• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.243-250
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• 1998

This study was analyzed through the reports which published on the subject matter of Su Dong-Myun from 1994 to 1997 and the medical record of patient in Su-Dong Myun health subcenter. The result are as follow: 1. The number of population in Su-Dong Myun(study area) was 5,475 in 1994, 5,707 in 1995, 6,079 in 1996 and 6,253 in 1997. In composition rate of population, "65 and over" of age group only showed markedly increasing tendancy from 9.8% in l995 to 10.2% in 1997. However, the rest of all age group showed decreasing tendancy. 2. Annual utilization rate showed decreasing tendancy, such as 247 in 1994. 203 in 1995, 146 in 1996, and 140 in 1997 per 1000 population. But visiting time is increasing tendency, such as 3.1 in 1994, 2.8 in 1995. 2.4 in 1996 and 3.4 in 1997 per disease case. 3. Age specific annual utilization rate, all age showed decreasing tendancy in the age group of "0-14", "15-44" and "45-64", however showed increasing tendency in the age group of "65 and over" from 1994 to 1997. 4. The major disease were disease of Respiratory system. Gastrointestinal system. Musculoskeletal system and Connective tissue. Skin and Subcutaneous tissue and Circulatory system The disease of Musculoskeletal system and Connective tissue and Circulatory system are increasing.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.67-77
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• 2003

Objectives: This study is designed to suggest the health service goals necessary for providing the more efficient services relevant to the requests of the community, through the evaluation on the operating status of the unified health subcenters. Methods: We visited total 5 unified health subcenters comprising 3 ones located in Gyeongsangbuk-do and 2 ones located in Gyeongsangnam-do from December 2000 to January 2001, and interviewed about the pre- and post-unified status related to manpower, facilities, equipment, medical service and health service quality, and the problems and improvement plans of the unified management. Results: According to the evaluation on the manpower before and after the unification of the health subcenters, the total employees increased by 2.8 persons on average from 6.8 to 9.6 persons in the investigated subjects. The numbers of doctors, dentists and nurses were almost the same as before. There were no clinical pathologic technician and radiological technician before but they were appointed to duty in 3 unified health subcenters later. The unification of the health subcenters has produced slight increases in the frequency of the medical service and dental treatment and considerable increases in that of the physical therapy and laboratory tests. In relating to the changes of the health service, the cases of visiting health care and ambulatory medical service, and the total number of health education participants were greatly increased after the unification. The number of cases undergoing the vaccination and cervical cancer screening was similar to that of the pre-unification while the patient number of the registration to hypertension or diabetes showed a tendency to increase a little. Since the unification of the health subcenters, the frequency of laboratory tests has been increased, but the quality of health service has not been improved yet. Nevertheless, the unification seems to be positive according to the result of the great improvement in visiting health care, ambulatory medical service and health education service. The problems of the unification of the health subcenters were indicated in indefiniteness of the service details between the workers; excessively large building hard to be effectively managed; insufficient medical instruments, inappropriation of working expenses, lack of professional training for the health education, etc. Conclusions: For further active functions of the unified health subcenters, the minimal allocation basis to appoint doctors, nurses and administrative workers to do the duty should be differentiated from the basis for a health subcenter, and the fundamental instruments needs to be expanded to improve the quality of the medical service and visiting health care service. Moreover, the unified health subcenter needs to have definite service details between the workers, and should improve the working efficiency through the development of service-related guidelines.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.34-43
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• 1977

This study attempts to examine the performances of Myun Health Workers-the frontline workers in the Korean rural health care delivery system. The time-activity approach was mainly utilized as a measuring tool. This study was undertaken in September 1976 with 35 Myun Health Workers at the Kang Wha County. The pretested time-activity approach sheets were filled out daily for one month by those Myun Health Workers themselves. Statistical means and variances of analysis were utilized for statistical method in comparing some activities and functions converged into time distribution Findings: 1. The workers's average working hours derived in this study is 8 hours and 48 minutes per day, which takes half an hour longer than normal schedule. 2. They spend 56% working hour for direct services, in other words, the main function, 22% for supportive function, and 22% for other activities, the unrelated health services. 3. Considering the total working hours of main function, out-center activity is far more than in-center services with the ratio of 70% to 30% respectively, which proves, therefore, that the main activity of the workers is home visiting. 4. It takes 20 minutes purely for home visiting and takes 14 minutes for transportation. 5. This research also indicates that such factors as characteristics of the health workers and myun influence in shaping the structures of the worker's function and activity: a. The workers whose working site is located in myun office spend 15% among total working hours in carring out official myun activities, which is incidentally unrelated to health services, while the health subcenter have no rooms for administrative jobs for myun office. b. The workers whose office is in health subcenter contribute much time in doing main function and those working in special project distribute more time in performing supportive function. c. The types of workers are another dominant factor to influence the components of worker's functions and activities. MCH workers and MPW I spend much time for manipulating main function. d. MPW II, whose function is reorganized by special project in 2 myuns shows different pattern of time distribution compared to the TB worker orFP worker in the ordinary area. MPW II distributes their time evenly in performing MCH program, T.B. Program, F.P. program and education activity, while the unipurpose workers engage in carring out only their dominant role. e. Another variables which involve the variation of the worker's activity can be illustrated with the variables like target population, size of myun and convenience for transportation, among which the latter two are remarkable factors in determining the time for out-center service.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.29-58
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• 1996

This study was conducted to identify the factors that affect the output of health conters. An analystical model employed in this study was developed by modifying 'input-output model' and 'organizational behavior model'. Data were collected form two source; the 1995 report of thealth center which was submitted to the Ministry of Health and Welfare and a mail survey questionary of officers at health center, including 66 directors and 1,768 staffs of the health centers in southern region. The major findings are as follows: That analysis has identified the factors associated with dependent variables: medical services provided by the health center and health program performance(HPP). The number of primary medical facilities was negatively associated with health center performance while the number of staffs, job satisfaction, and professional background of health center directors were positively associated. These independent variables accounted for 40.1% of the variance of dependent variables. The variance of HPP was significantly explained by the number of health subcenter and primary health post, priority level of public health program by hief executive officers(CEOs) and legislator. A significant relationship was found between leadership types of health center directors and the performance of maternal and child health program. Considering these results, the authors suggested that the role in medical care service of health center in the should be rearranged at local level because medical care service of the health center is competing with primary medical facilities in the same region. It is also suggested that educational efforts be made to improve leadership of the health center directors and concern with public health program by the CEOs and legislators of local governments.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.24-30
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• 1978

This study was designed to analyse effects of Family Health Workers' activities on the performance of a child immunization program as part of the evaluative research in the community health demonstration project in Kang Wha. Frequent shortcomings of evaluative research are problems in setting evaluative indices, difficulties in interpreting influences of socioeconomic changes due to lack of control and failure of demonstrating association between activity input and program performance. Specific objectives of this study was to improve the frequent shortcoming of evaluative research by isolating the effects of Family Health Workers' activities on the performance of the program through controlling other variables which also influenced the program performance. The target population consisted of 1240 children who were born between Jan. 1971 and Dec. 1975 in Sunwon Myun, and Naega Myun in Kwang Wha Gun, Kyonggi Province. The data were collected in part through 20 Family Health Workers who interviewed the mothers of these children in their villages during Nov. 1977. Part of the data were obtained by summarizing Family Health Workers daily activity records. All data were grouped for each birth cohort according to the 20 villages. Dependent variable of the model is the measle immuinization rate of each village and the independent variables are characteristics of baby, mother, household, travel time to the health subcenter, to Kang Wha Town, and the mean member of visits to the household by Family Health Workers as well as their other related activities and the year of birth of children according to village. The model was analysed by stepwise multiple regression technique. The summarized results show that overall $R^2$ were 39.3% and mean number of Family Health Worker household visits, mean age of mother and mean economic status were significant variables in explaining the immunization rate. Therefore Family Health Workers' activities are one of the significant variables in influencing the increased immunization rate of children in villages of the project area.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.159-169
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• 1996

Every citizen has a right to get the least health care service for their living and should be guaranteed the right of health which is specified in the constitution of Korea. Therefore, health care service should realize the equity and accessibility of service by the equitable distribution which is needed for health care. The objects of this study were the patients who was treated by the physical therapy in health care center(two of them located in cities and others are in agricultural areas). These are the results of our study. First, the age, job, sex and experience of former treatment of objects showed no meaningful statistic difference in the part of convenience of health care center, where as the system of health scurity showed highly meaningful difference. Second, The age, job and system of health care of objects showed no meaningful difference in the part of attitude and appreciation to therapist, where as the experience of former treatment in other center showed highly meaningful difference. Third, The age, job and sex of objects showed no meaningful difference in the part of the appreciation to results of service, where as the system of health scurity and the experience of former treatment in other center showed meaningful difference. To offer the effective physical therapy, the government of province or nation should invest the large amount of financial fund continuously and make the plan of efficient operating system for the physical therapy service room of public health center which is the most nearly located to native citizen. The problem of distance, low reliability to public service, public relation and reliabity should be improved to raise the utility of physical therapy room. And also, the physical therapy room should be opened in health subcenter to offer the condition of the native citizen's healthy life.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.97-110
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• 1970

This survey was conducted to evaluate not only the present status of health center directors-their personal histories, their will to private practice in the future, their responses to governmental policies, -but also the distribution of doctorless myons, budget and subsidy, and director's opinions to the enhancement of health center activities. This survey questioned 116 health center directors and 16 health personnel from August to October of 1970 and obtained the following results; 1) The average ages of directors of kun, city, and total health centers were $43.2{\pm}7.8,\;42.1{\pm}7.7,\;and\;42.9{\pm}10.3$ respectively. 2) The average family sizes of directors of kun, city, and total health centers were $5.6{\pm}2.7,\;5.6{\pm}2.1,\;and\;5.6{\pm}2.6$ respectively. 3) Directors holding M. D. degrees were 79.3%, those holding qualified M. D. degrees ('approved director') were 20.7%. 4) M. P. H., M. S., and Ph. D. holders were 6.0%, 6.1%, and 4.3% respectively. 5) The average duration of present directorship in kun and city were 30.2 months and 20.4 months respectively. 6) The majority of directors had been employed in related fields before assuming current position : directorship at other health center 26.7%, army 22.4%, health subcenter 21.6%, private practice 19.0%. 7) Average length of directorship is 41.8 months. Average length of public health career, including health subcenter and present position, is 56.5 months. 8) Both rural and urban experience in health centers for regular directors is 16.3% and for approved directors, 12,5%. A total of 15.5% of all survey directors had experience in both rural and urban health center. 9) A total of 70.7% of health center directorships were staffed by local doctors. 10) Nearly 40% wanted to quit the directorships within 3 years and 60.3% had already experienced private practice. 11) Of the regular directors 17.4% felt strongly about devoting their lives to public health fields, but only 4.1% of the approved approved directors felt so. 12) There wire 432 doctorless myons among 996 respondent myons and 4.5 doctorless myons per kun. 13) The percentage of doctorless myon by Province are as follows, Cholla buk-do 57.2%, Cholla nam-de 55.0%, Kyungsang nam-do 52.0%, Kyungsang buk-do 49.7%, Chungchong but-do 42.4%, Kyonggi-do 32.9%. Cheju-do 30.8%, Kangwon-do 25.8%. 14) Two thirds of health critters have experienced the abscence of the director for a certain period since 1966 and the average span of the abscence was 18.2 months. 15) The percentage of doctorless myons increased proportionally with the span of the director's abscence. 16) The average budgets of health centers, kun, city and ku, were $W15.03\;million{\pm}W4.5\;million,\;W22.03\;million{\pm}W17.80\;million,\;W13.10\;million{\pm}W7.9\;million$ respectively. 17) Chunju city had the highest health budget per capita(W344) while Pusan Seo ku had the lowest(W19). 18) Director's medical subsidies are W30,000-50,000 in kun, and roughly W20,000 in city. 19) The older of priority in health center activities is T.B. control(31.1%), Family Planning and M. C. H.(28.0%), prevention of acute communicable disease and endemic disease (18.2%) and clinical care of patients(14.3%). 20) Nearly 32% opposed in principle the governmental policy of prohibiting medical doctors from going abroad. 21) Suggestions for immediate enhancing the position of director of health centers and subcenters: (1) Raise the base subsidy (48.2%), (2) Provide more opportunities for promotion (20.7%), (3) Exemption from army services(12.1%), (4) Full scholarship to medical students for this purpose only (7.8%). 22) A newly established medical school was opposed by 56.9% of the directors, however 33.6% of them approved. 23) Pertaining to the division of labor in Medicine and Pharmacy, the largest portion (31.9%) urged the immediate partial division of antibiotics and some addictive drugs to be given only by prescription. 24) More than half wanted a W70,000 level for the director's medical subsidies, white 36.2% stated W50,000. 25) Urgently needed skills in the kun are clinical pathologist (38.6%) and doctor (health center director) (25.5%); while in the city nurse (37.1%), doctors(clinical)(31.4%) and health educators(14.4%) are needed. 26) Essential treatment for the better health center administration; raising the base subsidy (22.7%), obtaining the power of personal management (19.3%) and the establishment of a Board of Health (14.3%). etc.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.335-341
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• 2005

This study discusses the effects of infrared thermography in dentistry. Infrared thermography allows the quantification of infrared rays and provides useful data for dental care and research. It has been used for the diagnosis of temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD) and proposed as an objective measure of myofascial pain. It is closely related to temperature and produces beneficial objective data. A study of the heat emissions from facial structures has the potential to benefit dental diagnosis of TMD, postoperative inferior alveolar damage, and endodontic and conservative treatments. In this paper, we assessed infrared thermography in dentistry and consider future developments of infrared thermography.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.427-440
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• 2000

A comparative study was made about health resources, medical care service statistics and public health service statistics by health subcenters at Jangdong and Jangpyung townships, Jangheung County, Chollanamdo before and after the unification of two health subcenter to improve their function. 1. While two general physicians, one dentist, 4 nurse aids arid one oral hygienist were working at two health subcenters with simple facility with examination room and public health office in 1997 prior to the unification, in 1999 after the unification of two health subcenters 14 staff including a specialist physician, a general physician, a dentist, a herb hygienist, a radiology technician and a physical therapist were working in the new health subcenters equipped with appropriate facilities in two storey building. 2. In 1997 before the unification the yearly total income of two health subcenters was 78,815 thousand won(about 14,000 won per capita) and the amount was 140,376 thousand won(about 25,000 won per capita) in 1999 after the unification. And the income was used for operation of health subcenters excluding personnel expense. 3. While 90.5% of visitors to the health subcenters came for general medical care, and 91.6% came for the revisit before the unification, after the unification 71.2% came for general medical care, 10.8% for dental care, 16.5% for oriental physician's care, 29.7% for the first visit and 70.3% for revisit. Most common problem cared for was musculoskeletal disorder like arthralgia. Average treatment cost per person per month was 9,363 won before the unification and 8,309 won after the unification. 4. Through the comparison of execution rate of public health services before and after the unification. the practice rate of most health service among target population including visiting service for chronic illness, maternal and child health service and immunization service increased after the unification. The practice rate of tuberculosis control service, hypertension control and diabetes management was a little decreased. In conclusion, continuous effort to satisfy all persons in two townships and evaluation are necessary to coincide with the spirit of unification of two health subcenters.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.162-180
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• 1994

The control of the chronic degenerative diseases becomes a challenge in Korea as the aging of the population progresses. Accordingly, the importance of the control of the hypertension, one of the major chronic degenerative diseases, in the primary health care settings increases. However, such control activities are still minimal. This study gives brief description of how the rural residents who are currently registered for the control of the hypertension feel about the activities of the health centers, subcenters and the CHP posts, in relation to the control of the hypertension. We also describe the knowledge and practice of the registered hypertensive. In general, the knowledge, the acceptance and the satisfaction of the respondents about the hypertension control activities were not very high. Respondents being managed by the health center showed the highest knowledge, acceptance and satisfaction, and those being managed by the subcenters ranked lowest. The knowledge about the hypertension was not satisfactory. There were great variations among the items in terms of the proportion answered correctly. As many as 60% of the respondents take medication regularly but only 4.5% were practicing weight control regularly. Despite some limitations of the study, the results can be very useful for those planning hypertension control programs. The educational materials and the dietary protocols need to be developed in accordance with the regional social and food pattern, so that they can be utilized with minimal modification for each beneficiary. We also suggest to minimize the area a health personnel covers. In other word, running several small health posts at village level would be more effective than running a subcenter at the township level, in terms of the hypertension control.