• Health Policy and Management
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.311-325
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• 2020

Background: Health statistics of pharmaceutical use and expenditure are essential to make and implement evidence-based pharmaceutical policy. This study aims to demonstrate the methods and results of pharmaceutical consumption and sales in 2018 according to the sources and methods given by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Methods: The medication list contains 39,346 medicines both reimbursed and non-reimbursed by the National Health Insurance in 2018. We used the therapeutic categories based on Anatomic Therapeutic Chemical Classification of World Health Organization. This study analyzed National Health Insurance claims data and supply data generated from wholesalers to health care facilities. The indicators are defined daily dose (DDD), per 1,000 inhabitants per day and US$ per capita. Results: In South Korea, the number of medications to which DDD were assigned was 18,055 and it was 45.9% of the total number of medications on the list. The consumption in anti-infective for systemic use (J) and musculo-skeletal system (M) was higher than the mean consumption among the OECD countries. The pharmaceutical sales per person in Korea was also higher than the mean sales per person across the OECD countries. Conclusion: We sought to explain the methods to produce pharmaceutical consumption and sales statistics which we had submitted annually to OECD. Considering the characteristics of pharmaceutical statistics, a direct comparison should be approached with caution. Since the growth in pharmaceutical spending has greatly increased over the past decade, we need to monitor pharmaceutical consumption and expenditure consistently.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.333-342
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• 2016

Background: The use of therapeutic materials based on new health technology has increased in recent years in the field of medicine, raising concerns for medical practitioners regarding increased spending on the new therapeutic materials amid the rapid population ageing and increase of chronic diseases in Korea. While therapeutic materials have significant importance in the health care system, they have not been given appropriate attention in the academic world of Korea. The purpose of this study is to identify factors that affect the growth of expenditure on therapeutic materials and to derive implications for an effective management considering the diversity of therapeutic materials. Methods: Using the claims data of the National Health Insurance Services, specific utilization patterns of groups of therapeutic materials in the middle classification level of Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service from 2007 to 2014 were analyzed. Four categories (J5083: drug eluting coronary stent, D0302: nonmetallic anchor, K6014: gauze, K6023: gauze) that exhibit unique patterns with respect to price and volume were selected. Then, decomposition analysis was performed to identify the largest contributor to the spending growth by dividing the products into existing, new, and abandoned products for the period between 2010 and 2013. Results: The effect of new products had larger impact on spending growth than the effect of core items in drug eluting coronary stent (J5083) and nonmetallic anchor (D0302). In addition, existing products in general included items priced relatively lower when compared with another item manufactured by the same company. In the gauze category, however, existing products had the largest impact on expenditure and the effect of volume was greater than that in other categories. Conclusion: This study provides evidence that appropriate management measures classified by the characteristics of therapeutic materials are required for therapeutic materials pricing and reassessment in Korea.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.161-168
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• 1972

The study was made to analyse the trend of food consumption in Korea from 1960 to 1970. Six kinds of statistical yearbooks in Korea was quoted for the basic data of this study. The results of this study are as follows: 1) The growth rate of populations in Korea from 1960 to 1970 was $2.0{\pm}0.4%$. 2) The production of foods in Korea was irregular by climate and natural phenomania. 3) There were the reverse trade phenomenia except vegetables, fruits and fishery products in export and import of food. 4) The monthly consumption expenditure per family in all city in Korea was \7,080 in 1963, and \29, 900 in 1970. 5) Food consumption in all expenditure was \3,840 in 1963, and \12,120 in 1970. 6) Percentage of food consumption of all expenditure was 54.2% in 1963, and 40.5% in 1970. 7) Cereal in food expenditure was \1,770 in 1963, and \5,060 in 1970. 8) By the growth of western style of life, there was a increase of western food consumption. 9) Engel index in Korea was 54.25 in 1963, and 40.46 in 1970. 10) We found slightly consumptional trend in plant origin food and highly trend in animal origin food. 11) Among the animal food consumption, chickens, canned meat, milk, eggs, and dried milk were highly consumed.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.583-592
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• 2016

In this study, we attempt to provide empirical evidence for the effect of the expenditure of the local governments on the air quality management. Based on the statistical data, the concentrations of air pollutants including $PM_{10}$, $O_3$, and $NO_2$ were analyzed in accordance with local characteristics of the local governments' environmental expenditure, demographic characteristics, and economic and human resources between 2008 and 2014. The results showed that government spending is estimated to have insignificant impact on air pollutants concentration. All these results are consistently corroborated from the analysis based on different alternative measure of local governments' expenditure (budget composition and measure of expenditure residuals). Subsequently, this study implies that environmental expenditures of local governments have not been effectively enforced to enhance the air quality of the region in Korea.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.24-34
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• 2014

Background: Bankrupted households have recently been increased due to excessive medical expenditure in Korea. They have not been protected from economic risk when household's member has severe diseases that need a lot of money for treatment. Purpose of this study examines policy effect by comparing unmet needs' change of policy object households and non-object groups. Methods: We used Korea Health panel 2nd 4th data collected by Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs and National Health Insurance Service. Analysis subjects were 381 households (pre-policy) and 393 households (post-policy) that had cancer and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Since it was major concern that estimates benefit strengthening policy started by certain time, we setup comparing households which had diabetes, hypertension disease. Comparison subjects were 393,247 households, respectively and we evaluated policy effect using difference in difference (DID) model. Results: Although unmet needs of policy object households were higher than non-object groups, policy execution variable affected negative direction. But interaction-term which shows pure effect of policy was not statistically significant. We utilized multi-DID model to examine factors affecting unmet needs causes. Copayment assistance policy did not significantly affect households that responded to 'economic reason,' and 'no have time to visit' for unmet needs causes. Conclusion: The second copayment assistance policy did not significantly give positive effect to beneficiary households than non-beneficiary groups. When we consider that primary purpose of public insurance guarantee high medical expenditure occurred by unexpected events, it needs to deliberate on switch of benefit strengthening policy that can assist vulnerable people. Also, we suggest that government forward a policy covering non-reimbursable medical expenses as well as switch of benefit strengthening direction because benefit policy do not affect non-covered medical cost which accounts for quarter of total health expenditure.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.249-262
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• 2011

Since May 1st in 2008, the products of ginkgo biloba extract have had to be used with the patient's out-of-pocket payment due to reimbursement restriction guidelines. This study aims to analyze the policy effects of reimbursement restriction on pharmaceutical expenditures using interrupted time series(ITS) analysis. We retrieved monthly NHI claims data for the period between May, 2005 and December 2009. The ingredients identified as a substitute for ginkgo biloba have similar indications based on the similar pharmacological activities. The effects of changes in reimbursement scope were evaluated both for all relevant pharmaceuticals within the same therapeutic class and for 2 separate groups : ginkgo biloba's and its substitutes. According to the study results, restrictions on reimbursement scope resulted in savings of the drug expenditures in the targeted therapeutic class. Direct restriction on ginkgo biloba was associated with a decrease in expenditure level by 60.1% and changes in trend from an average increase rate of 1.4% to an average decrease rate of 1.5% for the therapeutic class, with a dramatic decrease in expenditure level(-191.5%) for ginkgo biloba itself, but with an increased expenditure level(+50.1%) and changes in trend from an average increase rate of 2.0% to an average decrease rate of 1.0% for the substitute group. Further policy to restrict nicergoline was associated with additional decrease in expenditure level for the therapeutic class. Additionally, we could identify the balloon effect - a new policy squeezing one part results in bulging out elsewhere. After the restriction of ginkgo biloba, the utilization of and expenditures on its substitutes increased significantly. In conclusion, we demonstrated that consecutively introduced policies effectively reduced overall expenditures on the therapeutic class of interest. Some ingredients played as a substitute while others did not. Further studies need to be conducted to identify which factors determine a substitute.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.31-53
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• 2007

The purpose of a national health care system is to improve health care outcome among population. The objective of the study was to explore the determinants of health outcome in the 24 OECD countries between two health care financing systems. The study employed the pooled time series and cross-sectional analysis with tax-funded and social insurance-funded countries over the period of 1980 to 1999 using OECD Health Data 2002. The study revealed that health expenditure per capita, physicians per 1,000 of the population and calorie intake were positively significantly associated, smoking rate was negatively associated with health outcome while controlling all variables in the tax-funded countries. But in the insurance-funded countries, health expenditure per capita and the number of physicians were not statistically significant factors explaining health outcome. Only the calorie intake was positively associated with, and smoking rate, alcohol consumption per capita, and total nitrogen oxide emission per capita were negatively significantly associated with health outcome. In conclusion, healthy life style factors were much more important to improve health outcome in the both systems.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.17-39
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• 2005

Social solidarity, equity in financing, and efficiency in administration have been core issues in the development of Korean health insurance reformation since 1988. This study is to investigate the trend of administrative cost in Korean National Health Insurance from various aspects. For the analysis of administrative cost, the expenditures of each insurance society and the National Health Insurance Corporation are divided into 4 items of (1) insurance benefit, (2) administrative cost, (3) an agency provision accounts, (4) other expenses, and then they are reorganized. The analyses based on 5 types of the health insurance administrative cost showed that efficiency in administration has been improved generally. We, however, should consider qualitative aspects such as customer's satisfaction with health insurance administration, prompt service, control of unjust expenditure (unjust claims), and provision of medical service including health consultation in assessing efficiency of administration. And, in order to connect the administrative costs of health insurance with efficiency, we need to give a fundamentally new definition, which can contain elaborateness of expenditure in details including the structure and evaluation method of administrative costs. It may be necessary to develop new indicators or analyzing methods hereafter.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.26-49
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• 2007

The purpose of this study is to analyze the equity of health care utilization by income groups in terms of both quantity and quality of care, which is measured by expenditure, type of care, and type of health care institutions. Equity in health care utilization is measured by HIwv index, based on the survey of 1,480 Gwangju-Jeonnam residents. Health care utilization in terms of the probability and quantity of outpatient and inpatient care show equitable or pro-poor inequitable distribution, whereas the distribution of health care expenditure, which can account for the quality of care, is pro-rich inequitable, implying that the better off tend to use more expensive medical care. In terms of the types of care, simple visits for basic care show equitable distribution, whereas the distribution of the utilization of traditional tonic medicine, comprehensive health examination, CT, MRI, and ultrasound is pro-rich inequitable. Utilization of general hospitals and traditional health institutions show pro-rich inequitable distribution, hospitals and dental care institutions equitable, and physician clinics and public health centers pro-poor inequitable.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.87-93
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• 2012

The purpose of this study suggests a personalized algorithm of physical activity energy expenditure prediction through comparison and analysis of individual physical activity. The research for a 3-axial accelerometer sensor has increased the role of physical activity in promoting health and preventing chronic disease has long been established. Estimating algorithm of physical activity energy expenditure was implemented by using a tri-axial accelerometer motion detector of the SVM(Signal Vector Magnitude) of 3-axis(x, y, z). A total of 10 participants(5 males and 5 females aged between 20 and 30 years). The activities protocol consisted of three types on treadmill; participants performed three treadmill activity at three speeds(3, 5, 8 km/h). These activities were repeated four weeks.