• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.17 no.6
• /
• pp.3007-3013
• /
• 2016

Background: Gastrointestinal cancers are common malignancies associated with high mortality rates. Healthcare systems are always faced with high costs of treatment of gastrointestinal cancers including stomach cancer. Identification and prioritization of these costs can help determine economic burden and then improve of health planning by policy-makers. This study was performed in 2015 in Kerman City aimed at estimating the direct hospital costs for patients with gastric cancer. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the medical records of 160 patients with stomach cancer admitted from 2011 to 2014 to Shafa Hospital were examined, the current stage of the disease and the patients' health status were identified, and the direct costs related to the type of treatment in the public and private sectors were calculated. SPSS-19 was used for statistical analysis of the data. Results: Of the patients studied, 103 (65%) were men and 57 (35%) were women. The mean age of patients was 65 years. Distribution into four stages of the disease was 5%, 20%, 30%, and 45%, respectively. Direct costs in four stages of the disease were calculated as 2191.07, 2642.93, 2877, and 2674.07 USD (63,045,879, 76,047,934, 82,783,019, and 76,943,800 IRR), respectively. The highest percentage of costs was related to surgery in Stage I and to medication in Stages II, III, and IV. According to the results of direct costs of treatment for stomach cancer in Kerman, the mean total cost of treating a patient in the public sector was estimated at 74,705,158 IRR, of which averages of 60,141,384 IRR and 14,563,774 IRR were the shares of insurance and patients, respectively. Conclusions: The high prevalence and diagnosis of disease in old age and at advanced stages of disease impose great costs on the patients and the health system. Early diagnosis through screening and selecting an appropriate treatment method might largely ameliorate the economic burden of the disease.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
• /
• v.36 no.3
• /
• pp.98-110
• /
• 2015

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to analyze the medical cost of facial paralysis in payer perspective and to estimate the practice pattern of patient using 2011 Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service-National Patients Sample(HIRA-NPS). Methods: Basic statistical system was used for descriptive analysis of NPS dataset. A table for general information (table20) was extracted by disease code, and social demographic characteristics, distribution of the use among inpatients and outpatients, utilization of each kind of medical care institutions, medical cost were analyzed. Subgroup analysis was conducted for assuming the practice pattern of korean medicine and western medicine. Results: A total of 8,219 people and 64,345 claims data were identified as having facial paralysis. Proportion of outpatient was 95.23%, inpatient 0.84% and patient using both services 3.93%. Mean patient charges was 44,229 won per outpatient, 178,886 won per inpatient and 523,542 won per patient using both services. Utilization of korean medical care institutions was 68.81%(claims), 40.46%(patients), utilization of western medical care institutions was 31.19%(claims), 59.54%(patients). The amount charged by korean medical care institutions was 52.61% and western medical care institutions was 47.39%. Cost per claim was higher than those of the korean treatment and cost per patient of western treatment was lower than those of the korean treatment. Conclusions: The research assessed the medical cost and practice pattern associated with facial paralysis. These findings could be used in health care policy and subsequent studies.

• International journal of advanced smart convergence
• /
• v.10 no.2
• /
• pp.37-44
• /
• 2021

At the time of entering the super-aged society, the health problem of the elderly is becoming more prominent due to the rapid digital era caused by COVID-19, but the gap between welfare budgets and welfare benefits according to regional characteristics is still not narrowed and there is a significant difference in emergency medical access. In response, this study proposes an ICT-based New Normal Smart Care System (NNSCS) to bridge the gap I n health and medical problems. This is an integrated system model that links the elderly themselves to health care, self-diagnosis, disease prediction and prevention, and emergency medical services. The purpose is to apply location-based technology and motion recognition technology under smartphones and smartwatches (wearable) environments to detect health care and risks, predict and diagnose diseases using health and medical big data, and minimize treatment latency. Through the New Normal Smart Care System (NNSCS), which links health care, prevention, and rapid emergency treatment with easy and simple access to health care for the elderly, it aims to minimize health gaps and solve health problems for the elderly.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
• /
• v.29 no.4
• /
• pp.89-100
• /
• 2019

Objectives We are going to analyze patient's medical and Korean medicine use trends after lumbar surgery, and examine the percentage of use of Korean medicine after surgery and its relevance to the medical care outcome after lumbar surgery. Methods Using 3% patients' sample data of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, two groups were compared the treatment progress of the Korean Medicine treatment group and the untreated group after lumbar surgery by hierarchical logistic regression analysis. After hierarchical logistic regression analysis(including propensity scores), two groups were compared after lumbar surgery, the Korean Medicine treatment group within 50days and untreated group within 50days. Results Lumbar surgery was performed in 2750 patients in 2015. It was 3.72 that the risk(odds ratio) of finished treatment of patients treated without Korean Medicine, compared to patients with Korean Medicine. It was 0.12 that the risk of continuing treatment(odds ratio) of patients treated with Korean Medicine within 50 days, compared to patients treatment more than 50 days. Conclusions The ratio of Korean Medicine treatment after lumbar surgery was 14.8%. The group that did not have Korean Medicine showed a higher possibility of treatment termination than the group who did not. Among the groups treated with Korean Medicine, the early treatment group was more likely to end treatment than the late treatment group. Considering various situations in the medical environment, further studies such as prospective studies and long-term data analysis are considered to be necessary.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
• /
• v.18 no.3
• /
• pp.91-104
• /
• 2014

Objective : This study aims to compare the scope of practice of Korean Medicine doctors and western medicine doctors based on laws related to medical practice Method : We searched for laws related to medical practice using terminologies such as "Korean Medical practice", "Korean Medicine", "Principles of Korean Medicine", "western medicine", "Korean Medicine doctor", "western medicine doctor" at the national law information center(http://law.go.kr/main.html). Results : We categorized the laws we found into four categories: diagnosis, treatment, prescription, and all the other areas including public health. In diagnosis, both Korean Medicine doctors and western medicine doctors have a right to issue medical certificates including birth and death. However, diagnosis of a few specific diseases is allowed only to western medicine doctors. In treatment, laws related to emergency medicine and nursing at home were searched. Korean Medicine doctors and western medicine doctors are emergency care providers; however, most of emergency medicine can be done by western medicine doctors. In prescription, the scope of practice is divided by herbal medicine and western medicine. Finally, as public health professionals, both of them need to do lots of public health works. However, in some area such as vaccination, maternal and child health care, and industrial health, only western medicine doctors can practice. Conclusion : This study suggests that, in diagnosis, treatment, prescription, and all the other areas including public health, the scope of practice of Korean Medicine doctors and western medicine doctors has huge difference. There is also lack of consistency in current law, and some laws do not reflect current health care system and health care services.

• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
• /
• v.17 no.1
• /
• pp.3-43
• /
• 2016

The North Korean medical laws are consisted of 'People's Health Act' and 'Medical Act' in the peak of the North Korean constitutional law. Before the legislation of 'People's Health Act', a number of medical laws and regulations existed. But, at present, there is no information about its amendment and effectiveness. 'People's Health Act' legislated in 1980 declared fundamental principles and policies of the North Korean health care system. 'Medical Act' legislated in 1997 is the basic law among the North Korean medical laws. It presented the goals and fundamental principles of the North Korean health care, and then regulated the basics about 'Tests and Diagnosis', 'Medical Treatment', and 'Medical Appraisal'. 'Medical Act' of North Korea was established later than South Korea, and its provisions is smaller in number. And there are lots of abstract and declaratory provisions compare with South Korean 'Medical Act'. Especially there is no provision about the kind and requirements of medical personnel and medical institutions, so it is hard to grasp the North Korean health care system at once. Regarding the medical treatment, there are many similar contents between the North and South Korean 'Medical Act'. But, the provisions, such as regarding mixing the new medicine and the korean traditional medicine, encouraging natural therapies in medical treatment, and informing the patient's protector of bad diagnostic result if there is concern to have a bad influence on patient, are different from the South Korean 'Medical Act'.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Medical Physics Conference
• /
• 2002.09a
• /
• pp.126-128
• /
• 2002

A learning system was built into an on-line, multi-institutional radiotherapy database, where the treatment history records and the results in each institution were integrated, each radiotherapy planning was supported, and it led to the improvement in treatment results.

• Health Policy and Management
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.13-23
• /
• 2014

Background: A need arises to efficiently control health expenditure for medical aid due to a sharp increase in medical aid expenditure. This study experimently analyzes the impact of physician behavior on medical use for medical aid beneficiaries using supplier induced demand (SID) theory. Methods: This study looks into analyze SID effect using expenditure factor analysis of medical aid for the years between 2003 and 2010 in comparison with health insurance. Moreover, this study analyzes the existence and scale of SID using econometrics modeling with panel data on 16 cities and provinces's health expenditure data for medical aid from 2003 1/4 to 2010 4/4. Results: This study finds that the growth rate of visit days per capita and treatment amount per visit days for medical aid is higher than health insurance. Furthermore, the result of econometrics modeling analysis shows the existence of SID in general hospital, hospital, clinic, oriental clinic. Conclusion: In order to efficiently control expenditure for medical aid, it is required to reinforce macro polices such as the introduction of 'target management' and micro policies such as the strengthen of management on medical institutes in the perspective of suppliers as well as regulations of demanders.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.51 no.6
• /
• pp.275-280
• /
• 2018

Objectives: The project Seoul Atopy Asthma-friendly School investigated the current status of childhood asthma to enable formulation of a preventative policy. We evaluated the current prevalence of childhood asthma in Seoul and its trends and related factors. Methods: The project was conducted annually from 2011 to 2016 and involved around 35 000 children aged 1-13 years. Based on the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood guidelines, the survey involved parents. The associations of the particulate matter ($PM_{10}$) concentration, and the number of days on which the daily air quality guidance level was exceeded in the 25 districts of Seoul, with the prevalence of asthma were assessed. Results: The age-standardized asthma prevalence in 2011 and 2016 was 6.74 and 4.02%, respectively. The prevalence of lifetime asthma treatment and treatment during the last 12 months tended to decrease from 2011 to 2016. Asthma treatment was significantly correlated with the number of days on which the daily air quality guidance level was exceeded, but not with the $PM_{10}$ concentration. Conclusions: This study reports the prevalence of asthma among children in Seoul and confirmed the relationship between childhood asthma and known risk factors in a large-scale survey.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
• /
• v.28 no.1
• /
• pp.147-157
• /
• 2015

Objectives: We report two cases that have an effective result with Korean traditional medical treatment to two patients who have uterine fibroids, using transabdominal ultrasonography for checking the size of uterine fibroids. Methods: A 44-year-old patient and a 43-year-old patient were treated with an herbal medicine, acupuncture and cupping therapy. We followed up the symptoms and the size of uterine fibroids. Results: The 44-year-old patient was asymptomatic, her size of the uterine fibroid was reduced for 6 months. Also, the 43-year-old patient experienced that the symptoms such as urinary frequency, ovulation pain, heavy bleeding were improved and the size of the uterine fibroid was reduced. Conclusions: This results suggest that Korean traditional medical treatment if effective for both asymptomatic and symptomatic uterine fibroids and ultrasonography is useful for checking the effect of Korean traditional medical treatment. Further case series and studies are warranted.