• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.167-177
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• 2012

Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) is a term that means post-Sanger sequencing methods with high-throughput sequencing technologies. NGS parallelizes the sequencing process, producing thousands or millions of sequences at once. The latest NGS technologies use even single DNA molecule as a template and measures the DNA sequence directly via measuring electronic signals from the extension or degradation of DNA. NGS is making big impacts on biomedical research, molecular diagnosis and personalized medicine. The hospitals are rapidly adopting the use of NGS to help to patients understand treatment with sequencing data. As NGS equipments are getting smaller and affordable, many hospitals are in the process of setting up NGS platforms. In this review, the progress of NGS technology development and action mechanisms of representative NGS equipments of each generation were discussed. The key technological advances in the commercialized platforms were presented. As NGS platforms are a great concern in the healthcare area, the latest trend in the use of NGS and the prospect of NGS in the future in diagnosis and personalized medicine were also discussed.

• Korean Medical Education Review
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.141-146
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• 2014

This study focused on investigating the future medicine and health care industry paradigm shift and suggesting the right direction for the medical education system in order for students to be better prepared in the near future. Here, I will discuss four issues related to the future of medicine: Health 2.0, digital health, personalized medicine, and innovations of the public healthcare system. Every issue has lessons for medical education and teaching for students who major in health professions. However, it is obvious that the present is an important period of time as, currently, we are at an early stage in the future health care environment. Recently, there have been rapid transformations in various fields of medicine. Therefore, if we fail to lead medical education in the right direction, medical students will suffer from major problems in coping with these changes.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.571-580
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• 2001

"Journal of Korean Academy of Adult Nursing" has been published since 1989 and more than 330 articles have been published up 2000. We reviewed all the articles published in this journal to analyze the contents and trend of published articles and to find out the way of improvement both in quantity and quality of studies in this area. The results are as follows; 1) Ninety percent of articles were quantitative studies. Experimental design was used in 16.1% and quasi-experimental design was adapted in 73.6% of articles. Qualitative research were 10.3% of total articles reviewed. 2) Only 5.1% of articles described theoretical framework and 73.6% of experimentally designed articles included research hypotheses. 3) Among experimental studies, only one was true experimental studie design. Eighty nine point three persent had descriptive survey method among non-experimental studies. Amog the thirty four qualitative studies, phenomenologic(73.5%), grounded theory(14.7%), and ethnographic (11.8%) design were used. 4) Most of research subject were patients and few healthy people, healthcare worker, and patient family. 5) Psychosocial data collection method which used questionnaire were 53.7% and interview, physical measurement, observation were used in 22.8%, 8.2%, 5.4% of articles respectively. 6) Total number of keywords were 692, and average number of key words per article was 2.2. Health-related keyword was the most frequently used according to four metaparadigm of nursing (human, health, nursing, and environment). Environment related keyword was rarely appeared. The number and quality of nursing research in "Journal of Korean Academy of Adult Nursing" have been improved continuously. It is difficult to find out special trend or characteristics which is unique in this journal because of relatively short history of adult nursing studies. This review study was performed to analyze adult nursing studies only in the view of quantitative aspect, but it is needed to analyse qualitatively to find philosophical or theoretical trend in nursing.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2017

Purpose : Many studies showed that having a usual source of care improved the efficient access of healthcare service. However in Korea there have been few studies on the usual source of care. So this study aims to find whether having a usual source of care affect the medical utilization and expense. Methodology/Approach : We used the Korean Health Panel data in 2012, 2013 to examine the change of utilization and expenses in ambulatory care affected by having a usual source of care. We selected 1,215 hypertension patients without usual source of care in 2012 and performed linear regression analysis to identify the difference between treatment group(with usual source of care in 2013) and control group(without usual source of care in 2013). Then we performed analysis again separated by the age group. Findings : Among study population, 711(58.5%) reported that they have a usual source of care in 2013. Treatment group reported 1.85 less increase in outpatient visits and 69,234 won less increase in expense than control group with weak significance(visit ${\beta}$ -1.85 p-value 0.0807, expense ${\beta}$ -69,234 p-value 0.0541). People under the age of 65 showed significant change in outpatient visits for tertiary hospital (visit ${\beta}$ -0.78 p-value 0.0154, expense ${\beta}$ -91,462 p-value 0.0168). The analysis which focused outpatient for mild disease showed similar trend. Practical Implications : This study supports the positive effect of having usual source of care which decrease inefficient outpatient utilization. Promoting physician-patient relationships is important for efficiency of healthcare service.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.57-68
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• 2011

The purpose of this study is to provide the planning factors of housing for the disabled and elderly based on the inclusive housing design as sustainable neighborhood. The goal of inclusive design is to make buildings and communities more livable for all type of people. Inclusive design should embrace other good design goals and reinforce them, not work against them. To carry out this purpose, we should proceed in the following way: First, we deducted the four design factors (the basic, recommendable, adaptable, and residential factors) by reviewing the characteristics of inclusive housing concepts. Second, we analyzed the related foreign design standards and guidelines such as the ICC/ANSI A117.1 Type C Units (the United States, 2009), Lifetime Standard (the United Kingdom, 2010), and Livable Housing Design Guideline (the Australian, 2010) through four design factors based on inclusive design concepts. Finally, we suggested the housing design factors for the disabled and the elderly in Korea. To conclude, we can make the followings: It is important basic factor that the bedroom and bathroom layout closed to each other. Also, the bedroom has the proper height of light switches, outlets, and windows. The recommendable factors take into consideration stairs and ramp, if existent. The adaptable factors are closely related to domestic housing culture as well as residential factors. Proceeding from this fact, the livability for people with disabilities and older requires accessibility and adaptability that take into account public and efficiency considering the current trend of housing development and urban planning.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.69-77
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• 2015

Purpose: Under a trend of hospitals that repeated expansion in line with fast increasing factors of medical demands in the past, medical buildings where clinic businesses have regularly gathered in one building have exponentially increased since separation of prescribing and dispensing in 2000. Thus, this study aims at analyzing characteristics of architectural plan of the current medical buildings, identifying strengths and weaknesses through Post Occupancy Evaluation and suggesting an architectural planning method of medical buildings to be planned in the future. Methods: Scope of study has been limited to 23 medical buildings that are registered in the building register as medical buildings out of the Class 1 neighborhood facilities build as 5 floors or more in Cheongju region since 2000 and being actually used for the usage. Study method is to define concepts of the medical buildings through literature review and advanced researches, analyze characteristics of architectural plan through drawing analysis and site survey. Results: General characteristics of architectural plans for the medical buildings in Cheongju have been analyzed. There are the most frequencies in general commercial area and semi-residential area, most of them are reinforced concrete structure and the Class 1 neighborhood facilities. Average land area is $482.68m^2$, gross floor area $3720.8m^2$, the number of underground floors level 1.16, the number of floors level 7.76, total number of floors 8.92, the building-to-land ratio 67.28%, floor area ratio 452.6%, height 31.44m, and the number of parked vehicles 24.16. Implications: This research will contribute to the establishment of the planning methods which increase the quality of Medical Buildings in Cheongju.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.47-60
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• 2019

Purpose: Regional public hospitals have implemented functional reinforcement projects, and the facilities to accommodate them have increased in size. Nevertheless users in hospital are concerned about space shortage and area imbalances. Therefore I will trace the factors and trends that influence the size, and derive the relationship between these and the uses' critical opinion. Methods: Among the indicators for determining the size of medical facilities, the number of beds and total floor area are the essential indicators that directly affect the composition of space and allocation of area inside the medical facility. The purpose of this study is to investigate the change and the factors of change on the these two indicators in regional public hospitals and analyze the trend of changes. Results: In accordance with support undertaking, regional public hospitals have been increased the number of chronic-based beds and expanded additional facilities such as O.P.D specialized centers, emergency centers and funeral homes for reflecting the needs of the regions and times. However, as a result of analyzing the area, regional public hospitals are growing in size mainly on the ward and O.P.D is only expanded the scope of functional reinforcement division but total area level of O.P.D is lower than the recent level. In addition, the levels of D&T, Supply, mechanical/electrical equipment area related to medical support and control environment quality are very low. This is because the functional reinforcement projects have been done without concerning diagnose the whole facility. Implications: If functional reinforcement projects are conducted, to cope with problems of space shortage and imbalance of area, it is judged that an architectural planning that comprehensively analyzes existing facilities and related departments should be included.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.186-193
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• 2018

Background: The aim of our study was to review the findings of health insurance fraud investigations and to evaluate their impacts on medical costs for target and non-target organizations. An interrupted time series study design using generalized estimation equations was used to evaluate changes in cost following fraud investigations. Methods: We used National Health Insurance claims data from 2009 to 2015, which included 20,625 medical institutions (1,614 target organizations and 19,011 non-target organizations). Outcome variable included cost change after fraud investigation. Results: Following the initiation of fraud investigations, we found statistically significant reductions in cost level for target organizations (-1.40%, p<0.001). In addition, a reduction in cost trend change per month was found for both target organizations and non-target organizations after fraud investigation (target organizations, -0.33%; non-target organizations of same region, -0.19%; non-target organizations of other regions, -0.17%). Conclusion: This study suggested that fraud investigations are associated with cost reduction in target organization. We also found similar effects of fraud investigations on health expenditure for non-target organizations located in the same region and in different regions. Our finding suggests that fraud investigations are important in controlling the growth of health expenditure. To maximize the effects of fraud investigation on the growth of health expenditure, more organizations needed to be considered as target organizations.

• Journal of rehabilitation welfare engineering & assistive technology
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.223-230
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• 2015

There is an increasing trend of medical devices and products moving out of hospitals and clinics into community and residual homes for use by the general public due to both the technological developments and demographic changes resulted from the increased life expectancy and decreased birth rate. In Korea, however, the definition of "home medical device" is rather ambiguous and we thus compared the definition of the term used in the global market with that in Korea. FDA definition of "home medical device" includes the devices intended for use in both professional healthcare facilities and home. The KFDA, does not provide the definition for the "home medical device"and the definition has only been inferred from the results of consumer surveys. With a paradigm shift in advent of u-healthcare era, the definition of "home medical device" in Korea should include the medical devices that could be used both at hospitals and at home.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.11-26
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• 2016

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which has continuously evaluated the performance of healthcare systems, has recently invested much effort into hospital performance measurement. The purpose of this paper is to introduce the hospital performance measurement programs operated by international organizations or at the national level based on the OECD's hospital performance project. Health Insurance Review & Assessment service (HIRA)'s quality assessment was analyzed based on the analytical framework of the OECD's hospital performance project. The hospital performance measurement programs of WHO, Canada, Australia, United States and United Kingdom are briefly explored, in view of the conceptual framework, key performance dimensions and indicators that are currently in use. The OECD suggested seven key dimensions of hospital performance: timeliness, efficiency, continuity, effectiveness and appropriateness, staff orientation, patient orientation and safety. The analysis of the quality assessment program of HIRA, which operates 36 diseases and procedures and 347 indicators, shows that the numbers of indicators are relatively small in the areas of safety, patient centeredness and efficiency. Continuity of care and staff orientation are not fully developed also, but the situations are similar in other countries. In conclusion, hospital performance measurement using stable and comprehensive data should be developed to improve overall system performance, and discussions on a conceptual framework that can lay out directions and key performance domains need to take into place.