• Title/Summary/Keyword: Health care efficiency

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The Location of Medical Facilities and Its Inhabitants' Efficient Utilization in Kwangju City (광주시(光州市) 의료시설(醫療施設)의 입지(立地)와 주민(住民)의 효율적(效率的) 이용(利用))

  • Jeon, Kyung-Sook
    • Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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    • v.3 no.2
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    • pp.163-193
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    • 1997
  • Medical services are a fundamental and essential service in all urban areas. The location and accessibility of medical service facilities and institutions are critical to the diagnosis, control and prevention of illness and disease. The purpose of this paper is to present the results of a study on the location of medical facilities in Kwangju and the utilization of these facilities by the inhabitants. The following information is a summary of the findings: (1) Korea, like many countries, is now witnessing an increase in the age of its population as a result of higher living standards and better medical services. Korea is also experiencing a rapid increase in health care costs. To ensure easy access to medical consultation, diagnosis and treatment by individuals, the hierarchical efficient location of medical facilities, low medical costs, equalized medical services, preventive medical care is important. (2) In Korea, the quality of medical services has improved significantly as evident by the increased number of medical facilities and medical personnel. However, there is still a need for not only quantitative improvements but also for a more equitable distribution of and location of medical services. (3) There are 503 medical facilities in Kwangju each with a need to service 2,556 people. This is below the national average of 1,498 inhabitants per facility. The higher locational quotient and satisfactory population per medical facility showed at the civic center. On the other hand, problem regions such as the traditional residential area in Buk-Gu, Moo-deung mountain area and the outer areas of west Kwangju still maintain rural characteristics. (4) In the study area there are 86 general medicine clinics which provide basic medical services. i. e. one clinic per every 14,949 residents. As a basic service, its higher locational quotient showed in the residential area. The lower population concentration per clinic was found in the civic center and in the former town center, Songjeong-dong. In recently build residential areas and in the civic center, the lack of general medicine clinics is not a serious medical services issue because of the surplus of medical specialists in Korea. People are inclined to seek a consultation with a specialist in specific fields rather than consult a general practitioner. As a result of this phenomenon, there are 81 internal medicine facilities. Of these, 32.1% provide services to people who are not referred by a primary care physician but who self-diagnose then choose a medical facility specializing in what they believe to be their health problem. Areas in the city, called dongs, without any internal facilities make up 50% of the total 101 dongs. (5) There are 78 surgical facilities within the area, and there is little difference at the locational appearance from internal medicine facilities. There are also 71 pediatric health clinics for people under 15 years of age in this area, represents one clinic per 5,063 people. On the quantitative aspect, this is a positive situation. Accessibility is the most important facility choice factor, so it should be evenly located in proportion to demander distribution. However, 61% of 102 dongs have no pediatric clinics because of the uneven location. (6) There are 43 obstetrical and gynecological clinics in Kwangju, and the number of residents being served per clinic is 15,063. These services need to be given regularly so it should increase the numbers. There are 37 ENT clinics in the study area with the lower concentration in Dong-gu (32.4%) making no locational differences by dong. There are 23 dermatology clinics with the largest concentration in Dong-Gu. There are 17 ophthalmic clinics concentrated in the residential area because of the primary function of this type of specialization. (7) The use of general medicine clinics, internal medicine clinics, pediatric clinics, ENT clinics by the inhabitants indicate a trend toward primary or routine medical services. Obstetrics and gynecology clinics are used on a regular basis. In choosing a general medicine clinic, internal medicine clinic, pediatric clinic, and a ENT clinic, accessibility is the key factor while choice of a general hospital, surgery clinic, or an obstetrics and gynecology clinic, thes faith and trust in the medical practitioner is the priority consideration. (8) I considered the efficient use of medical facilities in the aspect of locational and management and suggest the following: First, primary care facilities should be evenly distributed in every area. In Kwangju, the number of medical facilities is the lowest among the six largest cities in Korea. Moreover, they are concentrated in Dong-gu and in newly developed areas. The desired number of medical facilities should be within 30 minutes of each person's home. For regional development there is a need to develop a plan to balance, for example, taxes and funds supporting personnel, equipment and facilities. Secondly, medical services should be co-ordinated to ensure consistent, appropriate, quality services. Primary medical facilities should take charge of out-patient activities, and every effort should be made to standardize and equalize equipment and facility resources and to ensure ongoing development and training in the primary services field. A few specialty medical facilities and general hospitals should establish a priority service for incurable and terminally ill patients. (9) The management scheme for the inhabitants' efficient use of medical service is as follows: The first task is to efficiently manage medical facilities and related services. Higher quality of medical services can be accomplished within the rapidly changing medical environment. A network of social, administrative and medical organizations within an area should be established to promote information gathering and sharing strategies to better assist the community. Statistics and trends on the rate or occurrence of diseases, births, deaths, medical and environment conditions of the poor or estranged people should be maintained and monitored. The second task is to increase resources in the area of disease prevention and health promotion. Currently the focus is on the treatment and care of individuals with illness or disease. A strong emphasis should also be placed on promoting prevention of illness and injury within the community through not only public health offices but also via medical service facilities. Home medical care should be established and medical testing centers should be located as an ordinary service level. Also, reduced medical costs for the physically handicapped, cardiac patients, and mentally ill or handicapped patients should be considered.

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A study on university office worker's perception of indoor air quality (Focused on K university) (사무실 근로자들의 실내공기질 인식에 관한 기초 조사 (K대학교를 중심으로))

  • Shin, Eun-Young;Kim, Gwang-Hee
    • The Journal of Sustainable Design and Educational Environment Research
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    • v.16 no.3
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    • pp.69-76
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    • 2017
  • Indoor Air Quality(IAQ) affects physical and mental state of person who is residing indoor. Also, it manages daily life condition of Indoor Air in the building. According to the study, office workers spend 23 hours and 12 minutes, about 97% of his/her day indoor. Therefore, Indoor air quality affects not only the health of the person whose staying inside for a long hours but also the productivity and efficiency of work. This study conduct investigations on employees' awareness of indoor air quality of office in university. By doing so, we are able to determine current situation and provide basic data of improvement for derived problems. As a result, most of the respondents were not satisfied with ventilation and moisture which are elements of Indoor Air Quality. These led people to struggle with symptoms of health. Therefore, to improve the indoor air quality of a university office, it is necessary to exchange the air six times an hour according to recommendation of Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)in the United States. Also, plan for Ventilation system that consider temperature, humidity and air flow indoor shall be provided for high quality conformability. furthermore, It is necessary to consider the multilateral in factors of generation of revenue through health care savings of workers and improvement of productivity.

The Improvement Proposal of Rural Community Centers : by the Case Studies of 30 Centers in Samnangjin-eup, Miryang City (농촌 마을회관의 현황과 개선방안 연구 -밀양시 삼랑진읍을 대상으로-)

  • Kim, Seong-Ho;Lee, Yoo-Jick
    • Journal of Korean Society of Rural Planning
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    • v.18 no.2
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    • pp.57-68
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    • 2012
  • This study is to suggest the improving methods for rural community centers by analysis of 30 community centers in Samnangjin-eup, Miryang city, Gyeongnam. To fulfill this purpose, the facilities, usable condition and management system were examined. The user needs and level of satisfaction were also investigated through the interviews with 858 citizens. The average size of the centers is $96m^2$, and 73% of them are one-story buildings. Women use the community center more frequently than men in ratio of 6:4. 43.4% of interviewees visit the center 1 or 2 times a month, but on the other hand 27.4% of them use the center almost every day. Recess is surely the main purpose, and health care and community meeting are next two reasons. 67.8% and 72.4% of them are not satisfied with the inside and outside of the community center respectively. The interview results demonstrate that the most important issue is the lack of facilities. To improve the community centers in Samnangjin-eup, first of all, various kinds of indoor and outdoor facilities must be equipped. Secondly, considering the center is the core of rural community life, the qualitative improvement in accommodation is also needed as well as facility diversification. The efficiency of space utilization is another issue. A small piece of land or abandoned space must be utilized. Moreover, it is very critical that the users are mostly seniors and elders, so improvements of facilities will be executed in terms of safety and convenience. Finally, administrative and financial support should be made for the people, so as to maintain the the rural community center on their own.

BIOSENSORS IN AGRICULTURAL AND BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS (농업 및 생물계에서의 바이오 센서)

  • Delwiche, M.J.;Jenkins, D.M.;Tang, X.;Jackson, E.S.
    • Proceedings of the Korean Society for Agricultural Machinery Conference
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    • 2000.11a
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    • pp.76-100
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    • 2000
  • A brief general discussion of the nature and function of biosensors is presented. While the primary motivator for biosensor development has been the health-care industries, recent research efforts have spread to problems in agriculture and biological production systems. To illustrate some of the research from our laboratory, three example biosensors and their corresponding applications are presented. The first of these is an immunosensor for measurement of the hormone progesterone during milking as a method to improve reproductive management of dairy herds. The second example is an enzyme sensor for measurement of urea in milk as a menas to determine the efficiency of conversion of input protein to milk protein and, thus, improve nutritional management of dairy herds. The third example is a DNA sensor using polymerase chain reaction to detect pathogenic bacteria in the wash water of fresh and minimally processed fruits and vegetables. The potential for application of biosensors in agriculture, agrobiotechnology, food processing, and environmental monitoring has barely been realized.

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Consumer Needs for Well-Being Food Related Information by Sociodemographic Characteristics (인구사회학적 특성에 따른 웰빙식품관련정보의 요구도)

  • Lee Young-Min;Back Su-Ryon;Park Hong-Ju;Shim Keun-Seop;Lee Hee-Ju;Chun Hye-Kyung
    • The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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    • v.17 no.3
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    • pp.175-182
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    • 2006
  • Today, consumers need more information of well-being related food with an increase of interests in health. Thus it is important to understand and provide well-being food related information to consumers. This study was performed to investigate consumer needs for well-being food related information. The needs scores (5-point Likert scale) to well-being food related information were high over all. The highest score was observed in 'disease care and diet therapy' (4.05 point). 'Functionality of well-being food' and 'safety and hazard of food' were followed having high scores (individually 4.00, 3.99 point). Female subjects had higher information needs than male subjects for well-being food related information such as 'balance of diet', 'nutrients' and 'recipe of well-being food'. The needs for well-being food related information increased by age, although subjects who were over 50 had a decrease in information needs. There was a significant positive correlation between the majority of well-being food related information and educational level. Information needs were not significantly different by income. Conclusively, well-being food related information should be provided to consumers according to the individual needs and ultimately consumers will improve their efficiency and satisfaction in using well-being food related information.

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Formulation of Ceftriaxone Conjugated Gold Nanoparticles and Their Medical Applications against Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase Producing Bacteria and Breast Cancer

  • El-Rab, Sanaa M.F. Gad;Halawani, Eman M.;Hassan, Aziza M.
    • Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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    • v.28 no.9
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    • pp.1563-1572
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    • 2018
  • Gold nanoparticles (AuNP) and their conjugates have been gaining a great deal of recognition in the medical field. Meanwhile, extended-spectrum ${\beta}$-lactamases (ESBL)-producing bacteria are also demonstrating a challenging problem for health care. The aim of this study was the biosynthesis of AuNP using Rosa damascenes petal extract and conjugation of ceftriaxone antibiotic (Cef-AuNP) in inhibiting ESBL-producing bacteria and study of in vitro anticancer activity. Characterization of the synthesized AuNP and Cef-AuNP was studied. ESBL-producing strains, Acinetobacter baumannii ACI1 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa PSE4 were used for testing the efficacy of Cef-AuNP. The cells of MCF-7 breast cancer were treated with previous AuNP and Cef-AuNP at different time intervals. Cytotoxicity effects of apoptosis and its molecular mechanism were evaluated. Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy established the formation of AuNP and Cef-AuNP. Transmission electron microscope demonstrated that the formed nanoparticles were of different shapes with sizes of 15~35 nm and conjugation was established by a slight increase in size. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of Cef-AuNP against tested strains were obtained as 3.6 and $4{\mu}g/ml$, respectively. Cef-AuNP demonstrated a decrease in the MIC of ceftriaxone down to more than 27 folds on the studied strains. The biosynthesized AuNP displayed apoptotic and time-dependent cytotoxic effects in the cells of MCF-7 at a concentration of $0.1{\mu}g/ml$ medium. The Cef-AuNP have low significant effects on MCF-7 cells. These results enhance the conjugating utility in old unresponsive ceftriaxone with AuNP to restore its efficiency against otherwise resistant bacterial pathogens. Additionally, AuNP may be used as an alternative chemotherapeutic treatment of MCF-7 cancer cells.

The Components of Metabolic Syndrome according to the Resting Heart Rate in Hypertensive Patients without Cardiovascular Disease Complication after 12month Follow-up: First Visit and Revisit Hypertensive Patients (심혈관계 질환 합병증을 동반하지 않은 본태성 고혈압 환자의 안정시 심박수에 따른 대사증후군 세부 요인 변화에 대한 12개월 추적조사: 고혈압 초진과 재진)

  • Ok, Jong Sun
    • The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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    • v.20 no.10
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    • pp.401-410
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    • 2020
  • This study is to conduct a 12-month f/u survey on changes of metabolic syndrome (MetS) components according to the resting heart rate (RHR) in patients with essential hypertension (HTN) without cardiovascular disease (CVD) complication. We used the KorHR (Korean Hypertension Registry) data and a total of 951 subjects were analyzed using the R statistical program. As a result of this study, it was found that the risk and changes of MetS components differs according to the RHR group with first and revisit hypertensive patients. Therefore, guidelines for customized RHR control for first and revisit hypertensive patients should be prepared. Also, it is necessary to prepare various interventions to control the RHR. Through this, it is intended to prevent the occurrence of CVD caused by HTN, which is a representative chronic disease, to improve the quality of life of patients and their families as well as to contribute to increasing the efficiency in the health care.

Research Trend Analysis of Traditional Korean Medicine Supported by the Government - on the Research Reports from 2002 to 2007 Year - (정부지원 한의학 과제의 연구동향 분석 - 2002~2007년 연구과제 보고서를 대상으로 -)

  • Yea, Sang-Jun;Jang, Hyun-Chul;Kim, Jin-Hyun;Kim, Chul;Kim, Sang-Kyun;Song, Mi-Young
    • Journal of Korean Medical classics
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    • v.22 no.4
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    • pp.15-28
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    • 2009
  • Traditional korean medicine which has long history and many clinical experiments stands out in bold relief because the medicine's point of view has been changed from medical treatment to disease protection and the wellbeing life through health care and complementary alternative medicine has been emerged for the incurable disease. Many traditional korean medical research has been conducted in the fields of preventive medical application, leading material drawing and medical service upgrade through eastern and western medical treatment and the more advanced project are being studied as time goes by. But because we have the hardship of manifesting traditional korean medicine's knowledge into detailed data and information in the field of analytical science and we don't have well arranged research trend data of it, researchers are using much time to survey the preceding research and planners needing more accurate research trend data to protect duplication and raise efficiency. So we have studied the traditional korean medicine's research trend to solve this problems by the method of bibliography applied for the preceding project results. Through the analysis of traditional korean medicine's 370 project reports we came to a conclusion that the R&D investment is concentrated on the university and research institute, the utilization projects are lower than basic and applied research, regional snobbism is excessive than the whole nation's R&D and advanced project has been started since 2006.

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Human-Technology Integration for Implementing Electronic Approval System in a Hospital (의료기관 전자결제시스템 도입을 위한 Human-Technology Integration에 관한 연구)

  • Park, Jae-Sung;Park, Ki-Soo
    • Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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    • v.7 no.3
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    • pp.102-120
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    • 2002
  • The purpose of study is to understand human-technology integration mechanism by using the study model that takes the core concept and motivation assumptions of technology acceptance model(TAM) into account. This study identifies three motivation mechanisms in adopting or using computer mediated communication(CMC) tool for work. The mechanism comprises with extrinsic, extrinsic motivation, and subjective norm pressure. One hospital with 430 beds and 367 human power was identified and we administered the questionnaire during their work hours. There is 32.4% response rate. The fitting index of the study model surpass the acceptable level, GFI = .980 for none-users, GFI =.986 for users, NNFI = .973 for none-users, and NNFI = .989 for users. In the case of none-users, perceived ease of use determines perceived usefulness that explains behavioral intention to use. As a result, adotpers' usage motivation is based on extrinsic motivation that does not consider their affective factor, attitude, in use of CMC. Users considers their attitudes as the mediating factor of all behavioral beliefs for using CMC continually. Thus, users are likely to depend their adoption behaviors on their affective factor. Moreover, users' behavioral intention is subject to pressures of use from other persons who are important to them, such as supervisor, director, or boss. Achieving human-technology integration in a hospital may cause cost saving and work efficiency. However, the success of information system should base on a profound understanding of employees' adoption behaviors in rejecting, adopting, using, continually using of IT, and organization culture in using IT.

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A Study on the Survey of the Meal Management (식생활관리 실태에 관한 연구 -서울시내 주부를 중심으로-)

  • 유영상
    • Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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    • v.18 no.1
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    • pp.53-66
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    • 1980
  • One of the most pressing problems of the day in our household economy is the scientific improvement of meal management, which has direct bearings on the efficiency of housewives, domestic economy, and health care for the whole family. The concern of this paper is to investigate the current meal management situation in which more than three hundred housewives in Seoul find themselves, and to propose a tentative plan for its improvement. The result of the investigation is summarized as follows : 1) The number of families with old-fashioned kitchens forms a percentage of 30.3 ; only 4.3 percent of them have waterworks and drainage system. 2) The number of families equipped with cooking machines and utensils constitutes 51.2 percent ; that of those without cooking machines reaches the high percentage of 92.8. 3) The expense for daily meals amounts to 37.9 percent of the whole domestic expenses. the number of those who prepare daily meals without any planning comprises 78 percent. It is from habit that 60.5 percent of them make no workable plan for their meals. 4) The frequency of housewives doing daily marketing is comparatively high. 5) The time spent in preparing and clearing the table is 280.4 minutes a day on the average. 6) In preparing daily meals the low income bracket tends to keep expense as low as possible, while the high income bracket is chiefly concerned with taste. 7) The frequency of home cooking is on the increase as the housewives grow older, especially in the large families with housemaids. 8) In most cases housewives do the cooking for themselves; the high income brackets have housemaids do the cooking. The number of husbands who help their wives do kitchen work a small percentage of 10-14. 9) The simplification of kitchen work presupposes the simplification of the daily cooking, the improvement of the structure and equipment of the kitchen, and a good help of the whole family.

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