• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.1-13
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• 2015

This study attempts to investigate how healthcare service quality impacts upon hospital reputation, service value, and customer satisfaction. Additionally, the association of customer satisfaction with hospital loyalty and the mediation role of service value and reputation are examined. Analysis results can be summarized as followings: First, the procedural convenience and efficiency have significant impact upon customer satisfaction but personnel service and service scape do not significantly affect customer satisfaction. Second, the personnel service and service scape have significant impacts upon both the service value and hospitals' reputation. Third, service value and hospital reputation contribute significantly to the customer satisfaction. Fourth, customer satisfaction enhances significantly customer's satisfaction and intention to recommend. We conclude that a regional medical center should be able to offer high quality medical services to its customers to satisfy or delight them. Only the satisfied customers will have intention to revisit the medical center or to recommend it to their friends.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.86-97
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• 1997

Background : It is a primary goal for hospital personnel to improve the quality of patient care. In Korea the concept of quality assurance has been spread over the last five years. Many hospitals have implemented quality assurance programs that fit their own philosophy and needs. As a result, they are supposed to have different experiences and attitudes toward quality assurance. To investigate their diversity will be helpful to have a direction to the future and to enhance the quality assurance activities in Korean hospitals. Objectives : The aim of this study is to obtain information about hospital personnel's attitude and opinion toward quality assurance in hospitals. Methods : A questionnaire was developed which consisted of five parts; the general characteristics of respondent, the concepts of quality assurance, need for quality assurance program, current status of quality improvement activities, and participation in programs. Using the registry of Korean hospitals, 102 hospitals with more than 400 beds were selected. Questionnaires were mailed to hospital staffs of each hospital; top managers, clinical department heads, registered nurses, medical recorders, and administrators. Results : Of 2038 questionnaires sent, 877 were returned, giving response rate of 44%. Most respondents(70%) regarded quality assurance as efforts to provide patient with care in highest quality and to improve effectiveness or resource utilization. Ninety-nine percent of respondents agreed to need for quality assurance in their hospitals. There were current quality improvement programs implemented in the department of 553 respondents(62%), and most of the(85%) have participated in at least one program. Lack of motivation was pointed out as a barrier to implement the programs. Conclusion : Although most respondents have known of the concept and need for quality assurance, this study suggests that education and motivation of hospital personnel be needed to activate the quality assurance programs in hospitals.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.12
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• pp.7743-7748
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• 2013

Background: To study the pattern of patient load, personnel and equipment resources from 30-years experience in Southern Thailand. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study collected secondary data from the Division of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology and the Songklanagarind Hospital Tumor Registry database, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, during the period of 1982-2012. Results: The number of new patients who had radiation treatment gradually increased from 121 in 1982 to 2,178 in 2011. Shortages of all kinds of personnel were demonstrated as compared to the recommendations, especially in radiotherapy technicians. In 2011, Southern Thailand, with two radiotherapy centers, had 0.44 megavoltage radiotherapy machines (cobalt or linear accelerator) per million of population. This number is suboptimal, but could be managed cost-effectively by prolonging machine operating times during personnel shortages. Conclusions: This study identified a discrepancy between workload and resources in one medical school radiotherapy center in Southern Thailand. This information is crucial for future strategic planning both regionally and nationally.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.55-66
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• 2022

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the factors influencing health personnel's occupational stress on turnover intention regarding healthcare accreditation. Methods: A survey was conducted from May 17 to May 31, 2021, among participants to examine occupational stress and turnover intention among health personnel working at a 188-bed specialized hospital in Seoul that is preparing for healthcare accreditation. Results: Occupational stress regarding healthcare accreditation was found to have a positive correlation with turnover intention (r=.698, p <.001), and influenced turnover intention the most, which explains the variance of 55.8% (F=29.015, p <.001). There were significant differences between occupational groups in job stress (F=13.292, p<.001) and turnover intention (F=10.930, p <.001) in the healthcare accreditation. Conclusion: Occupational stress regarding healthcare accreditation is higher in nursing than in other occupations, indicating the need to lower the turnover intention of nurses by preparing a national institutional standard for nursing manpower and also put in place an appropriate compensation system for each hospital seeking accreditation.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.15 no.10
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• pp.6234-6241
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to examine the status of medical staff stress and accommodating manners on the death of patients in a hospital setting for serving the basic information to develop a death education program of medical personnel from April 1 to April 30, 2014. A survey was performed on 353 medical personnel at K university hospital, located in Daejeon metropolitan city. Frequency analysis, chi-square test, and independent t-test were used to analyze the data. The results showed that 'to understand the value of the time and preparedness of a meaningful future' were the most important perspectives on the contents of death education (p<0.05), 'in order to change perceptions and attitudes toward death positively' was the most important reason why they required death education'(p<0.05), 'case-based teaching and problem-based learning' was the most effective way of death education (p<0.05), 'negative or hostile response of a patient's guardian to medical personnel' was the largest stress that medical personnel confront upon witnessing a death'(p<0.05). An understanding of the death of patients by medical personnel and an awareness of the need for death education will help improve the understanding of the patient, their guardian, and medical personnel themselves. The main findings will contribute to the development of a specific death education program on the medical personnel in a hospital setting.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.83-99
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• 1998

The purpose of this study is to investigate factors influencing the attitude and satisfaction with inventory management of hospitals. Data were collected from 344 employees in two hospitals located in Seoul and one hospital located in Choong-Chung Do, Korea, using a self-administered questionnaire. Items included in the self-administered questionnaire were hospital and socioeconomic characteristics of personnels such as the level of knowledge, practice, attitude, and satisfaction with inventory management of hospitals. Major findings were as follows; Job position was significantly associated with satisfaction with inventory management. According to age, sex, type of position and aptitude of personnel the level of positive attitude to and satisfaction with inventory management showed significant association. Generally, those who had higher level of knowledge and practice showed a higher tendency toward positive attitude of inventory management, except for those in medical support post. A higher tendency of satisfaction with inventory management was also observed, with the exception of personnel in nurse post. This study showed that major factors affecting attitude toward inventory management are level of knowledge and practice, and factors affecting satisfaction are job position and aptitude. The level of attitude and satisfaction explained by these factors were 46.8% and 12.2%, respectively. According to the results of this study, higher level of knowledge and practice, job position and aptitude appear to be essential for the implementation of effective inventory management. Factors affecting attitude and satisfaction of inventory management should be studied more in depth systematically so that other objective test and measurements can be developed.

• Management & Information Systems Review
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• v.17
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• pp.107-133
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• 2005

The purpose of this study was to analyze a trend of profitability classified by characteristics of hospitals and to analyze related factors. The data for this study were derived from survey material conducted by the Korean Hospital Association on 33 hospitals in Korea between 1993 and 2002. Profitability was measured in the aspect of investment profit rate and operation profit rate with net profit to total assets, normal profit to total assets and operating margin to gross revenue as dependent variables. Independent variables were classified by general factors (ownership, number of beds, period of establishment, region), financial factors (total asset turnover, liabilities to total assets, current ratio, fixed ratio, inventories turnover, personnel costs per operation profit, material costs per operation profits), composition of manpower and facilities(personnel and area per beds), productivity index(the number of daily patients per medical doctor, the number of daily patients per nurse), the score of quality assurance activities. First, Concerning the specialists per beds or area per beds and profitability of hospitals there was not statistically significant. Second, Those hospitals having the most daily patients per nurse had significantly higher profitability than the others, but the number of daily patients per medical doctor had little effect on the profitability. Thirds, Those hospitals having a higher proportion total asset turnover tended to show significantly higher profitability compared to other hospitals, but the liabilities to total assets and liquidity ratio had a little difference to the profitability. Those hospitals having a higher proportion personnel costs per operation profit and material costs per operation profits tended to show significantly lower hospital profitability compared to other hospitals. Fourth, In regression analysis, hospital profitability had negative relationship with personnel costs per operation profit or material costs per operation profits. While it had positive relationship with total asset turnover, the number of daily patients per nurse. In conclusion, private hospitals had higher profitability than that of public hospitals. Though factors related to profitability of hospital were different according to ownership, it is important for securing appropriate profitability by operating appropriate number of nurse, raising total asset turnover, and reducing personnel costs, material costs per operation profits. This study can be used as a baseline data for planning of hospital management. But the study may be limited in that the results cannot be generalized due to its small sample size. However, this longitudinal observation of 33 hospitals over ten year period has significant merit alone.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2020

Objectives: This study investigated the financial performance of Korean Medicine hospitals in Korea in order to understand the current status of hospital management and improve its efficiency. Methods: Financial statements of 24 medical corporations, 19 juridical foundations and 18 school hospitals from 2016 to 2018 were obtained from the secondary data published by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the National Tax Service and the Korea Advancing Schools Foundation. Financial performance was measured on 6 dimensions: liquidity, profitability, activity, growth, cost and productivity (investment efficiency) by analyzing 8 financial indicators: Liability to Total Assets, Net Profit to Patient Service Revenues, Total Assets Turnover, Growth Rate of Patient Service Revenues, Operating Expenses to Patient Service Revenues, Value Added to Patient Service Revenues, Value Added to Total Assets, and Value Added to Personnel Expenses. Results: Korean Medicine hospitals showed lower Liability to Total Assets, Liquidity and Value Added to Total Assets than Western Medicine hospitals did. They also showed higher Value Added to Patient Service Revenues and Value Added to Personnel Expenses than Western Medicine hospitals did. They also showed higher Value Added to Patient Service Revenues and Value Added to Personnel Expenses than those of Western Medicine hospitals do. The net profit decreased significantly (-50.8%) in 2018 whereas Patient Service Revenues increased (6.9%) for the same period due to Operating Expenses increase and Non-Operating loss. Conclusions: These findings suggest that the Korean Medicine hospital sector in Korea needs to improve liquidity and financial structure and to enhance profitability by reducing Personnel Expenses and generating Non-operating revenues in order to improve its investment efficiency and competitiveness.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.102-127
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• 2004

The objective of this study is to analyze a current trend of and relating factors on profitability of the Korean Public Corporation Medical Centers(KPCMCs, hereinafter, hospitals) in Korea. There are 34 hospitals in Korea as of 2004. Among these hospitals some are red ink hospitals, others are black inks in terms of profitability. Data were collected by Korea Health Industry Development Institute(KHIDI) Statistics for Hospital Management 2000-2002 and Ministry of Health and Welfare(MOHW) financial data of public hospitals which was planned to coordinate public health care services roadmap in the long run. The samples are 32 hospitals. Profitability was measured in the aspect of profit rate with normal profit to total assets, and normal profit to gross revenues as dependent variables in respective. Independent variables were classified by general factors, i.e., location, intern/resident training, period of opening, number of beds, and managerial factors(current ratio, fixed ratio, liability to total assets, total assets turnover, personnel costs, materials cost, administrative cost), and finally factors related to patient treatment(average length of stay, bed occupancy rate, admission ratio of outpatients). The methods of analysis are correlation and multiple regression analysis. This study shows firstly, a lot of hospitals are optimal current ratio. Hospitals in upper 100% current ratio are 81.2%. And the personnel cost in total costs are high. Secondly, the trend of normal profit to gross revenues of hospitals are deteriorating gradually. And lastly, as a result of multiple regression analysis, the factors had on significant effect on normal profit to total assets are fixed ratio(+), liability to total assets(-), bed occupancy rate(+), admissions of outpatients(+), etc. And the factors had on significant effect on normal profit to gross revenues are current ration(+), fixed ratio(+), personnel cost(-), administrative expenses(-), admissions of outpatients(+), etc. In conclusion, to improve the profitability of hospitals, the efforts to reduce personnel cost and average length of stay might be needed. And also beds utilization rate need to be increased.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.57-66
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• 2016

Purpose: This exploratory study was done to categorize medical personnel's perceptions of burnout and analyzed the characteristics. Methods: Q methodology was applied using a 45 Q-sample categorized on an 11-point scale which was completed by nurses and doctors working at a university hospital in Seoul, Korea. Collected data were analyzed using the PC-QUANL program. Results: Medical personnel's perceptions of burnout were categorized into three types; 33.83% of the total variance was explained. The first type was 'functionally deteriorating pressure' the second type was 'daily powerlessness' and the third was 'achievement-oriented re-energization'. Conclusion: There is a need to establish and apply intervention strategies for each type to alleviate medical personnel burnout and increase work efficiency to qualitatively improve medical services.