• Health Policy and Management
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.123-124
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• 2022

With the inauguration of a new government, expectations for policy changes are also rising. In the hope that this will serve as an opportunity to improve health care policy, I would like to outline the principles strategies. First, considering the growing socioeconomic impact of the health care sector, the government's policy priorities should be notably increased compared to the past. Second, policy improvement measures based on evidence should be sought instead of dwelling on presidential pledges. While easing regulations, we should improve the quality of regulatory approaches. Therefore, it is a time when efforts are needed to strengthen the stability of policies in response to economic crises.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.15-26
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• 2009

Objectives: This paper is intended to illustrate and to discuss the organization and functioning of community resident groups (CRGs) in a community-based participatory health promotion program for healthy aging. Methods: CRGs were convened in 12 government-subsidized apartment communities for low-income seniors in Pennsylvania, U.S.A., to promote healthy aging. Researchers facilitated CRG meetings following a 6-step process of community empowerment and utilizing a social ecological model for assessment and planning. Almost 200 project-related documents were qualitatively analyzed using matrix analysis principles such as cross-classification of multiple dimensions to identify patterns in the data and matrix building for displaying such patterns. Results: CRGs were venues at which apartment building residents could interact, discuss health priorities, and become change agents in their building. CRG members' community health priorities were about their daily living, including building conditions, poor access to fresh food, and unhealthy resident relations. Specific patterns arose in analysis indicating that leadership withing the CRGs, consistency of meetings and participants' attendance, and ability to link health concerns to daily experience impacted the CRGs' capability to identify and accomplish their goals. Conclusion: Community health issues and solutions to those issues identified by CRGs were unique to community contexts and interests. Consistent participation by community members, a consistent pattern of group activities such as monthly meetings, and having established leadership to manage CRG activities were prominent characteristics of community group functioning.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.19-45
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• 1997

This study was performed to evaluate the appropriateness of resource allocation based on the ranking of health center function. Through the Delphi processes, health center functions were ranked in order of importance as follows; planning and research, followed by health education, health promotion, management of chronic diseases, health screening tests, welfare activities, mental health services, medical personnel management, medical services, prevention of communicable diseases, maternal and infant health services, housekeeping, management of oral hygiene, nutrition services, surveillance for community health services, family planning, and administration of the health center. In relation to the above priorities, the allocation of manpower was not appropriate. Even though the expert groups emphasized on functions such as planning and research, health education, and health promotion, they inputted more personnel for administration of a health center, maternal and infant health services, and medical services which were evaluated with lower importance. The budget allocation showed the same trends as the above. Although the functions such as planning and research, health education, and health promotion, and management of chronic diseases were evaluated highly, the budget was allocated accordingo to the the results of the former fiscal year rather than on the importance of function. However the budget for nutrition services, surveillance for the community health services, family planning, and administration of a health center was allocated according to priority. Based upon the above findings, community health center should be given the opportunity to make their own ranking of health center function and to allocate their resources including personnel and budget in order to improve the responsibilities and roles of the community health center.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.97-102
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• 2017

On May 10, 2017, Moon Jae-in's Government launched. The election pledges of Moon's Government in healthcare sector were extracted from those of president election camp and Democratic Party. The main pledges were enhancing the coverage of healthcare costs, management of healthcare costs for elderly, restructuring the health insurance contribution system, and improving the public nature of healthcare system. There are many policy tasks to realize the electoral pledge, especially, financial task is main. The National Planning and Advisory Committee are setting the policy priorities and making the detailed plans. Although this paper deals the initial evaluation of main election pledges, the precise evaluation is needed for the final plan of healthcare policy.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.237-245
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• 2008

Purpose: The objectives of this study were to conduct assessments of health education status and needs in health education programs in child daycare centers. Methods: An 11-subject instrument was developed to assess health education for children. The Cronbach's alpha of the importance and implementation were found to be .904 and .862. A survey was conducted by mail using a sample of 337 teachers who were working in 71 child daycare centers in a district in Seoul. Results: 26.5% of the respondents reported that they teach health education regularly, and 19.3% of them reported never teach health education. Deficits of material, knowledge, and skill were the principal reasons for difficulties in health education. All of the respondents identified a need for health education, and also that health professionals are the most appropriate people to teach health education. The priorities of needed health education were, in order: sex education, information on community health, and mental health. Conclusion: Health education programs for preschoolers should be developed by health professionals. In health education programs, environmental health should be included, as well as health and illness education.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.93-110
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• 2008

Objectives: The study aimed at reviewing the organizational values, structures, and activities of the health promotion foundation model as a recently recommended by the World Health Organization, and exploring adequate suggestions to administer the funds in Korea. Methods: The study materials were collected from web-sites and visiting, the ThaiHealth, VicHealth, Healthway, and Health Promotion Switzerland were reviewed as the representative cases of health promotion foundation model. Results: According to the review, the health promotion foundation established based on relevant legal acts had the comprehensive and professional organizational structure with boards and committees as governing and supporting bodies. The foundations had clearly defined vision, mission, and purpose, and pursuit health promotion purpose, independent and professional decision making process, strategies and priorities to initiate broad health promotion activities, balanced funds distribution to various areas and sectors, and networking and collaborating with partners. Conclusions: Health promotion foundation is a recommendable model to lead more effective and efficient health promotion activities and to collaborate with other sectors or other countries. Expanded usages of health promotion fund into the diverse health promotion settings such as communities, work places and schools and health activities including sponsorships as well as health promotion programs need to be considered.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.106-128
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• 2007

The Korean health care system is under great controversy. Over the last 30 years, main goal of health policies was to pursue equal access of health care services. However, another goal of health policies laid on efficiency and Quality of care, it had lower priorities. Superficially, controversy stems from priority setting among goals of health care system, equity, efficiency and quality. At a deeper level, arguments arise from disagreement and confusion about the values of Korean health care system. One of the value spectrums believes that health care is the basic right of human beings, therefore it should be produced and distributed on need approach, and needs are known to be decided by professionals. If we accept need approach, health care is a pubic good. Another value of spectrums considers that health care should be distributed on demand approach. Demand approach means that health care is a consumption good on the positive economics, while normative judgement believes that health care is a public good. In equity aspect, health care is considered as a public good. Over the last several years, some of scholars proposed health care reform based on the principle of competition which is based on demand approach. Others argue that the competition principle based on demand approach is not appropriate for the reform proposal, because health care has to be approached on need base. If we do not make explicit values we should adopt, consensus building for reform is nearly impossible. From this perspective, this article will review an ideology and reality in health policies in Korea.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.117-137
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• 2004

The purpose of the study is to examine gender differences in health behaviors and the related factors for the urban elderly population. This study utilized the data from the Suwon city health survey of the elderly in 2001. The data consisted of a random sample of 979 (388 males, 591 females) elderly people aged over 65. The results of the study were as follows. First, the elderly people's health behaviors were different by gender. Concerning health risk-taking behavior, the frequencies of smoking and drinking were higher in males than in females. In terms of health promotive behavior, the regular exercise rate was higher in males than in females. Second, there were different factors that influenced health behaviors by gender. The factors that influenced the health risk-taking behaviors were health status factors for male, and socioeconomic factors for female. The factors that significantly influenced the health promotive behaviors were social supports networks for both gender. Therefore, program priorities need to be modulated in accordance with these gender differences in health behaviors. Moreover, different program strategies are needed that reflect the gender differences in health behavior determinants.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.73-94
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• 2006

This study was carried out to show how the Analytic Hierarchy Process technique could be used in setting the priority among selected diseases to increase the range of health insurance benefit. Thirty experts, including doctors (group1), experts for preventive medicine or public health(group2), and representatives of the insured(group 3), participated in the study panel that is conducted for priority setting. They were asked to evaluate the priorities among 6 selected criteria and then 42 selected diseases. The results were as follows; First, representatives of the insured think that the magnitude of out-of-pocket payment should have high priority while doctors think that effectiveness of treatment should have high priority. Second, all experts think that catastrophic diseases such as malignant neoplasm, major heart disease, and cerebral vascular disease should have high priority in health insurance coverage even though there is little difference among groups. These results can be useful to establish a systematic strategy for expanding health insurance benefit package.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.39-51
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• 2012

Purpose: Thisstudy was conducted with an aim to get a kind of prioritiesin developing the evidence-based nursing practice guidelines in fields. Methods: This study utilized a two-round Delphi surveys from November to December, 2010 with self-administered questionnaires which had a scale ranged from 0 to 9. A total of 95 head nurses working at the forty different general hospitals was asked to evaluate the priorities in four criteria; patient coverage, certainty, improvement in patient outcome and in nursing practice (first round) and 65 head nurses were asked to decide the importance of the criteria afterwards (second round). Results: The relative importance of 4 criteria was 22.3% in patient coverage, 26.5% in certainty, 23.5% in improvement of patient outcome, and 27.7% in improvement of nursing practice as the results of the 1st round and 20.6%, 26.6%, 24.8%, and 28.0% for the 2nd round, respectively. Top five nursing practices showed high scores after considering the relative importances of the 4 criteria were medication, intravenous therapy, checking vital sign, pain management, and diagnostic test or procedures care. Conclusion: It is recommended to take into account of the priorities that were found in this study when someone intends to develop a evidence-based nursing practice guideline.