• Healthcare Informatics Research
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.317-326
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• 2018

Objectives: The demand for hospice has been increasing among patients with cancer. This study examined the current hospice referral scenario for terminally ill cancer patients and created a data form to collect hospice information and a modified health information exchange (HIE) form for a more efficient referral system for terminally ill cancer patients. Methods: Surveys were conducted asking detailed information such as medical instruments and patient admission policies of hospices, and interviews were held to examine the current referral flow and any additional requirements. A task force team was organized to analyze the results of the interviews and surveys. Results: Six hospices completed the survey, and 3 physicians, 2 nurses, and 2 hospital staff from a tertiary hospital were interviewed. Seven categories were defined as essential for establishing hospice data. Ten categories and 40 data items were newly suggested for the existing HIE document form. An implementation guide for the Consolidated Clinical Document Architecture developed by Health Level 7 (HL7 CCDA) was also proposed. It is an international standard for interoperability that provides a framework for the exchange, integration, sharing, and retrieval of electronic health information. Based on these changes, a hospice referral scenario for terminally ill cancer patients was designed. Conclusions: Our findings show potential improvements that can be made to the current hospice referral system for terminally ill cancer patients. To make the referral system useful in practice, governmental efforts and investments are needed.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.218-226
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• 2015

Background: The present study aimed to analyze the index value trends of injured employed persons (IEPs) covered in Pakistan Labour Force Surveys from 2001-02 to 2012-13. Methods: The index value method based on reference years and reference groups was used to analyze the IEP trends in terms of different criteria such as gender, area, employment status, industry types, occupational groups, types of injury, injured body parts, and treatment received. The Pearson correlation coefficient analysis was also performed to investigate the inter-relationship of different occupational variables. Results: The values of IEP increased at the end of the studied year in industry divisions such as agriculture, forestry, hunting, and fishing, followed by in manufacturing and construction industry divisions. People associated with major occupations (such as skilled agricultural and fishery workers) and elementary (unskilled) occupations were found to be at an increasing risk of occupational injuries/diseases with an increasing IEP trend. Types of occupational injuries such as sprain or strain, superficial injury, and dislocation increased during the studied years. Major injured parts of body such as upper limb and lower limb found with increasing trend. Types of treatment received, including hospitalization and no treatment, were found to decrease. Increased IEP can be justified due to inadequate health care facilities, especially in rural areas by increased IEP in terms of gender, areas, received treatment, occupational groups and employment status as results found after Pearson correlation coefficient analysis. Conclusion: The increasing trend in the IEP% of the total employed persons due to agrarian activities shows that there is a need to improve health care setups in rural areas of Pakistan.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.113-123
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• 2006

Objective : This research is focused on understanding the current status of the Health Smart Card already in use in other advanced countries. This research will analyze the current status of the medical institutions Health Smart Card system adoption process and its effects, and provide a basis for future policy decisions for the effective adoption and diffusion of a Health Smart Card system, in the medical field, through the completed research and analysis. Method : This research surveys the domestic, and foreign, status of Health Smart Card usage. The research also presents up-to-date methodology for the evaluation of the effects of medical and health care technology. The research also conducts a survey of the domestic medical institutions that have implemented a Health Smart Card system, and then analyzes the results of the survey. Additionally, the research carried out a survey and analysis of medical institutions with no Health Smart Card system implemented, and considered the factors affecting the diffusion of Health Smart Card systems in considering an effective policy for the introduction and diffusion of such a system. Research Results : Through the study of the methodology of medical and health care information technology in advanced countries, the methodology for assessing Health Smart Card technology has been established, and focuses on 6 aspects. The study on the status of foreign implementation has shown a model for the Health Smart Card system. A survey was conducted on the current status of medical institutions with an implemented Health Smart Card system, and the survey results have been analyzed. Also, factors influencing the adoption of Health Smart Card systems have been analyzed through the survey on those medical institutions that have not implemented a Health Smart Card system. Conclusion : The government must provide institutional measures for sharing medical records by constructing an IT infrastructure at the national level to enable the adoption and diffusion of a Health Smart Card system. Such a network will make connections between medical institutions possible, thus making the diffusion of the Health Smart Card system nationwide. For the successful adoption and diffusion of a Health Smart Card system, a model system development, under a medical record sharing system, should be conducted. Additionally, a regional unit based model should be developed for the model project, as is done in advanced countries, along with the application of such results.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.467-496
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• 2012

Public participation in the decision making for scarce health resources is important because health policy requires trust based consensus, which can be achieved by public's understanding and involvement of related policies. In the past, opportunities for interaction between health policy decision makers and lay public were rare in Korea. As political impulses towards public participation in health policy have increased, a few of deliberation methods were attempted. However, there is little research, reporting such cases with a critical examination of relevant theories and previous studies. We first critically review the literature on public participation within theories of democracy, governance, and empowerment. Next, we report a case of a citizen council experiment, which was held to examine public's preferences among different benefit options regarding new drugs and medical technologies. Specifically, in an one-day long citizen council with a total of 28 lay public, twelve questions of whether a drug or a technology should be included in the benefit package of health insurance were asked. Pre- and post-surveys investigated participants' perception of public engagement in health policy. Although it was experimental, the citizen council ensured that lay public could be careful enough to rationally compare the costs and benefits of different options and collectively make decisions. Further, results from pre- and post-survey showed a strong willingness of members to be involved in health care decision making. In the conclusion, we emphasize that better theories and methods need to be developed for more cases of citizen participation in health care policy and management.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.93-102
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of oral health care including some of dental caries activity test on dental clinics of regular visiting on primary school children. The dental surveys and initial caries control and some of dental caries activity test (Alban's, Lactobacillius, S'mutans, un-stimulation saliva test)were performed by trained dental hygienists with dentist from on 6 to 13 years old patients of S dental hospital in Gwangju Metropolitan Cities. The sample size of 39 children (18 in oral health care group, 21 in control group ) and accepted to their parents. The results of caries activity test score(Alban's and Lactobacillius test)were reduced 1.4 to 1.6 times in oral health care group(OHCG). Oral Hygiene Simplified Index of OHCG was reduced 1.6 times during six months and 1 year. DMFT index of OHCG was reduced 1.4 times more than Control Group(CG) after 1 year. DT index of OHCG was reduced 12 times more than Control Group(CG) after 1 year. Dental health capacity of the first perment molar of OHCG was reduced 1.02 times more than CG after 1 year. From the above results, long life related incremental oral health care system has reinforced to primary school children in dental clinic with oral health professional teams.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.368-379
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• 2022

Background: This study aimed to establish a strategy to improve the poor working environment and working conditions among long-term healthcare workers in Korea. Methods: A total of 600 questionnaires with which long-term health care workers participated in the targeted base areas of each city and province nationwide were distributed directly and 525 responses were collected and 506 responses were analyzed. Surveys, on-site field visits, and in-depth interviews were also conducted to understand the working environment as well as conditions and establish a strategy for improving the working environment among long-term healthcare workers to understand the demands of working conditions and working conditions. Results: Korean long-term care workers firstly and mostly enumerated their risk factors for ill-health when lifting or moving elderly recipients directly by hand (69.9%), followed by increased physical workload with old beds, tools, and facilities (42.3%) in the workplaces, shortage of manpower (32%), and source of infection (30%). To improve the working environment as well as conditions, Korean long-term care workers considered improving low-wage structures, ergonomic improvements to solve excessive physical loads, and increasing various bonus payments as well as implementing the salary system, positive social awareness, and increasing resting time. Of 506 responses, 92.3% replied that the long-term care insurance system for the elderly should be developed to expand publicization at the national level. Conclusion: This study proposes to improve the low-wage structure of Korean long-term care workers, automation and improvement of facilities, equipment, and tools to eliminate excessive physical loads (beneficiary elderly lifting), and reduction of night labor.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2016

Purpose: This study was conducted to identify the pattern and factors associated with women's use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) during postpartum in Korea. Methods: With a descriptive survey design, data of 423 postpartum women were collected via online and offline surveys. Results: A total of 251 women (59.3%) reported CAM use during postpartum. Eating animal-based foods (65.3%), plant-based health foods (52.2%), and using oriental medicine (31.8%) were commonly used in postpartum women. The reason for using CAM were physical recovery (39.1%), breastfeeding (29.7%), weight loss (24.8%), prevention of postpartum complications (5.1%), and others (1.3%). People who recommended CAM use was mainly family (41.3%), and expense of using CAM was 751,188 Korea won. Most women discussed CAM use with doctor (44.9%), and 29.3% of women didn't even consult CAM use with health care providers. Most of (72.3%) women were satisfied with CAM use. Higher level of education and monthly income, being employed, primipara, normal range of gestational weight gain, no abortion experience, and no maternal complication were significantly associated with CAM use in postpartum women. Conclusion: Results of this study were somewhat different from those of western research. Findings offer baseline data of CAM use in postpartum women, and health care providers need to understand it when they care for them.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.697-708
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• 2000

The purpose of this study is to analyze the contents of the questionnaires used in dietary surveys and to evaluate each item in relation to the item construction strategy. Articles of which the contents were related to food, nutrition, diet, dietary behavior, and related areas. Published from 1997 to 1999 were searched fir and a total of 121 questionnaires were collected and analyzed. The questions in the questionnaires were classified into related areas and sub-areas. Among the keywords in the title of the articles, the term 'nutritional status'(or 'dietary intake status') was most frequently used. The terms such as dietary status, obesity, health, food habit, and dietary behavior were also frequency used. Major topics of the items in the questionnaires varied according to the life cycle of the subjects of the study. The topics most frequently asked in each lift cycle were as follows : overeating, snack, and food preference for preschool- and school-aged children ; anthropometry, weight control, and snack for middle and highschool students : meal skipping, smoking, and drinking for college students : disease, smoking, drinking, and exercise for adults : and smoking, drinking, disease and perceived health for the elderly. Inappropriate questions with complicated language, typographic and grammatic errors, unnecessary words, and negative questions were found. Therefore, care should be taken to construct each question so as to avoid possible misinterpretation. Also, a standardized questionnaire be developed for survey researchers.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.1-16
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• 2011

Objectives: A healthy campus enables students to pursue their academic goals. This study examines the health in a broad spectrum of university students and suggests a systematic approach to building a healthy university campus. Methods: The Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1998-2009) results and the American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment (2000-2011) report were used as bases for this study. Results: The most common health problems were allergies, sinusitis, ear infections, anemia, depression, and stress among both American students and Korean young people in the 19-29 age group. American students were more likely to be overweight, while Korean young people were to become underweight. College students were also less likely to practice healthy behavior(i.e. vaccinations, physical activity, and not smoking). To build a healthy university campus, six areas of health services are suggested: medical care, health education, counseling, immunization, heath promotion, and employee assistance programs (EAP). In addition, universities should develop effective strategies to improve health on campus, such as community partnerships. Conclusions: To make the most of the limited resources requires a systematic approach that focuses on continuous monitoring of health on campus, health surveys, and collaboration between universities and their communities.

• The Journal of Korea Assosiation for Disability and Oral Health
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.111-120
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• 2018

The need for oral health rights for people with disabilities is very high, and current oral health care system does not fully reflect these demands. Efforts to promote oral health of people with disabilities are urgently needed. In order for the disabled to have oral health rights, access to oral health services for people with disabilities should be improved and barriers to access should be resolved. In this study, we propose oral health service delivery system to guarantee oral health rights for the disabled. In addition, before applying the proposed oral medical delivery system, the external effects of the system application were predicted and the expert verification was conducted to find out the solution. There are some controversies about the development of the service delivery system proposed in this study. As a result of the expert verification, there were disagreements about the suitability of the service provider, the suitability of the service recipient, the appropriateness of the service content and scope, and the appropriateness of the cost and the revenue source. Subsequent Delphi surveys require the development of structured questionnaires for discussions that require consensus. It is expected that a reasonable consensus of expert opinions will be derived.