• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.347-354
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• 2013

In contrast to the increase in demand for high quality healthcare, there is limited medical human resources such as doctors and nurses so an excessive amount of workload is being forced to them. Therefore, a patient monitoring system using USN(Ubiquitous Sensor Network) is becoming a solution. This paper proposes a patient monitoring system applying USN in maternity hospital to reduce the workload of nurses. According to the efficiency evaluation test based on the model of two university hospitals(S, K University Hospital) and their doctor's diagnosis, the results showed that under the circumstances that one nurse is in charge of 12 patients(6 normal delivery patients and 6 cesarean delivery patients), a total of 1,260 minutes of workload was saved during hospitalization period(5 days). Also, we compared the workload of nurses with or without our proposed system, and the figures showed that in case of normal delivery patients, the workload of nurses decreased by 50 minutes per patient, whereas in case of cesarean delivery patients, the workload of nurses decreased by 130 minutes per patient.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.221-227
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• 2016

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of maternal age on fertilization, embryo quality, and clinical pregnancy in patients undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) using testicular sperm from partners with azoospermia. Methods: A total of 416 ICSI cycles using testicular spermatozoa from partners with obstructive azoospermia (OA, n = 301) and non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA, n = 115) were analyzed. Female patients were divided into the following age groups: 27 to 31 years, 32 to 36 years, and 37 to 41 years. The rates of fertilization, high-quality embryos, clinical pregnancy, and delivery were compared across maternal age groups between the OA and NOA groups. Results: The rates of fertilization and high-quality embryos were not significantly different among the maternal age groups. Similarly, the clinical pregnancy and delivery rates were not significantly different. The fertilization rate was significantly higher in the OA group than in the NOA group (p< 0.05). Age-group analysis revealed that the fertilization and high-quality embryo rates were significantly different between the OA and NOA groups in patients aged 27 to 31 years old, but not for the other age groups. Although the clinical pregnancy and delivery rates differed between the OA and NOA groups across all age groups, significant differences were not observed. Conclusion: In couples using testicular sperm from male partners with azoospermia, pregnancy and delivery outcomes were not affected by maternal age. However, women older than 37 years using testicular sperm from partners with azoospermia should be advised of the increased incidence of pregnancy failure.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.303-313
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• 2013

During last 65 years, Korea has achieved very rapid economic growth and social reformation including healthcare system. Many foreigners have praised that Korea healthcare system is very good in the respect of ease accessibility to healthcare under the lowest cost among the industrialized countries. Whole population are covered by the National Health Insurance. Also utilizations of healthcare among different income classes are even. However Korea healthcare system faced with several challenges, in terms of the an aging population and a rise in chronic disease problem, new threats of communicable disease due to globalization, the rapid increase of healthcare expenditure and high financial burden of patients even though they are insured. To cope with these challenges, we need reconsider the healthcare system as followings; to set up ideology of healthcare as normative public goods, to rebuild paradigm of healthcare for 21 century, to reform public health for strengthening health promotion, to develop new method for healthcare management including quality improvement and consumer responsiveness, to build new governance for health and to view new perspective on healthcare as a kind of industry.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.37-44
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• 2007

With the rapid changes in healthcare system, the impact on healthcare design is significant and constantly changed. Because of emergence of new technology, far-advanced methods of healthcare delivery, and changing social and environmental issues, the healthcare planners and architects have to make sure that future expansion are taken into consideration when they design the hospitals. This thesis aims to investigate the hospital remodeling cases in Korea and USA and find the solutions for the vertical expansion of the hospitals in the metropolitan area where the buildings may be limited to be horizontally expanded. The M Cancer center in Manhattan, NY is selected to be carefully investigated and analyzed. Based on this analysis, the strategy for the vertical expansion of the hospital will be suggested.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.1-2
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• 2023

As the industrial paradigm shift, often condensed as the "4th Industrial Revolution," gains momentum, there is a growing need to actively introduce digital healthcare into the medical field. The new administration announced its commitment to become a global leader in the biohealth and digital healthcare sector. To fulfill this pledge, preemptive policy leadership and attention from the government are required. The recent issue of legislating non-face-to-face medical care suggests that introducing digital healthcare goes beyond simply adopting new technologies. Incorporating digital healthcare involves changing the existing healthcare delivery process and coordinating the roles of stakeholders. To successfully change the structure of the medical industry, a mid- to long-term roadmap should be meticulously organized and promoted. Policy efforts are needed to resolve conflicts and lead to compromises through continuous communication with interest groups.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.277-285
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• 2020

Chronic diseases as well as a growing population of older adults are currently the leading cause of ill health and economic burden worldwide. Managing those diseases in one-on-one medical consultations poses substantial challenges due to limited time and resources in the current health care system. Various approaches have been taken to manage these conditions, most with limited success. Shared medical appointments (SMAs) are an innovative care delivery option to make the testing of alternative care modalities a prime concern. SMAs are individual medical consultations carried out in a group of patients with similar diseases by providing education, medication management, and disease monitoring. SMAs, since their initial conceptualization in 1998, have gained much popularity and adopted as one of the standard processes in many countries. Accumulated evidence-based studies show outcomes for increasing access to care, behavioral change facilitated through self-management education, maintained/better outcomes, physician productivity, and enhanced resource management. This review summarizes current evidence regarding the existing status of SMAs abroad. An extensive literature search was conducted on major electronic databases including PubMed and Google Scholar. This study suggests to explore and exploit the SMAs which have unique potential as a healthcare delivery innovation in Korea.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.340-350
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• 2016

The Medical Service Act of Korea describes a clinic as providing services primarily to outpatients, while a large general hospital provides specialized medical services requiring a high level of expertise for treating serious diseases. The portion of medical revenue for clinics has been decreasing gradually compared with large hospitals. This article proposes two fundamental medical policies to fix the distorted medical delivery system of Korea. Firstly, uniform additional medical remuneration rates based on the type of medial institution should be divided into outpatient additional rates and inpatient additional rates. Secondly, to normalize the function of clinics and large general hospitals, an outpatient medical target budget system should be introduced. Finally, to properly implement the proposal, it is important to establish healthcare policy-making governance. The success of policy implementation strongly depends on the participation and incentives of the government, suppliers, and patients. Healthcare policy-making governance must be designed to encompass this fact and improve quality of care.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.329-338
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• 2010

Objective: This study was carried out to know whether cryopreservation of sibling 2PN zygotes could increase the cumulative delivery rates in the patients who had less than 10 fertilized zygotes. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed in 138 in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) cycles with less than 10 fertilized zygotes during January 2003 to December 2007 in Cheil General Hospital. These cycles were divided into two groups. In Group I (n=86), all fertilized embryos were cultured to transfer on day 3 without cryopreserved embryos at the 2PN stage. In Group II (n=52), among fertilized zygotes, some sibling zygotes were frozen at the 2PN stage, the remainder were cultured to transfer. Clinical outcomes in fresh ET cycles and cumulative ongoing pregnancy rates after subsequent frozen-thawed (FT)-ET cycles were compared. Results: There were no significant differences in female mean age, number of retrieved oocytes and total fertilized embryos between two groups, Number of cultured embryos was significantly lower in Group II ($5.2{\pm}0.5$) than in Group I ($8.4{\pm}0.7$) (p<0.01). Also, number of transferred embryos was significantly lower in Group II ($3.3{\pm}0.6$) compared with Group I ($3.6{\pm}0.6$) (p<0.01). ${\beta}$-hCG positive rates and delivery rates (51.2 vs. 46.2 % and 41.9 vs. 34.6 %, respectively) after fresh ET were slightly higher in Group I than in Group II. However, the differences were not statistically significant. Also, the cumulative delivery rates after subsequent FT-ET cycles were not significantly different between Group I (48.8%) and Group II (50.0%). Conclusion: This study showed that cryopreservation of sibling 2PN zygotes from patients who had less than 10 zygotes in the fresh ET cycles did not increase cumulative delivery outcomes. But, it could provide an alternative choice for patients due to offering more chance for embryo transfers if pregnancy was failed in fresh IVF-ET cycles.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
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• 2013.05a
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• pp.256-259
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• 2013

Data and network security for e-Healthcare Systems are a primary concern due to the easiest deployment area accessibility of the sensor devices. Furthermore, they are often interacting closely in cooperation with the physical environment and the surrounding people, where such exposure increases security vulnerabilities in cases of improperly managed security of the information sharing among different healthcare organizations. Hence, healthcare-specific security standards such as authentication, data integrity, system security and internet security are used to ensure security and privacy of patients' information. This paper discusses security threats on e-Healthcare Systems where an attacker can access both data and network using masquerade attack. Moreover, an efficient and cost effective approach for countermeasures is discussed for the delivery of secure services.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.47-54
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• 2022

Purpose: This study presents the analysis on space usage of delivery departments in regional public hospitals. The results intention is to achieve improvement of the delivery environment for the mothers and newborns regarding exposure prevention and efficient infection control. The purpose of this study is to provide fundamental data for architectural plans and guidelines for the delivery department. Method: The investigation and analysis were based on research papers, legal systems, public medical statistical data, and the architectural floor plan drawing. For research, 20 regional public hospitals with an operating delivery room were excluded. Regarding data accessibility, 15 regional public hospitals were selected. Results: To overcome the increased vulnerability of the delivery department, the research results of basic data is provided for the establishment to address urgent needs and rapid response. Thus, the research results are as follows: Firstly, the delivery department needs to respond promptly according to the type of patients. For example, in a case of emergency surgery, a connected circulation plan with the related departments is needed. Secondly, for the environment of the delivery area, alleviating anxiety is imperative for pregnant patients and guardians, labor, childbirth, and recovery. Therefore, these needs must be addressed for treatment space and circulation. Lastly, the delivery department is classified into three areas for analysis: access area, treatment area, and support area. In most of the delivery departments of the 15 selected hospitals, there is no space for the access and support area except for the labor and delivery rooms in the treatment area. For the access area, a waiting area, changing room for pregnant women and guardians, and a storage space for contaminated linens are required for infection prevention, safety, and efficiency. For the treatment area, childbirth processes and circulation should have space reserved for labor, delivery, recovery, examination, and treatment. In preparation for an emergency during childbirth, emergency response measures and supporting space needs to be established. For the support area, circulation and rooms are to be designed for medical staff support, activity space, storage and transportation of equipment, and urgent medical treatment. Implications: Along with the low fertility rate and the decrease of medical institutions that operate delivery departments, for the purpose of establishing a public medical service system and a healthy medical environment for mothers and newborns, the researched information demonstrates basic data on space plan of delivery departments in regional public hospitals.