• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제54권1호
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• pp.17-21
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• 2021

In 2020, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused unprecedented disruptions to global health systems. The Korea has taken full-fledged actions against this novel infectious disease, swiftly implementing a testing-tracing-treatment strategy. New obligations have therefore been given to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) to devote the utmost effort towards tackling this global health crisis. Thanks to the universal national health insurance and state-of-the-art information communications technology (ICT) of the Korea, HIRA has conducted far-reaching countermeasures to detect and treat cases early, prevent the spread of COVID-19, respond quickly to surging demand for the healthcare services, and translate evidence into policy. Three main factors have enabled HIRA to undertake pandemic control preemptively and systematically: nationwide data aggregated from all healthcare providers and patients, pre-existing ICT network systems, and real-time data exchanges. HIRA has maximized the use of data and pre-existing network systems to conduct rapid and responsive measures in a centralized way, both of which have been the most critical tactics and strategies used by the Korean healthcare system. In the face of new obligations, our promise is to strive for a more responsive and resilient health system during this prolonged crisis.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제80권3호
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• pp.221-225
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• 2017

Since 2015, the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) has performed annual qualitative assessments of asthma management provided by all medical institutions that care for asthma patients in Korea. According to the third report of qualitative assessment of asthma management in 2017, the assessment appears to have contributed to improving the quality of asthma care provided by medical institutions, especially primary clinics. However, there is still a gap between the ideal goals of asthma management and actual health care policies/regulations in real clinical settings, which leads to the state of standstill with respect to the quality of asthma management despite considerable efforts such as the qualitative assessment of asthma management by national agencies such as the HIRA. At this point, a harmonized approach is needed to raise the level of asthma management among several components including medical policies, efforts of academic associations such as education and distribution of the guideline for management, and reliable financial support by the government.

• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제48권5호
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• pp.266-271
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• 2022

Background: The selection of distributions of input parameters is an important component in probabilistic exposure assessment. Goodness-of-fit (GOF) methods are used to determine the distribution of exposure factors. However, there are no clear guidelines for choosing an appropriate GOF method. Objectives: The outcomes of probabilistic consumer exposure assessment were compared by using five different GOF methods for the selection of input distributions: chi-squared test, Kolmogorov-Smirnov test (K-S), Anderson-Darling test (A-D), Akaike information criterion (AIC) and Bayesian information criterion (BIC). Methods: Individual exposures were estimated based on product usage factor combinations from 10,000 respondents. The distribution of individual exposure was considered as the true value of population exposures. Results: Among the five GOF methods, probabilistic exposure distributions using the A-D and K-S methods were similar to individual exposure estimations. Comparing the 95th percentiles of the probabilistic distributions and the individual estimations for 10 CPs, there were 0.73 to 1.92 times differences for the A-D method, and 0.73 to 1.60 times differences (excluding tire-shine spray) for the K-S method. Conclusions: There were significant differences in exposure assessment results among the selection of the GOF methods. Therefore, the GOF methods for probabilistic consumer exposure assessment should be carefully selected.

• KIEAE Journal
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• 제17권5호
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• pp.33-41
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• 2017

Purpose: Indoor air quality in residential buildings needs to be evaluated over the long term. In previous research, there has been an attempt to perform the health risk assessment of pollutants by using numerical models as a method of long-term evaluation. However, the numerical model of this precedent study has limitations that do not reflect the actual concentration distribution. Therefore, this study introduces the CRPS index, constructs a numerical model that can reflect the concentration distribution, and then presents a more accurate health risk assessment method using it. At this time, the pollutants are toluene, which is a typical material released from building materials. Method: CRPS index was applied to existing numerical model to reflect concentration distribution. This was used to calculate concentrations at adult breathing area and to use them for exposure assessment in a health risk assessment. After that, we entered adult data and conducted a health risk assessment of toluene. Results: The non-carcinogenic risk of toluene was calculated to be 0.0060. This is 5% smaller than the existing numerical model, meaning that it is more accurate to predict the pollutant risks. This value is also lower than the US EPA reference value of 1. Therefore, under the conditions of this study, long-term exposure of adults to toluene has no impact on health.

• 환경영향평가
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• 제28권6호
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• pp.616-625
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• 2019

건강영향평가는 개발사업 시행에 따른 사람의 건강에 미치는 영향을 예측하여 건강피해를 최소화하기 위한 목적으로 환경영향평가 내에서 시행되고 있다. 하지만 건강영향평가 시 유해대기오염물질 배출량 산정방법에 대한 일관성 부족으로 건강영향평가 매뉴얼 개선이 필요하나, 아직 개정은 되지 않고 있다. 본 연구는 실제 산업단지 개발 사례 및 기 수행된 건강영향평가를 중심으로 유해대기오염물질 배출량 산정 시 매뉴얼에 제시된 원단위 산정 방법을 다르게 적용한 4가지 사례를 선정하여 각각 배출량을 산정하였다. 각 산정된 배출량을 토대로 CALPUFF 모델을 이용한 확산농도 예측 후, 노출농도를 기준으로 위해성 평가를 시행하였다. 위해성 평가 결과, 배출량 산정 방법별 위해도 수준의 차이가 비교적 크게 나타남에 따라, 배출량 산정시 원단위 적용에 대한 매뉴얼 개선이 필요한 것으로 검토되었다. 또한 배출량 산정 시 근거자료 활용에 대한 일관성, 건강영향평가에 최적화된 배출계수 개발, 현황 조사에 대한 신뢰성 향상이 필요할 것으로 판단된다.

• 환경영향평가
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• 제29권5호
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• pp.391-402
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• 2020

국내 법적 근거를 가진 건강영향평가(Health Impact Assessment)는 환경영향평가 항목 중 위생공중보건 항목에서 작성 수행되고 있다. 택지개발 등 주거지 개발사업들은 「환경보건법」 제13조에 따른 건강 영향평가 대상사업은 아니다. 하지만 환경영향평가협의회 단계에서 인근 산업단지 등 오염원에서 배출되는 물질 중 건강영향평가 대상물질을 확인하여 위해도(발암·비발암 포함)를 산정하여 제시하라는 심의내용에 근거하여 부분적인 건강영향평가로 수행하고 있다. 주거지 개발사업은 특정대기유해물질 등 오염물질 배출시설 계획이 없지만 주변 산업단지와 같은 대기오염 발생원에서 배출되는 오염물질에 의해 향후 입주하는 계획지구 주민들에게 건강영향을 미칠 수가 있다. 본 연구에서는 실제 도시개발사업 사례를 분석하여 미래에 입주하는 계획지구 입주민들에게 미치는 영향을 검토하고자 하였다. 미래에 영향 검토 시 주변지역에 대한 문헌을 통한 예측 case1, 대기확산모델(AERMOD)을 이용한 발암성물질 노출농도예측과 기여도 분석 case2를 하였다. 본 연구를 통해 계획지구 인근 산업단지 등의 오염원에 대한 수용체를 고려한 건강영향평가 방법으로는 현황조사와 대기확산모델(AERMOD)을 이용한 노출농도예측 및 기여도분석을 상호 보완적으로 적용하여 평가하는 것이 효용성이 높은 것으로 판단되었다.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제1권1호
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• pp.19-28
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• 2010

Industrial Safety and Health Law (ISH Law) of Japan requires abnormalities identified in evaluations of worker health and working environments are reported to occupational physicians, and employers are advised of measures to ensure appropriate accommodations in working environments and work procedures. Since the 1980s, notions of a risk assessment and occupational safety and health management system were expected to further prevent industrial accidents. In 2005, ISH Law stipulated workplace risk assessment using the wording "employers shall endeavor." Following the amendment, multiple documents and guidelines for risk assessment for different work procedures were developed. They require ISH Laws to be implemented fully and workplaces to plan and execute measures to reduce risks, ranking them from those addressing potential hazards to those requiring workers to wear protective articles. A governmental survey in 2005 found the performance of risk assessment was 20.4% and common reasons for not implementing risk assessments were lack of adequate personnel or knowledge. ISH Law specifies criminal penalties for both individuals and organizations. Moreover, under the Labor Contract Law promulgated in 2007, employers are obliged to make reasonable efforts to ensure employee health for foreseeable and avoidable risks. Therefore, enterprises neglecting even the non-binding provisions of guidelines are likely to suffer significant business impact if judged to be responsible for industrial accidents or occupational disease. To promote risk assessment, we must strengthen technical, financial, and physical support from public-service organizations, encourage the dissemination of good practices to reduce risks, and consider additional employer incentives, including relaxed mandatory regulations.

• 환경위생공학
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• 제19권4호
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• pp.34-47
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• 2004

Although Environmental Impact Assessment(EIA) in Korea has been improved markedly over the past two decades, by enlarging the range of projects for assessment, instituting pub lic participation and environmental monitoring, and similar measures, it remains deficient in its coverage of human health in Environmental Impact Statements(EISs). Health Impact Assessment(HIA) can supply the necessary correctives. HIA is a combination of procedures, methods and tools by which a policy, programme, projects or legislative procedure may be judged for its potential effects on the health of a population, and the distribution of these effects within it. The principle of health protection is, however, established as a primary concern in EIA processes, in practice health is scarcely mentioned or the discussion is limited to a description of effects through the biophysical environment. The whole range of possible effects on health, including those mediated by socio-economic factors is often ignored, and no effective mechanism are in place to successfully incorporating health criteria and expertise into environmental, assessment(EA) that include ElA, SEA. These are foremost among the current issues facing EIA in Korea.

• 가정∙방문간호학회지
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• 제30권1호
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• pp.105-114
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• 2023

Purpose: This study aimed to comprehensively analyze the recent revision of the Outcome and Assessment Information Set (OASIS)-D to version E in the United States to identify the most recent trends in home health care and provide suggestions for implementing home health care in Korea. Methods: This study is a comprehensive literature review. We compared all items in OASIS-D and OASIS-E and identified the most significant changes. Additionally, we have discussed the context in depth. Results: The addition of items related to health literacy and medication reconciliation, strengthening assessment in the cognitive and mood domains, and improving items related to pain assessment were identified. These major revisions resulted from a greater emphasis in the healthcare field on social determinants of health. Additionally, the COVID-19 outbreak highlighted the importance of monitoring and managing the symptoms of home care patients in the community. Conclusion: The key items of the OASIS amendment and their background analysis proposed in this study could serve as a cornerstone for the revision of home health care assessment tools or the development of systematic common assessment tools in Korea.

• 환경영향평가
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• 제1권1호
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• pp.51-59
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• 1992

Environmental Impact Assessment(EIA) is defined as an activity designed to identify and predict the impact on the environment. In the process of an EIA, the quantitative evaluation is generally performed for the air and water quality which have the national environmental quality standards. But the predicted values for the air and water quality are simply compared to the environmental standards. At present, the EIA process of Korea has no consideration for the possible human health risk resulting from the development projects. Environmental Health Impact Assessment(EHIA) is an applied methodology of EIA to estimate the acceptable health risk caused by a specified level of environmental pollutants. Estimating the excessive lifetime risk that is a possibility of dying of a certain disease by environmental contaminants, is useful as an evaluation technique of EHIA. It is recommanded the decision-makers to make efficient use of EHIA not only the development projects but also legislative proposals, policies and programmes in future.