• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.13 no.11
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• pp.187-197
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• 2013

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of outpatient cost sharing reduction on health care utilization of children under 6 years old. Methods : The data in this analysis was the health insurance claims data between August 2006 and July 2008. The study group was divided into two age groups, namely 0-5 years old and 6-10 years old. This study evaluated the impact of policy change on office visits per person and expenditure per visit. In order to do so, the double difference analysis is used. Results: The results showed that outpatient cost-sharing reduction has never really had a huge impact on office visits per person and expenditure per visit. Conclusions: This study showed that the outpatient cost sharing reduction for children under 6 years old policy is not working. Therefore, cost sharing of National Health Insurance by income class is needed.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.29 no.4 s.55
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• pp.831-842
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• 1996

Demand for high quality medical care has recently been increasing in step with high level of income and education. Patients prefer the use of large general hospitals to small community hospitals. Large hospitals, usually located at urban area, expand their capacities to cope with the increasing demand, therefore, they easily secure revenue necessary for growth and development of hospitals. However, small community hospitals are facing with serious financial difficulties caused from the reduction of patients in one hand and the inflation of cost in another. If small rural hospitals were closed, the closure would have negative impacts on local economies in addition to the decrease in access to medical care. Community leaders should have an insight on the contribution of community hospitals to local economies. They could make a rational decision on the hospital closure only with the understanding of hospital's contribution to the community. This study is designed to develop an economic model to estimate the contribution of rural hospital to local economies, and also to apply this model with a specific hospital. The contribution of a hospital to local economies consists of two elements, direct effect and multiplier effects. The direct impacts include hospital's local purchasing power, employee's local purchasing power, and the consumption of patients coming from outside the community. The direct impact induces multiplication effect in the local economy. The seed money invested to other industries grows through economic activities in the region. This study estimated the direct effect with the data of expenditure of the case hospital. The total effect was calculated by multiplied the direct effect with a multiplier. The multiplier was drown from the ratio of marginal propensity of income and expenditure. Beside the estimation of the total impacts, the economic effect from the external resources was also analyzed by the use of the ratio of patients coming outside the region. The results are as follows. 1. The direct economic contribution of the hospital to the local economy is 1,104 million won. 2. The value of multiplier in the region is 2.976. 3. The total economic effect is 3,286 million won, and the multiplication effect is 2,182 million won. 4. The economic contribution from the external resources is 245 million won which is 7.5% of the total economic effect.

• Journal of Applied Tourism Food and Beverage Management and Research
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• v.10
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• pp.219-238
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• 1999

Obestity, characterized by an excess accumulation of fat, is a detriment to good health and wellbeing. It is easy for individuals to take on excess fat as soon as enough food and leisure are available in a society, causing an imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure. Although there has been disagreement as to which side of this energy equation is more important in th epidemic of obesity, both sides are certainly involved. I think the prevalence of obesity begins with infancy. It seems to be relatively constant throughout childhood. Some retrospective studies have suggested that there is a direct progression from a fat chile to a fat adult. Obesity has been associated with excess mortality in many studies. The effect of obesity on cardiovascular disease has not always been an independent one, but has generally been through exacerbation of other rish factors such as hypertention, diabetes, hyperlipedmia, galbladder disease, gout and cancer of the grease and endometrium. The weights of identical twins raised in separate homes have been reported to be similar, thereby suggesting that heredity contributes significantly to weight. Overweight and obesity are by far greater health problems for many people in our society. Therefore in this paper we consider the relationship between body energy balance and problems of obesity. Whatever the weight of the person, the goal of the nutritionist and health care workers is to find solutions that will allow persons to feel better about themselves.

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.341-347
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• 2000

Background : One-quarter of Koreans are either students or school employeeS. Therefore, school health programs for them have high levels of cost-benefit. School health programs, though, are focused on services such as vaccination and physical examination according to administrational regulations without systemic planning. Futhermore, college health programs run autonomously, not under the supervision of the Ministry of Education. It is my intention to analyse the current status of college school health service centers and use the basic data so generated to model how they might operate at an optimal level of efficiency. Methods : I intended to investigate all 29 colleges in Seoul except some specialized colleges such as theological schools in the two-month period of August and September, 1999. I used the telephone interview method to ask questions relating to personal composition, medical equipment in use, annual expenditure and the provision of school health services. School health services were composed of three items; health servies, health education and a healthy school environment. Results : 27 college health service centers were surveyed. The median number of medical personal in each center was 2, the range was 1-31. 7 centers(25.9%) have only nurses with no doctors. Annual expenditures of 11 centers(50.1%) was less than 10 million won, 19 center(70.4%) were maintained by support from their college. Thirteen centers(48.1%) provided doctor's examinations, 6 centers(22.2%) provided dental care services, laboratory services were provided by seven centers(25.9%). Some 81.5% of the centers had vaccination programs and 44.5% had health education programs. There was no school environment program except insecticide provisions. College health service centers with school doctors differed from centers without school doctors in terms of medical equipment range, annual expenditures and annual case loads. Conclusion : The structure and function of college health service centers in Seoul are diverse. However, no center has a well-organized school health plan.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.89-96
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• 2013

This article aimed to introduce 'risk sharing' schemes for pharmaceuticals between drug manufacturers and healthcare payer. Published literature review was undertaken to summarize risk sharing concepts and collect information on existing scheme examples in other countries focusing on new anticancer drugs. Risk sharing schemes could be categorized into health outcomes-based and non-outcomes (financial) based ones. Outcome-based schemes could be broken down into performance-linked reimbursement and conditional coverage. Performance-linked reimbursement can be further broken into outcomes guarantee and pattern or process of care and conditional coverage included coverage with evidence development and conditional treatment continuation schemes. Non-outcome based schemes included market share and price volume at population level, and utilization caps and manufacturer funded treatment initiation at patient level. We reviewed the fifteen examples for anticancer drugs that risk sharing agreements in response to the inherent uncertainties and increased costs of eleven anticancer drugs. Of them, eight cases were coverage with evidence development schemes. The anticancer drugs except bevacizumab and cetuximab were all listed on the national health insurance formulary in Korea, with reimbursement criteria defined on the basis of approved indications and administrations. Risk sharing approach may be a useful tool to ensure values for drug expenditure, but there are a number of concerns such as high administration costs, lack of transparency and conflicts of interest, especially for performance-based health outcomes reimbursement schemes.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.57-66
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• 2017

Objectives : This study aimed to analyze the structure and the trend of utilization and expenditure for Korean Medicine (KM) in Korea. Methods : Data were drawn from the 2008-2013 annual Korea Health Panel (Version 1.2.2), a national representative sample. We combined the data of household members with the data of outpatient KM service use. The volume of KM use was estimated based on the frequency of use and co-payment. Results : The KM utilization rate slightly increased in recent years, and it is presumed to be resulted from the increase of elderly population. Most KM outpatient visits were being concentrated in treating musculoskeletal diseases, and the procedures used frequently were acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping, and physical therapy. The imbalance of KM use between lower income group and higher income group was deepening. Conclusions : To expand restricted disease areas KM covered, the more herbal prescriptions should be insured and the insured form of herbal medicines need to be diversified.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.101-109
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• 2012

This study purposed to analyze the differences of cost, length of stay, and number of visits between patients who referred from clinics to a general hospital and patients who directly visit a general hospital. Study sample included 402 patients (177 patients who were not referred from clinics, 225 patients who referred from clinics) who visited the Dept. of Gastroenterology in a university hospital in Daejeon from January to June in 2007. Cost and patients' information were collected from Hospital Information System and medical record. SPSS v.12.0 was used for the statistical analysis. Multiple regression analysis found that for inpatients, location variables and malignant tumors of digestive organs had a significant influence on cost variable. For outpatients, a referring hospital type and visiting month had significant influences on total cost, and sex and visiting month (February) had significant relationship with number of visit. The study results help to understand the differences of patient care depending on whether they were referred from clinics or not. Hospital managements could use the results for marketing purposes, and it could provide valuable information for increasing the competitiveness of hospital in a given market.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.217-230
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• 2000

For the longest time, our government has played an inconsiderable role in the public health services of Korea, especially as it relates to their investment. Voices have cried out against increases in national health expenditure and for more establishment of public medical facilities. In light of this, the necessity and importance of public medical facilities have come into focus amidst the recent medical crisis. When public medical facilities filled in the gap created by the suspension or closure of private hospitals and clinics as a result of this national crisis and acted as a safety net, the demand for more establishment of such facilities increased. Although patient diagnosis and treatment are the first priority of public medical facilities, they must also deal with scopes that private medical facilities do not deal with, dislike, or have difficulty with. In this respect, the closure or privatization of public hospitals to reduce their number just because of their low profits or financial burdens that must be carried by the government is to ignore their innate importance and social role; therefore, we must do all we can to block such efforts and further empower these public health facilities according to demands of the time. The improvement of public health services can be realized by redefining its goals and roles, increasing government funding, strengthening of existing public health facilities and reorganizing the public health services system. Even if public health facilities were to increase their medical services and be reinforced, they cannot take on all the services related to public health services, Therefore, in a country like ours where public health services come second to private health services in the health care system, the health of citizens can be safeguarded only when private and public facilities cooperate and private medical facilities share the social responsibilities. Only the show of interest and effort by government, politicians, health professionals, professional organizations and public can initiate the improvement that is sought.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.7-14
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• 2006

Despite well-known benefits of physical activity for older adults, most older adults remain significantly underactive. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a physical activity on blood cholesterol in older adults with an inclusive, choice-based physical activity promotion program to increase lifetime physical activity levels of seniors. A six-month comparison-group trial was conducted with 14 older adults(experimental group = 8, control group = 6) in community senior center. Changes in self-reported physical activity and blood cholesterol were evaluated using paired t-test. The intervention group increased estimated caloric expenditure by 858 calories/week in physical activities of any intensity (p=.050), total cholesterol(p=0.049), high density lipoprotein cholesterol(p=0.045). Control group changes were also negligible. The program led to meaningful physical activity increase. Individually tailored programs to encourage lifestyle changes in seniors may be effective and applicable to health care and community settings.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.17-23
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• 2023

This study purports to explore the landscape of welfare attitudes of young generation of Korea in their 20s and 30s focusing upon potential differences from those of older generations. Korea has recently been in the significant debate on pension reform and the disadvantages of relatively young generations has been on of the most crucial issues during the reform. Survey data from 17th Korean Welfare Panel are analyzed and such variable as attitudes toward government expenditure on public pension, health care, old age support, poverty, family and child care and so on. In addition, welfare-related variables such as universalism vs selectivism, tax increase for welfare expenditure, and political orientation are to be analyzed. The results show several findings. First of all, correspondence analysis shows that young generation in Korea are strongly associated with higher education and full time employment compared to older generations. Secondly, the most interested welfare issues of young generations are housing and child support. Moreover, young generations' attitudes toward government expenditure increase differ from those of older generations on the issues of public pension, housing, and family and child support. Lastly, political orientation of those young generation tend to be progressive and they support universalism in welfare policy, but they do not support tax increase for welfare purpose, which, I would say, is inconsistent.