• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.196-204
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• 2008

Purpose: To examine factors affecting long-term care hospital patients' intention of transfer to a nursing home. Method: A questionnaire survey was conducted in Aug. 2007 that included 655 patients from 49 long-term care hospitals. The survey aimed to assess the patients' health status, family status, cost and intention of transfer to a nursing home. Institutional characteristics were analyzed from the nationwide database of Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service. The affecting factors were examined by employing chi-square test and logistic regression using SAS 8.2. Result: Of the subjects, 32.4% had intention of transfer to a nursing home. The intention of transfer to a nursing home was affected by moderate or severe pain, living together with the primary carer, high cost uncovered by insurance, and recognition of nursing home. Conclusion; For appropriate service utilization. a higher level of care is needed to satisfy patients at nursing homes and a balanced fee schedule is needed between long term care hospitals and nursing homes. It is desirable to encourage transfer to a nursing home at which nurses support patients and their families by giving information, coordination, and to make efforts to establish a reference system.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.2-13
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• 2022

Purpose: This study assessed the status of the Development and Utilization of critical pathways (CP) in South Korea. Methods: We surveyed 195 hospitals obtained on the Korean Hospital Association website. Data were collected using structured questionnaires for staff members in charge of CP management personnel in these hospitals. The questionnaire included CP developed by the institutions, the coverage rates and completion rates of CP in the current year, and management indicators related to CP. The questionnaire also included CP support systems and content within the institutions and questions regarding the advantages of CP utilization and obstacles associated with the CP development process. Results: Analysis of the responses from 70 hospitals (35.9% response rate) showed that a total of 1,370 CP sets were developed. The number of CP related to surgery departments was 365 (26.6%), and CP related to surgery and procedure was 1,093 (79.8%), respectively. The CP coverage rate was the most frequently used indicator to monitor the effect of CP (97.1%), followed by the completion rate (90.0%) and the length of stay in hospital (61.4%). CP managers reported that CP were highly useful for communication (3.39±0.493) and accurate information provision (3.39±0.491). The perception that CP violated doctors' autonomy in treatment was relatively low (2.87±0.645). Conclusion: It is necessary to establish an infrastructure in hospitals for CP. CP can facilitate communication and provide accurate information.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.13 no.8
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• pp.345-356
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• 2015

Health service quality is increasingly emphasized, and primary care service is no exception in this. This study identified patients' perception of quality considering convergence factors associated with increased utilization among patients over the age of 65 using community health centers. A total of 307 respondents were included in the analysis. The results showed that positive perceptions on facility and environment, patient-centered care, technical knowledge and skills of physicians, and emotional support with nurses and non-medical workers were statistically and significantly associated with higher utilization. In order to increase utilization of primary care service at community health centers, they need to manage and improve these factors.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.36-61
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• 2009

This study focused on finding the variation of medical service utilization, paths of medical service utilization and medical payments of the patients died by cerebrovascular diseases. For this study, data of the one-year episodes of the health insurance subscribers died in 2004 were selected. The frequency of medical visits, the lengths of stays, the days of outpatient visits, the total period of medical services and the total medical payments were compared by the characteristics of the suppliers and utilizers. This study is useful in reviewing the equity of medical service utilization because it analyzed variance in utilization by episodes. In oder to collect accurate data of the patients died by cerebrovascular diseases in 2004 the 2004 reimbursement data of all medical institutions were matched to the data of funeral fee payment by the National Health Insurance Corporation from January 2004 to May 2005. The major results of the study are as follows. The variation of medical service utilization of cerebrovascular diseases was influenced by supplier factors suppliers, such as types and locations of medical institutions and user factors such as sex and age. It was suspected that the reimbursement by fee-for-service contributed to the variation quite a lot, but we could not compare the variation between the different reimbursement systems in Korea. On the basis of analyzing results this study suggests that the factors of suppliers and utilizers should be reviewed to reduce the under use and over use expressed by variations of medical service. The processes of care, effective communication and management system should be investigated for the equity of medical service utilization and also. alternative medical services would be recommended to reduce the high medical payment. Additionally to find other causes of variation further in depth study controling the severity of diseases, socio-economic status of the users and the system factors is required.

• Journal of Home Health Care Nursing
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.5-15
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• 2016

Purpose: This study was conducted to evaluate health service delivery and attitudes, toward multi-cultural clients amongst community health practitioners (CHPs). Methods: A survey was conducted among 242 CHPs from December 10-22, 2015. The collected data were analyzed using chi-square test, t-test, and ANOVA using SPSS 18.0. Results: General awareness of multi-culturalism varied significantly by CHPs age and language ability. Additionally, utilization of services in accordance with the location of community health centers (CHCs) was significantly higher in rural areas than urban areas CHCs in post-partum maternal & neonate care giver service (in maternal child health), management of health educational programs and management of physical exercise (in implementing healthy life style) and networking resources in & outside of CHCs (in management of chronic disease). Conclusion: CHPs deliver health-care services to multi-cultural clients, but have not received sufficient training or education to serve these clients effectively. CHPs who received multi-cultural and foreign language training had more positive experiences with multi-cultural clients. This supports the needs for developing educational programs to enhance multi-cultural understanding amongst CHPs.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.30-36
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• 1989

In order to desirable attitudes of health subcenter personnel, affecting to utilization of a rural health subcenter for primary health care, a study carried out, through analyzing the specific survey datas of 228 out of 1151 total house-holders in a rural community, Su-Dong Myun, Yam-yang-ju kun, Kyung-Gi Do in Korea, and the medical re-cords of total out-patients of health subcenter in this district during 1981-1988. The following results were obtained: 1) The annual utilization rate showed decreasing tedency such as 723 per 1,000 inhabitants in 1981, 652 in 1982, 618 in 1985, 54H in 1984 and 341 in 1987, since 1981. 2) The utilization Rate in 1987 was unusually the lowest with 341 per 1,000 inhabitants in decreasing tendency, steadily. 3) In advatage on utilization of health subcenter for primary health care in a rural area, 68.8% of the respondents answered that it was in comprehensive health care with the highest rate and next order in near distance from living place with 16.7% in easy and simple process to utilize with 9.2% and in lower medical cost with 5.3%. 4) The order of desirable image of rural health subcenter personnel for primary health care was of good attitude(57.0%), of good skill(29.0 %) and of wide knowledge(14.0%), 5) The order of desirable image of doctor for primary health care in rural health subcenter was of good skill(.44.3%), of good attitude(36.8%) and of wide knowledge(18.9%), and nurse was of good attitude(76.8%), of good skill(14.0 %) and of wide knowledge(9.2%). 6) The percentage order by good attitudes of rural health subcenter personnel was the highest in responsibility(38.2%), kindness(26.3% ), proprieties(14.9%), sincerity(12.7%) and notion of duty hours(6.6%). 7) The statistical datas in health subcenter was written and kept, without distinction of definition of new and old patients, by month and for suitable method of medical expenses of medical insurance and medicaid by clerical convenience. 8) In future, the organization of health subcenter must be unified, systematized and rationlized for primary health care. Health subcenter must be organized by 3 parts of function(medical care, health service and clerical affair) and then function of health subcenter will be more activated by clerical activities.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.260-269
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• 2008

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify differences in health status and the utilization of long-term care service between urban and rural aged residents in Korea. Methods: Through convenience sampling, 1,405 elders (829 from urban areas and 576 from rural areas) were selected during March 1 to May 31 in 2004. All the subjects agreed to participate and filled out the survey questionnaire after signing the consent form. The instruments utilized in this study were the impairment of physio-sensory function, ADL IADL, cognitive function, and psycho-social function scale. This instrument was developed by modifying the scab developed by Gurland & Wilder (1984). Data was analyzed using the SPSS Win program. Results: There were significant differences in economic status, duration of living and type of medical insurance between rural and urban elderly(p<.05). Physio-sensory functions (t=4.53. p<.001), ADL (t=3.61. p<.001), IADL (t=2.45, p=.014), cognitive functions (t=-2.63. p=.024) and psycho-social functions (t=3.69. p<.001) were significantly different between the two groups. The utilization of long-term care facility in the urban elderly was significantly higher than that in the rural elderly ($x^2=10.14$, p<.001). Conclusion: Considering these findings. the need for long-term care should be assessed by residence characteristics. Because of different utilization of long term care facility according to the elderly's needs, long-term care services should be considered the residence characteristics.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.103-113
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• 2017

There have been many achievements for 40 years since the introduction of compulsory health insurance. Despite many achievements, it has many challenges in health insurance. Aging, non-communicable disease, and low growth economy are threatening the sustainability of health insurance, and it is time to reform the health insurance. A long-term reform plan will be an absolute necessity for reform of health insurance and health care system. Health insurance and health care reform should be an extremely revolutionary content that completely changes the framework. This reform should deal with the philosophy of health, approach of medical education and doctor training, changing supply of medical service, the innovation of primary medical care, reform of public health system, the management of medical utilization, the integration of medical cure and care services, enhancing the benefit coverage, prohibition of covered and non-covered services, etc. Therefore, it is urgent to form a consensus on the necessity of reform, to establish the health insurance plan on this consensus, and to make efforts to make health insurance sustainable.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.24 no.4 s.36
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• pp.485-495
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• 1991

This study examined the effects of referral requirements for insurance patients which have been enforced since July 1, 1989 when medical insurance coverage was extended to the whole population except beneficiaries of medical assistance program. The requirements are mainly aimed at discouraging the use of tertiary care hospitals by imposing restrictions on the patient's choice of a medical service facility. The expectation is that such change in the pattern of medical care utilization would produce several desirable effects including increased efficiency in patient care and balanced development of various types of medical service facilities. In this study, these effects were assessed by the change in the number of out-patient visits and bed-days per illness episode and the share of each type of facility in the volume of services and the amount of expenditures after the implementation of the new referral system. The data for analysis were obtained from the claims to the insurance for government and school employees. The sample was drawn from the claims for the patients treated during the first six months of 1989, prior to the enforcement of referral requirements, and those of the patients treated during the first six months of 1990, after the enforcement. The 1989 sample included 299,824 claims (3.6% of total) and the 1990 sample included 332,131 (3.7% of total). The data were processed to make the unit of analysis an illness episode instead of an insurance claim. The facilities and types of care utilized for a given illness episode are defined to make up the pathway of medical care utilization. This pathway was conceived of as a Markov Chain process for further analysis. The conclusion emerged from the analysis is that the enforcement of referral requirements resulted in less use of tertiary care hospitals, and thereby decreased the volume of services and the amount of insurance expenses per illness episode. However, there are a few points that have to be taken into account in relation to the conclusion. The new referral system is likely to increase the use of medical services not covered by insurance, so that its impact on national health expenditures would be different from that on insurance expenditures. The extension of insurance coverage must have inereased patient load for all types of medical service organizations, and this increase may be partly responsible for producing the effects attributed to the new referral system. For example, excessive patient load for tertiary care hospitals may lead to the transfer of their patients to other types of facilities. Another point is that the data for this study correspond to very early phase of the new system. But both patients and medical care providers would adapt themselves to the new system to avoid or overcome its disadvantages for them, so as that its effects could change over time. Therefore, it is still necessary to closely monitor the impact of the referral requirements.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.291-303
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• 2012

As respiratory tract infections (RTI) account for about 60% of all antibiotic prescriptions in outpatient care setting, there are significant concerns about emerging resistance that are largely due to the excessive or inappropriate use of antibacterial agents for viral respiratory infections. This study was aimed to develop retrospective drug utilization review (DUR) program of antibiotics for RTIs using Delphi methods. Retrospective DUR criteria of antibiotics for RTIs were identified based on clinical practice guidelines and opinion of experts. Expert panel members were clinical doctors and pharmacists and Delphi method was applied by survey on 16 members of panels. The claim data from Korean Health Insurance Review & Assessment (HIRA) were used to examine trends in outpatient antibiotic prescription between Janunary to December of 2008. As results, Quality index for RTI was assessed for the claim type, antibiotics use of quantity, duration, number and cost. Antibiotic prescription rate for RTIs, Defined Daily Dose (DDD), and duration of antibiotics use were more recognized as significant quality index by experts' opinion. Use of first line agents suggested by guidelines was low and duration of antibiotics use was shorter compared to the recommendations. Antibiotics were over prescribed for RITs. However, dose and duration of antibiotics were under-used.