• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.14-33
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• 2022

Purpose: To examine whether the Patient Experience Assessment (PEA) has led to perceptible changes at the ground level of health care, as a way of evaluating PEA as a policy intervention for quality improvement. Methods: Four focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted, each comprising six to eight participants who were employees responsible for patient experience at their respective hospitals. The primary focus of the FGDs was on questions such as: 1) How do hospitals respond to PEA? 2) What significant changes were observed after the implementation of PEA? 3) What were the unintended consequences of implementing PEA, if any? 4) What areas of improvement have been identified for maximizing the potential of PEA? Results: Two broad themes emerged out of the FGDs: changes observed post implementation of PEA, and areas for improvement of PEA. Four significant changes were reported by participants: changes in perception and attitude regarding patient experience in hospital employees, increased active involvement by the hospital leadership, enhanced efforts to improve patient experience, and increased cooperation between such activities. Furthermore, eight areas of improvement were identified, which have been grouped in three categories: improving the process of data collection for PEA, introducing additional catalysts to facilitate further changes, and paying attention to structure- and patient-level constraints that must be addressed in parallel. Conclusion: The implementation of PEA led to perceptible changes within hospitals, which implies that it can serve as an effective catalyst for improving patient experience. A number of areas of improvement that would aid in maximizing the potential of PEA were also identified.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.41-46
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• 2008

Objective: To build a basis of strategy for development of herbal drug as a preventive medicine during dynamic innovation of Korean Oriental medicine. Methods: Via telephone interview, 101 subjects prescribed with deer antler were asked to provide us their reflections about five topics: points of satisfaction, physical improvement, improved symptoms, annual times of taking restorative herbal medicine, and aspect of complaints about taking the herbal drugs. Results: Around 68% of subjects usually take a restorative herbal medicine with deer antler less than once per year. 63% of subjects were satisfied with herbal restoratives. They answered the physical energetic feeling (52%) as the most benefit while expensive price (43%) as the most frequent complaint. Conclusion: Scientifically designed restorative herbal medicine needs to be developed for competitiveness of Korean Oriental medicine as a preventive medicine. In addition, more reasonable price and confirmative data for safety and quality control should be equipped in Korean Oriental medical market.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• no.spc
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• pp.25-38
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• 2016

There are many policies around the world regarding Information Communication Technology (ICT). In 2012, the World Health Organization emphasized the strategic and integrated policy for the development and dissemination of ICT-based healthcare innovations at the national level. As technologies related to ICT are introduced in various countries around the world, each country announces policies and strategies to preoccupy these new industries. However, Korea is tied to various regulations in investment of ICT and thus lags behind other countries. Therefore, in this section, we review the present status and problems of ICT development in Korea and compare these with other major countries. Finally, we present the ICT development strategies and tasks in Korea.

• The Journal of Information Technology
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.69-83
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• 2007

As a hospital environment is reconstructed from supplier-centered values to consumer-centered ones for the existence in the rapidly changing medical market, it can be said that not only must old slogans such as unconditional restructuring, remodelling, etc. be reconsidered, but a new strategy for the development and renovation of a hospital must be urgently required. Accordingly, development of customer-oriented practical strategies is needed and it appears possible to develop marketing and manage contacts, as a practical management strategy, for raising satisfaction of internal and external customers. The ultimate goal of such strategy development may be to ensure consistent potential development by maintenance of existing customers and securing new customers through a strategy of satisfying both existing and new customers. It appears that the competition in the medial will be keener in the future by human resources, members of an organization, Under these circumstances, and in relation to appearance of a new type of occupation of a coordinator, if a hospital could offer appropriate service which can meet the demand of the customers by efficiently utilizing the limited resources through efficient management of contacts between the customers and personnel, the competitive power of a hospital would be much stronger. Therefore, it is necessary to seek customer-impressing management by utilizing a coordinator as a more specialized intermediary as well as many-sided contact management through positive introduction of an expert coordinator system for internal and external customer contact management. It is expected that a hospital can secure a competitive advantage in the market through strategy development supported by an expert coordinator and increasing competitive power by means of practice of a developed creative strategy.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.24 no.7
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• pp.640-646
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• 2023

Objective: Prospective studies on postoperative residual breast tissue (RBT) after robotic-assisted nipple-sparing mastectomy (R-NSM) for breast cancer are limited. RBT presents an unknown risk of local recurrence or the development of new cancer after curative or risk-reducing mastectomies. This study investigated the technical feasibility of using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to evaluate RBT after R-NSM in women with breast cancer. Materials and Methods: In this prospective pilot study, 105 patients, who underwent R-NSM for breast cancer at Changhua Christian Hospital between March 2017 and May 2022, were subjected to postoperative breast MRI to evaluate the presence and location of RBT. The postoperative MRI scans of 43 patients (age, 47.8 ± 8.5 years), with existing preoperative MRI scans, were evaluated for the presence and location of RBT. In total, 54 R-NSM procedures were performed. In parallel, we reviewed the literature on RBT after nipple-sparing mastectomy, considering its prevalence. Results: RBT was detected in 7 (13.0%) of the 54 mastectomies (6 of the 48 therapeutic mastectomies and 1 of the 6 prophylactic mastectomies). The most common location for RBT was behind the nipple-areolar complex (5 of 7 [71.4%]). Another RBT was found in the upper inner quadrant (2 of 7 [28.6%]). Among the six patients who underwent RBT after therapeutic mastectomies, one patient developed a local recurrence of the skin flap. The other five patients with RBT after therapeutic mastectomies remained disease-free. Conclusion: R-NSM, a surgical innovation, does not seem to increase the prevalence of RBT, and breast MRI showed feasibility as a noninvasive imaging tool for evaluating the presence and location of RBT.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.1-20
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• 1999

Since the late 1980s, there have been radical changes in the managerial environment of Y University Medical Center(YUMC). Externally, the competition among hospitals has intensified due to the establishment of universal health insurance in 1939 and the entrance of large enterprises into the health care industry in the early 1990s. In addition, government regulation of medical institution is becoming stricter. Also, consumer groups have continued to demand the respect for patient rights and improvement of the quality of medical services. Internally, the financial condition of YUMC has worsened, not only because weak control and poor mediation in its large-scale structure have made its operation inefficient, but also because the rates of increase in the prices of goods and labor have grown faster than any increases in revenues. This study on materials management at YUMC presents a way for YUMC to reduce costs and increase its productivity, thereby overcoming its financial difficulties and dealing with external pressures. This study utilized the case studies of the materials purchasing and medical supply management in the United States and the comparative analysis of management to suggest short-term and long-term alternatives for innovation in YUMC. The goals of the short-term alternatives for innovation are to centralize the purchasing and supply departments and to simplify the decision-making processes. Through these attempts, it is estimated that YUMC's costs could be reduced by $600,000 per year. In the long-term, it is necessary to consider introducing a Supply Processing Distribution(SPD) system and setting up a centralized electronic system for supply and inventory management, although it is difficult to estimate the effect of cost-cutting because of the lack of analysis data. Thus, YUMC should thoroughly analyze initial investment costs and economical efficiency generated from long-term alternatives.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.3177-3181
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• 2013

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the main causes of cervical cancer in women worldwide. The goal of the present study was to determine the prevalence and distribution of HPV genotypes in women from Saudi Arabia. Recently, several HPV detection methods have been developed, each with different sensitivities and specificities. Methods: In this study, total forty cervical samples were subjected to polymerase chain reaction and hybridization to BioFilmChip microarray assessment. Results: Human papillomavirus (HPV) infections were found in 43% of the specimens. The most prevalent genotypes were HPV 16 (30%) HPV 18 (8.0%) followed by type HPV 45, occurring at 5.0%. Conclusion: Our finding showed the HPV infection and prevalence is increasing at alarming rate in women of Saudi Arabia. There was no low risk infection detected in the tested samples. The BioFilmChip microarray detection system is highly accurate and suitable for detection of single and multiple infections, allowing rapid detection with less time-consumption and easier performance as compared with other methods.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.101-110
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• 2011

This study analyzed affecting factors of employees working at dental hospitals to the organizational commitment and service quality, and then tried to utilize it as a basic data in executing personnel training policies for dental hospital's practitioners. The survey was conducted from July 1st to July 30th, 2010, and used 193 copies for this research analysis. As a hypothetical verification result through regression analysis, means and capabilities among empowerment factors influenced significant positive (+) effects, and self-determination and influences did not make significant effects. Also, organization commitment was displayed as influencing significant positive (+) effects to the service quality. When considering this research's results as a basement, an alternative for the managerial innovation shall be established for promoting mutual developments of individuals and organization in midst of promptly changing economic environments. That is, a personal training system has to be set up in which more decision-making rights on given assignments of dental hospital's employments are endowed, and then responsibilities are directed to be charged so much by introducing the empowerment concept instead of the managerial technique centering on controls.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.17-34
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• 2011

Recently, medical market has been changing not for the sake of treatment of the disease but for high quality of health. Therefore, South Korea medical tourism service needs to understand and improve for the differences perceptions of medical tourists and health professionals for customer satisfaction. The purpose of this study is to understand the structure of medical tourism market through theoretical consideration and to suggest the factors which need to be taken precedence for improvement of South Korea medical tourism service through analysis differences between consumers and suppliers. To analyze the difference of awareness, we reconstructed the questionnaires focussing on evaluation factors and articles about medical tourists selection attributes and health professionals way to invigoration through previous research and precedence study. After that, we also collected the data based on reconstructed questionnaires. After we compared each collected responses from medical tourists and health professionals, also analyzed the differences of awareness by applying Johari's Window to those differences. In conclusion, there is no relation between medical tourist and health professionals about th differences of awareness in functional quality and cost that is a direct effect to transaction in current medical tourism of South Korea. In contrast, there are differences of awareness between a process which support medical tourism and technical quality. Therefor, we expect to invigorate medical tourism by innovation of supportive process and technical quality.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.11-25
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• 2024

Purpose: This study investigates the factors influencing medical school faculty's entrepreneurial decisions and prioritizes these factors. Methodology: The study examines the determinants of entrepreneurial decisions among medical school faculty by reviewing prior studies. These determinants were categorized into four perspectives: resource-based, industrial organization, entrepreneur characteristics, and other. Using the Analytic Hierarchy Process(AHP), the study analyzed the relative priorities of 27 specific indicators. Surveys were conducted with medical school faculty with startup experience, professors with relevant expertise, and organizational leaders involved in entrepreneurship. A total of 33 responses were validated for consistency, and an empirical analysis identified the priority of factors influencing medical school faculty startups. Findings: The findings reveal that 'entrepreneur characteristics' and 'institutional and organizational support' are the highest priority factors for medical school faculty. Key resource-based factors include the 'leave of absence' or 'concurrent employment policy,' availability of 'professional human resources,' and 'organizational support' specializing in startups. An integrated analysis shows that while intellectual resources such as research publications, patents, and physical space are necessary, the highest priority is given to leave policies, professional human resources, and organizational support. Practical Implication: Medical school faculty are recognized as key innovation agents in the bio-health industry. The results provide crucial insights for policymakers and stakeholders at governmental, institutional, and organizational levels. Strengthening self-competence, increasing entrepreneurship opportunities, and establishing professional human resources and organizational support within medical universities or hospitals are critical for facilitating medical school faculty startups.