional insurance societies in comparison to non-merged ones. Neither did it show that the merger had resulted in significant changes in the intensity of the use of health services. The study, however, found that the 1995 merger had reduced the rate of increase in the management and operational cost of the merged insurance societies. Based on these findings, some policy implications are discussed, and suggestions are made for the total merger plan scheduled for the year 2000.

• Journal of Korean Dental Hygiene Science
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.1-8
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• 2020

This study investigated the relationship between oral health knowledge, behavior and orthodontic satisfaction in orthodontic patients visiting dental hospitals and clinics and provided suggestions to improve orthodontic patients' satisfaction. This study anayzed structured self-administered questionnaires collected from 245 patients who visited 5 dental clinics in Gwangju Metropolitan City. Regarding oral health knowledge, the highest percentage of correct answers was for the item "Cavities heal themselves over time" (97.1%), and the lowest percentage of correct answers was for the item "Cavity bacteria move from tooth to tooth" (16.7%). Five fluoride items showed a lower percentage of correct answers than those for cavity and gingival diseases. Regarding the survey on oral health behavior, the highest score was found for the item "I brush my teeth with a certain method and order" (3.78 out of 5), and the lowest score was found for the item "I use an electric toothbrush" (1.34 out of 5). Regarding the survey on orthodontic satisfaction, the highest score was found for the item "I would recommend receiving medical treatment at the department of orthodontics" (4.23), and the lowest score was found for the item "Orthodontic cost is reasonable" (3.46). While oral health behavior had on orthodontic satisfaction, oral health knowledge had no effect on it. Oral health behaviors should be improved to enhance orthodontic satisfaction. To improve oral health behavior, it is necessary to develop and activate education programs for tooth brushing and oral care for orthodontic patients.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.265-271
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• 2017

Background: Health care services effort to provide alternative cardiac rehabilitation (CR) models to serve patients according to their preferences and needs. So, the present study aimed to assess and compare the effects of hospital-based and hybrid CR programs on chest pain intensity and discomfort in cardiac surgery patients. Methods: In this prospective study, 110 cardiac surgery patients were invited to the CR department of a hospital in the western part of Iran between March and July 2016. Patients were divided into two groups: hospital-based and hybrid CR. The hospital-based program included 26 sessions, and the hybrid program included 10 training sessions and exercise. The Brief Pain Inventory and Pain Discomfort Scale were used as research instrument, and data were analyzed using the paired t-test and ANCOVA. Results: The results indicated that both hospital-based and hybrid CR are effective in reducing the chest pain intensity and discomfort of cardiac surgery patients (P < 0.05). In addition, the comparison of scores before and after treatment using ANCOVA shows that no significant differences were observed between the two programs (P > 0.05). Conclusions: Traditional hospital-based CR delivery is still the first choice for treatment in developing countries. However, hybrid CR is as effective as a hospital-based program in reducing pain components and it includes only 38% of the total cost in comparison to hospital-based delivery. So, we recommend using hybrid CR according with the recommendations of American Heart Association about using CR for the management of angina symptoms.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.145-169
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• 2001

In recent years, health care cost containment concerns have resulted in an increase in outpatient (or same-day) surgery. Many procedures previously performed on an inpatient surgery basis have been shifted to outpatient settings. Anesthesia for outpatient surgery is exactly the same as inpatient anesthesia, except that the primary concern is the selection of patients who can be discharged safely on the day of surgery. The anesthesiologist should have a sound rational basis for choice of pharmacologic agents that are geared to expeditious patient discharge from the hospital. Cost concerns aside, outpatient surgery has many additional advantages in the pediatric setting. It minimizes the length of time the child is hospitalized, decreases separation anxiety, promotes parental involvement in the child's postoperative care in the more congenial environment of home, and decreases risk of nosocomial infection and iatrogenic illness.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.3
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• pp.71-85
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• 1993

The objective of this study is to describe the frequency of workplace health promotion activites. For this objective, questionaire was requested to 648 trainees of Korea Industrial Safety Corporation. Respondents' positions were safety manager, health care manager, or representatives of employee. Major findings are as follows: 1) Of responding workplaces, 66.2% supported the activities related to promote employees' health. The support rate was higher of Manufacturing and Tranport than others. And the lager workplaces had the higher support rate. 2) Most frequent activity is exercise program. But the prevalence of smoking cessation, stress management, nutrition education and women health care was very low. Major contents of support were to pay the cost of these activites and to equip the places or the facilities. 3) 24.9% had the non-smoking policy in the workplace. 98.6% equiped the places and facilities for employees. Mean number of facilities across all workplaces was 2.96 and that of exercise circles was 3.60. In conclusion, it was suggested that the stratege was needed to develop the Korean model for workplace health promotion on the basis of exisiting activites.

• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.175-209
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• 2019

The bundled discounting which the dominant undertakings engage in is problematic in terms of competition restraint. Bundled discounts generally benefit not only buyers but also sellers. Specifically, bundled discounts usually costs a firm less to sell multiple products. In addition, Bundled discounts always provide some immediate consumer benefit in the form of lower prices. Therefore, competition authorities and courts should not be too quick to condemn bundled discounts and apply the neutral and objective standard in bundled discounting cases. Cascade Health v. Peacehealth decision starts ruling from this prerequisite. This decision pointed out that the dominant undertaking can exclude rivals through bundled discounting without pricing its products below its cost when rivals do not sell as great a number of product lines. So bundled discounting may have the anticompetitive impact by excluding less diversified but more efficient producers. This decision did not adopt Lepage case's standard which does not require the court to consider whether the competitor was at least as efficient of a producer as the bundled discounter. Instead of that, based on cost based approach, this decision said that the exclusionary element can not be satisfied unless the discounts result in prices that are below an appropriate measures of the defendant's costs. By adopting a discount attribution standard, this decision said that the full amount of the discounts should be allocated to the competitive products. As the seller can easily ascertain its own prices and costs of production and calculate whether its discounting practices exclude competitors, not the competitor's costs but the dominant undertaking's costs should be considered in applying discount attribution standard. This case deals with bundled discounting practice of multiple healthcare services by the dominant undertaking in healthcare market. Under the Korean healthcare system and public health insurance system, the price competition primarily exists in non-medical care benefits because public healthcare insurance in Korea is in combination with the compulsory medical care institution system. The cases that Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Law deals with, such as cartel and the abuse of monopoly power, also mainly exist in non-medical care benefits. The dominant undertaking's exclusionary bundled discounting in Korean healthcare markets may be practiced in the contracts between the dominant undertaking and private insurance companies with regards to non-medical care benefits.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.32-45
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• 2000

Background : Critical pathway is an optional sequencing and timing of interventions by physicians, nurses, and other staff for a particular diagnosis or procedure, designed to minimize delays and resource utilization, and to maximize quality of care; abbreviated versions of case management plans that show critical outcome and key incidents that occur in a predictable and timely fashion to achieve an appropriate length of stay. This study is to develop a critical pathway for vaginal delivery and cesarean section to assess the degree of contentment of the patients and medical personnel and to implement clinical application to see how we could meet the need to guide patients to achieve continuum of care. Method : Critical pathways were developed for normal vaginal delivery and casarean section. LOS(length of stay) target for vaginal delivery was 1 day after delivery & 5 days after C-section. It was distributed to the mother at the OPD and explained thoroughly. It was applied when patients got into the Labor & Delivery Floor. We applied total of 42 patients (30 normal deliveries & 12 C-sections) from February to March, 2000. We performed patient satisfaction survey to all 42 patients, 24 nurses, and 7 residents for internal customer satisfaction. Results : Twenty six patients out of 42 responded to the survey. Twenty one patients out of 26 answered satisfactory. Eighty four percent of 21 respondents replied Critical pathway worked very well. Treatment column got the most compliance. Eleven out of 31 employees thought critical pathway is very helpful for the patient care. Eighteen people didn't see any difference. In their opinion, treatment got the least compliance, which is the contrary to patients opinion. Fifty eight percent of respondents thought that critical pathway can expedite early discharge. Conclusion : Patient satisfaction was higher than we expected but we still need to revise the form. It is recommended to analyze the cost and variance check in the future.

• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.263-302
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• 2014

The court handed down meaningful rulings related to medical sectors in 2013. This paper presents the ruling that the care workers could be the performance assistants of the care-giving service although the duties of care worker are not included in the liability stipulated in the medical contract signed with the hospital for reason of clear distinction of duties between care workers and nurses within the hospital in connection with the contract which was entered into between the hospital and patients. In relation to negligence and causal relationship, the court recognized medical negligence associated with the failure to detect the brain tumor due to the negligent interpretation of MRI findings while rejecting the causal relationship with consequential cerebral hemorrhage. The court also recognized negligence based on the observation on the grounds of inadequate medical records in a case involving the hypoxic brain damage caused during the cosmetic surgery. In terms of the scope of compensation for damages, this paper presents the ruling that the compensation should be estimated based on causal relationship only in case the breach of the 'obligation of explanation' is recognized, however rejecting the reparation for de factor property damages in the form of compensation, and the ruling that the lawsuit could be instituted in case that the damages exceeded the agreed scope despite the agreement that the hospital would not be held responsible for any aftereffects of surgery from the standpoint of lawsuit, along with the ruling that recognized the daily net income by reflecting the unique circumstances faced by individual students of Korean National Police University and artists of Western painting. Many rulings were handed down with respect to medical certificate, prescription, etc., in 2013. This paper introduced the ruling which mentioned the scope of medical certificate, the ruling that related to whether the diagnosis over the phone at the issuance of prescription could constitute the direct diagnosis of patient, along with the ruling that required the medical certificate to be generated in the name of doctor who diagnosed the patients, and the ruling which proclaimed that it would constitute the breach of Medical Act if the prescription was issued to the patients who were not diagnosed. Moreover, this paper also introduced the ruling that related to whether the National Health Insurance Service could make claim to the hospitals for the reimbursement of the health insurance money paid to pharmacies based on the prescription in the event that the hospitals provided prescription of drugs to outpatients in violation of the laws and regulations.