• Information Systems Review
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.59-73
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• 2013

Healthcare costs are continuously increasing due to longer life expectancy and providing global healthcare services through medical tourism is new service growth engine for Korea. Several countries have well established programs and infrastructure dedicated to medical tourism. South Korea is attempting to become a major player in this domain by undertaking broad initiatives. The success of medical tourism is greatly impacted by easy access to two types of information, namely, medical and travel information. The National Health Insurance System in Korea collects huge amount of clinical and financial information from all hospitals. However, this information does not get used effectively in health and travel information systems to support medical tourism. This paper provide clear process map of medical tourism to understand how the patient and information process both medical and tourism fields also describe the need of customer and service provider. In this paper, we develop a medical tourism service system that will promote information exchange and service delivery.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.7-15
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• 2019

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify the current status and use of Gyungrodang located in Heungeop-myeon, Wonju-si and to present improvement and implication for community care in rural area. Methods: The survey of the current status was conducted with interview and observations. The use status of Gyungrodang was surveyed for the elderly over 65 years old who live in Heungeop-myeon using questionnaire. A face-to-face interview was conducted to complete a questionnaire and 181 samples were collected for the study. Results: In the current status, some of the Gyungrodang did not operate during farming season. The external environment, in terms of accessibility, 74.2% of Gyungrodang were located more than 60 minutes on foot from community center, health post, and pharmacy. In addition, the interval between buses run minimum 15 minutes to 120 minutes on average. The internal structure, 35.7% was divided room and toilets. In the use status, the reason for non-use of the Gyungrodang was discomfort(29.0%), and the reason for using was because friends go to the Gyungrodang(44.6%). The most satisfying program was te health care program(65.6%). Implications: First, it is necessary to develop and operate customized health promotion program for target population and seasons. Second, it is necessary to make a plan focused on consumers' needs through satisfaction and demand survey. Third, it is necessary to divide the space of each Gyungrodang by gender when planning the expansion or new construction of Gyungrodang.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.85-91
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• 2014

Background: This study aims to analyze West African pregnancy experienced women's self-rated health and related factors in Democratic Republic (DR) of the Congo, and provide basic data which can be used in developing maternal and child heath projects and health promotion programs to enhance women's self-rated health in the DR Congo. Methods: A survey was conducted among 400 women, 300 of whom were from Kenge and 100 from Boko in Bandundu Province. Three hundred and fifty-two questionnaires were administered on factors expected to affect the self-rated health, categorized into basic information and economic status of respondents, healthcare service, and illness patterns. The hierarchical logistic regression analysis was performed taking each variable into account. Results: The results show that those who have had nutrition education, work in the office, have no health insurance, or have had no illness for the last one year perceive themselves to be in good health. Conclusion: To improve the self-rated health status and promote maternal and child health in DR Congo, the results suggest that the government or relevant agencies should develop programs to educate people regarding health and nutrition, and policies based on the right status of each country. Systems are also required for healthcare at all social levels along with aspects to avoid illness in daily life.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.27-35
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• 2017

Purpose: This study analyzed the status of general hospitals as an expanded concept of medical resources including medical staff and equipment. The purpose of this study is to provide a basic for the feasibility study of the scale and establishment of facility guidelines at the planning stage of general hospitals. Methods: The subjects of this study were limited to general hospitals. The status of medical resources was based on the data of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. The number of beds, doctors, nursing grades and major medical equipment were surveyed in 335 general hospitals. Results: 1) The characteristic of general hospitals varies depending on the number of inpatient beds. To be concrete, there were differences in the number of medical staffs and equipments in general hospitals based on 300 500 800 1,000 beds. 2) As the number of hospital beds increases, the number of medical staff increases more than medical equipment and facilities. Medical equipment and facilities remain constant, even when the number of beds increases. On the other hand, the number of medical staff increased about 1.5 times in each level. Implications: Architectural plans for medical staff should be considered differently depending on the number of beds. In particular, architectural planning and facility guidelines should be applied differently based on 300 and 500 beds.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.376-386
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• 2013

Purpose: The purpose of study is to estimate the number of chronic disease patients and medical care expenditure at the time baby-boomers belong to 65 years old aging population, and compare with current 65 year-old aging population. Methods: Analysis method used an estimating formula devised by the researcher and estimated the number of chronic disease patients and medical care expenditure of each generation. Results: When comparing the estimated number of chronic diseases patients of each generation, 40.6% of the first generation, 76.4% of the second generation, 95.2% of third generation are expected to get chronic disease. When comparing each generation's total medical care expenditure, based on the estimated number of chronic diseases patients of each generation, the second generation( 1,206,251,224 thousand won) showed higher than other generation. This study compared the number of chronic disease patients and medical care expenditure between the second generation of the elderly and current elder generation. As a result, the second generation patients was higher than the fourth generation in high blood pressure, diabetes, psychological and behavioral disorder, and neurological diseases whereas the fourth generation is only high the number of patients in heart disease. As for total medical care expenditure, the second generation paid more in high blood pressure, psychological and behavioral disorder while the fourth generation in neurological disease and heart disease. Conclusion: It is desired that considering the number of chronic disease patients and medical care expenditure of baby boomers accounting for 14.6% of total population, in-depth follow-up study is carried out that inquires into what are issues with a current chronic disease management project, what business is needed in order to manage these issues, and how to fund to cover increasing medical care expenditure.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.13-20
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• 2020

Purposes: This study has the purpose to the improvement of health promotion for local residents through delivery of high-quality medical service by improving imbalance of medical use and seeking an improvement plan for accessibility of effective medical service by understanding the pattern of medical use by region. Methodology: As for the method, this study derived results at the significance level of p<0.05 through chi square test(χ² test) and Generalized Estimating Equation(GEE) SAS 9.4 version by using the data of the 7th Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing 2018. Findings: Study results show that local residents use medical service such as hospitalization care and outpatient visit more as compared to the residents in Gyeonggi-do/large or medium-sized cities. The more the number of chronic disease, the more they select hospitalization care rather than outpatient visit. Results also show that patients engaged in labour tend to select outpatient treatment rather than hospitalization treatment. Meanwhile, severity of disease turned out to be higher amongst medical care beneficiaries than that of national health insurance patients when comparing the types of medical security. Practical Implications: In stead of solving the problem of the difference in medical use by region from the aspect of income and economic level, an integrative solution shall be provided putting viewpoint on the social phenomenon suited to the changes of the times. This study suggests a plan for using a health and medical community care center that acts as a gate keeper of regional medical service.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.15-25
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• 2018

Purposes: The objectives of this study present the direction of the criteria for the separately reimbursement of therapeutic medical device. Methodology: We summarized experts' opinion using Delphi survey and Analytic Hierarchy Process(AHP). 48 experts were gathered from Medical Insurance Review Nurses Association, medical device industry, academy and association, Medical Device Expert Evaluation Committee. Descriptive statistics, consistency index, content validity ratio were analyzed. Findings: Clinical utility, patient safety, infection control, cost-homogeneity, cost-effectiveness showed high feasibility and importance, but market contribution and functional utility showed low feasibility and importance in a relative sense. The results of functional utility differed between clinical and non-clinical experts. Measurability was low across the whole area. Among the criteria for the separately reimbursement of therapeutic medical device. Patient safety/infection control and clinical utility showed the highest relative importance values, analyzed using AHP. Practical Implications: Patient safety and infection control are needed to be considered as one of Value Assessment Criteria. It is important to find out how to improve the measurability of therapeutic medical device.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.308-319
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• 2018

Background: Some mental illnesses such as depression are known to be one of the risk factors of suicide and proper antidepressant therapy can reduce suicidal behavior. Objectives: This study aimed to analyze regional variations in antidepressant consumption and adherence, suicide rate, prevalence of suicide related mental disorders, and access to relevant healthcare services. Methods: Cross-sectional analyses were conducted using National Patients Sample data compiled by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service between 2014 and 2016. We included patients who had a diagnosis record of suicide related mental disorders during the study period. Cause of death statistics and National health and medical statistics were used to identify suicide rate and distribution of healthcare service. We conducted visual analyses, chi-squared tests, independent t-tests and correlation analyses to demonstrate regional variations. Results: Between 2014 and 2016, the average prevalence of suicide related mental disorders was 5.4 per cent. Suicide rate and prevalence of suicide related mental disorders were higher in Gangwon, Chungcheong, and Jeolla (p < 0.001), and lower in Seoul (p < 0.001) than the national average. Unexpectedly, regional variations in antidepressant consumption were seen in the limited area including Daejeon, Chungnam and Gyeongnam (p < 0.05). The number of mild patient-centered clinics was associated positively with antidepressant consumption (p < 0.01) and associated negatively with suicide rate (p < 0.01). Conclusion: There were some regional variations in prevalence of suicide related mental disorders, antidepressant adherence and suicide rate. The higher level of antidepressant therapy and the lower level of suicide rates were seen in regions with easy access to mild patient-centered clinics.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.26-38
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• 2022

Purposes: We analyzed the profitability determinants of regional public hospitals during the entire period between 2010 and 2020 and the period before and after COVID-19. We intended to provide fundamental data for developing publicness evaluation index and task of establishing and expanding regional public hospitals. Methodology: The financial and non-financial information of the regional public hospitals were used as the main analysis data; The financial data was established by the Center for Public Healthcare Policy of National Medical Center, and the non-financial data by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. T-test and regression analysis were used. Findings: The results can be summarized in two. First, the main determinants of profitability of the regional public hospitals were appeared to be the total asset turnover rate and the labor cost rate. Second, during the COVID-19 pandemic in the regional public hospitals, the number of sickbeds, the number of isolation rooms, the total asset turnover rate and the labor cost rate appeared to be the factor worsening the profitability. Practical Implication: The results of this study suggests that the management of the regional public hospitals is not aiming for the profit making, but it performs the functions as the community healthcare safety net such as controlling infectious diseases.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.361-376
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• 2022

Objectives: To understand experiences of daily life and Korean medicine treatment process and perspectives of caregivers caring for children with tic disorder. Methods: A semi-structured interview was conducted with caregivers of patients under 13 years who were experiencing Korean medicine treatment for tic disorder. A total of five participants were interviewed. The analysis was performed according to a four-step phenomenological method. Results: The following four components were derived from the experience of caring for children with tic disorder: general perception of tics, negative emotions caused by tics, social deprivation, and living with a child with tics. The following four components were derived from Korean medicine treatment experience for tic disorders: criteria for selecting treatment, awareness of Korean medicine, treatment experience in Korean medicine, and what needs to be improved. Conclusions: According to results of this study, caregivers caring for children with tic disorder experienced negative emotions such as frustration, guilt, and anxiety. They also experienced social deprivation such as stigma and prejudice. Korean medicine treatment can be an effective alternative for improving symptoms of tic disorders. The application of insurance benefits to Korean medicine is needed for patients and caregivers to autonomously choose treatment.