• Health Policy and Management
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.326-342
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• 2013

Background: Engaging and Involving stakeholders who have different interests in changing health care policies are difficult task. As the literature on the governance in Korean health care field is rare, this study aims to provide empirical evidence of 'governing health policy'-the ways health care policy is made, implemented, and evaluated from a political perspective. Methods: The authors of this study conducted interviews with elites in policy and clinical areas, which was considered to be the most effective approach to gather in-depth information about the background of changing payment policy as well as the barriers or contributors for making the policy sustainable. A total of 14 experts (3 government officials, 2 representatives from medical profession, 3 professors form academic field, and 6 healthcare providers from New DRG pilot program hospitals) participated in 2 hour long interviews. Results: There was a perception gap of the feasibility and substantiality of new payment system among elites. The score was higher in government officers than those in scholars or clinical experts. Next, the interviewees indicated that Korean New DRG might not sustain without significant efforts to improving democratic aspects of the governance. It is also notable that all interviewees except healthcare providers provided negative expectation of the contribution of new payment system to increase administration efficiency. For clinical efficiency, every stakeholders perceived there was no increased efficiency after introduction of New DRG payment. Like general perception, there was a wide gap between the perception of stakeholders in quality change after implementing the new payment system. Finally, interview participants negatively assumed about the likelihood of New DRG to remain a case of successful reforms. Conclusion: This study implied the importance of social consensus and the governance of health policy.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.19-33
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• 2017

Purpose: This study was conducted to explore the meaning and contents of high-quality aged care facilities and provide basic data for evaluation of service quality in such facilities. Methods: The focus group interviews and participants consisted of two user groups, for a total of 16 family caregivers of the elderly living in facilities and four service provider groups, for a total of 26 chief managers and caregivers working in aged care facilities. All interviews were recorded and transcribed as they occurred. Content analysis was used and debriefing notes were referred to in order to analyze the data. Results: Four themes of a high-quality aged care facility emerged from the analysis; 1) a place to rest for comfortable later years; 2) systematic value-based management; 3) providing professional care; 4) comprehensive service provision in response to diverse needs. Conclusion: The findings of the study showed the importance of client centered care and ethical mindset of providers, which had not been included in the existing quality evaluation programs. Based on these results, medical treatments, end-of-life care and more comprehensive and extended services including family care need to be provided in facilities to ensure good quality aged care.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.12
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• pp.4903-4907
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• 2014

Background: This study aimed to identify factors associated with women's decisions to attend cervical cancer screening and to explore those linked with intention to attend in the coming year and to continue regular screening. Materials and Methods: A community based case-control study was conducted among woman 30-60 years of age in catchment area of Chatapadung Contracting Medical Unit (CCMU), networking of Khon Kaen Center Hospital, Thailand. Self-administered questionnaires were used to collect data, and in-depth interviews were then performed to explore in greater detail. Results: There were 195 participants. Only one third (32.3 %) had been screened for cervical cancer within the past 5 years. Some 67.7% reported that they had not been screened because they had no abnormal symptoms, single marital status, and no children. Only 10.6% of those never had screening intent to be screened within the next 12 months. High family income (adjusted OR=2.16, 95%CI=1.13-4.14), good attitude towards a Pap test (OR=1.87, 95%CI=1.09-4.23), and having received a recommendation from health care providers were important factors associated with decisions to attend cervical cancer screening (OR=1.73, 95%CI=1.01-4.63). From in-depth interviews, there were five reasons of their decisions to attend cervical cancer screening including yearly check-up, postpartum check-up, having abnormal symptom, encouragement by health care providers, and request from workplace. Conclusions: High family income, good attitude towards a Pap test, and receiving proper recommendation by health care providers, were important factors associated with decision to have cervical cancer screening among women 30-60 years old. Trying to enhance these factors and reduce barriers regarding screening, may increase the coverage rate for cervical cancer screening in Thailand.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.57-67
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• 2010

Purpose: The purposes of this study were to compare the level of perception and to identify factors associated with perception on patient safety culture among health care providers working in an operating room(OR). Methods: A cross-sectional survey design was used. Data were collected conveniently from 154 RNs and 116 physicians working in a tertiary hospital in Seoul. Patient safety culture was measured using "The Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture" developed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, and Spearman rank correlation coefficients were used for statistical analysis with the SPSS version 17.0. Results: The perception level of nurses and physicians on patient safety culture was "moderate" (3.14). Compared to physicians, nurses showed a significantly lower perception on the items of "teamwork within units" (t=-6.904, p<.001) and "overall perception of patient safety" (t=-4.327, p<.001), but had a higher perception about "frequency of events reported" (t=2.769, p=.006). The physicians' professional positions, years of working experience, age, and working hour per week were identified as factors associated with patient safety culture. Conclusion: Level of perception on patient safety culture may vary among health care providers working in the OR. The study finding suggests that a tailored education and training strategies should be considered to develop an effective safety culture for healthcare professionals working in OR.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.121-127
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• 2017

The effort to measure and improve the quality of healthcare is a common health policy issue worldwide. Korean Value Incentive Programme is one of that effort, but some concerns exist. Compared to pay for performance program in other countries, it measures healthcare quality with relatively narrow performance domain using a small number of clinical indicators. It was designed without involving hospitals and other key stakeholder, and program participation was mandated. Highest and lowest performers get bonus and penalty using relative ranking. As a suggestion for development, the direction for quality management at the national level should be given first. Therefore the philosophy or strategy for quality improvement should be reflected to the program. And various domains and indicators of healthcare quality should be developed with active communication with healthcare providers. The evaluation method is necessary to be changed to provide achievable goal to the healthcare providers and attract quality improvement.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.396-412
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• 2014

Background: As a reform plan of health care system, Accountable Care Organization (ACO) has became an object of attention in the United States after Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was enacted. ACO is a group of various health care providers and provide coordinated care to its assigned beneficiaries. If ACOs improve the quality level and reduce the cost of care, they can get financial incentives. Under the discussion for a quite long time and demonstration projects, ACO has been established. We aimed to analysis and discuss the history, policy mechanism, contents, status and outcomes of ACO. Also, we intended to suggest political implication Korean health care system with regard to ACO. Methods: We searched the articles related ACO in PubMed and selected several available papers about ACO. Total 56 studies were reviewed and categorized three parts; demonstration projects for formation of ACO, policy mechanism and agenda, empirical results of ACO performance. Results: As a result, establishment of ACO was successful partly in the US. It seems to be due to various project and pilot test for verification in the long time. The empirical effect of ACO was also identified in a few study but it needs more evidences to judge its positive effect. Conclusion: In Korea, there are arguments for the application of ACO. However it is difficult to implement a ACO by different political conditions between Korean and US. Nevertheless ACO proposed us the necessity of paradigm shift in our health policy and could be significant to national policy orientation in the future.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.151-163
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• 2020

This study reviewed primary care purchasing issues of the Indonesian single-insurer, BPJS-K, in the context of triangular power relations between the government, the insurer, and the providers, and considered its challenges of purchasing as the national single-insurer. Some literature reviews and interviews with Indonesian stakeholders and residents were used to describe the historical and social contexts of Indonesian healthcare and social health insurance systems especially focusing legal and institutional status of BPJS-K and primary care provision and delivery conditions in remote areas. Though BPJS-K directly belongs to the presidential office of Indonesia, it has limited power in terms of purchasing as a single insurer. Mainly it was due to the lack of primary care resources, Ministry of Health's strong power as the regulator and provider, and BPJS-K's powerlessness against monitoring and quality of care assessment. Ambiguous accountability was another issue among the insurer and the Ministry of Health. This created confusions in primary care provision. It is suggested that each agencies' accountability should be obvious in terms of legal, political, and social contexts.

• The Journal of Korean Society for School & Community Health Education
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.45-53
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• 2012

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify relationship between knowledge and infection control behavior about Hepatitis B patient in health care-related majors. Methods: Data was collected from health care related majors-nursing, emergency rescue and dental hygiene with questionaire. Total respondents were 306 and we use all of them. We analysed students' knowledge and infection control behavior about Hepatitis B patient and their relationship. Uni-variate analysis, t-test, ANOVA and correlation analysis test were conducted using SAS version 9.2. Results: Students who go the Hepatitis B lecture were significantly high Knowledge level about Hepatitis B(p<.05). Students who go to clinical education about Hepatitis B were significantly better behavior about infection control in clinical practice(p<.05). The relationship between knowledge about Hepatitis B and infection control in clinical practice was significantly negative(p<.05). Conclusions: It needs to be educated both infection control lectures and clinical practice to health care-related majors to prevent cross-infection between patients and health care providers.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.11-25
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• 2016

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the factors that influence healthcare providers' attitude towards end-of-life care (EOLC) in the emergency department (ED) in hospital settings. Methods: From June 1 through June 30, 2014, a descriptive correlational study was performed with 41 doctors and 105 nurses stationed in the ED. Results: According to a regression model on the factors affecting healthcare providers' professional attitude towards EOLC, 28.1% of variance (F=15.185, P=0.000) was explained by awareness of death, gender and personal attitude towards EOLC. And 34.1% of the healthcare providers' personal attitude was related with awareness of death, experience of hospice education, occupations and professional attitude towards EOLC. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that attitude towards EOLC was influenced by awareness of death and personal characteristics. Healthcare providers in the ED should be provided with tailored training to improve their understanding of death. Also an educational program should be developed and provided to ED healthcare providers to improve their awareness of death.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.209-215
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• 2012

Objectives: Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of healthcare providers related to occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens were assessed in a tertiary-care hospital in Middle East. Methods: A cross-sectional study was undertaken using a self-administered questionnaire based on 3 paired (infectivity known vs. not known-suspected) case studies. Only 17 out of 230 respondents had an exposure in the 12 months prior to the survey and of these, only 2 had complied fully with the hospital's exposure reporting policy. Results: In the paired case studies, the theoretical responses of participating health professionals showed a greater preference for initiating self-directed treatment with antivirals or immunisation rather than complying with the hospital protocol, when the patient was known to be infected. The differences in practice when exposed to a patient with suspected blood pathogens compared to patient known to be infected was statistically significant (p < 0.001) in all 3 paired cases. Failure to test an infected patient's blood meant that an adequate risk assessment and appropriate secondary prevention could not be performed, and reflected the unwillingness to report the occupational exposure. Conclusion: Therefore, the study demonstrated that healthcare providers opted to treat themselves when exposed to patient with infectious disease, rather than comply with the hospital reporting and assessment protocol.