• Health Policy and Management
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.100-111
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• 2020

Background: Few studies have examined the performance of the public long-term care insurance (LTCI) from the perspective of geographic equity. This study investigated regional variations and associated factors in the supply and utilization of nursing home care within and also between Japan and Korea. Methods: A comparative dataset was developed by extracting data from 2013-2015 LTCI statistics yearbooks and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development regional statistics, as well as other comparable data in Japan and Korea. The unit of analysis was the prefecture in Japan and the province in Korea. We computed variation indices and conducted regression analyses for regional variations within each country and decomposition analyses to examine the variations between the countries. Results: The overall regional supply and use of nursing home care were higher in Japan, but the regional variations in Korea were larger than in Japan. In both countries, the nursing home supply was negatively associated with the proportion of older people with independent living. Nursing home use was also negatively associated with the supply of hospital beds and home care agencies in Korea; the relationship was the opposite in Japan, however. The country-based differences were more likely to be explained by differences in the distributions of the variables included in the analytical model than country-specific characteristics. Conclusion: Regional-level nursing home supply and use were unequal in both countries, and the contributing factors were not the same. Policy efforts are needed to advance regional equality in long-term care (LTC) and collaboration between health and LTC institutions for frail older people, especially in Korea.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2022

Purpose: This secondary data analysis study evaluated the effects of ICT enhanced home-visit nursing in long-term care insurance on health-related quality of life among community-dwelling older adults. Methods: This study included data of 131 older adults who had experienced a pilot service for ICT enhanced home-visit nursing. ICT enhanced home-visit nursing refers to a method of sharing health records and teleconference between a visiting nurse and a doctor during the home-visit nursing services to community-dwelling older adults. Health-related quality of life and influencing factors were analyzed by t-tests, logistic regression analysis using the Stata 17/SE program. Results: After a pilot service for ICT enhanced home-visit nursing, their health-related quality of life increased. The teleconferencing method had a significant effect on the increase in health-related quality of life. Conclusion: The findings indicate a pilot service for ICT enhanced home-visit nursing can be applied to the domestic community-based healthcare service model in terms of health management. In the future, the advanced service model of a pilot service for ICT enhanced home-visit nursing in which subjects conduct detailed for each health problem, and a well-designed evaluation system should be developed.

• Journal of East-West Nursing Research
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.28-38
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• 2020

Purpose: The aim of this study was to provide information on the extent and variations of elderly residents' nursing care needs, and provision of nursing care across long term care facilities. Methods: A nationwide survey was conducted on nurse managers from 1,041 long term care facilities, by e-mail or fax, from August 16 to September 30 in 2017. A self-reported questionnaire consisting of 5 domains was used to collect data. Results: Facilities with more than 30 residents were more likely to need skilled nursing services and to obtain the nursing staff such as a registered nurse and a nurse's aide. Awareness and satisfaction of hospital-based home nursing care was high in all facilities. In addition, there are some differences in nurse managers' perceptions of the level of healthcare resources and required action by facility size. Nurse managers of senior congregate housings were more likely to have considerable difficulty in dealing with healthcare needs of residents and recognizing the healthcare resource shortage. A majority of nurse managers agreed on the need to employ a registered nurse. Conclusion: This study confirmed that it is essential to increase nurse staffing level and to reform the long term care insurance for enhancing the accessibility of healthcare services, especially for the residents in small long term care facilities. There is also a need to provide diverse education and training opportunities for nursing staff working in long term care facilities.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.105-120
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• 2002

In the United States, the prospective payment system(PPS), under which diagnosis related groups (DRGs) are used to reimburse hospitals for the care of Medicare patients since 1983, Study results showed that the PPS is having a major impact on the quantity of services especially of hospital length of stay. The PPS has increased the likelihood that a patient will be discharged home in an unstable condition and the use of nursing homes or long term care facilities increased. Still, it is insufficient to conclude that the PPS has decreased the Medicare total expenditure, but relatively sufficient to conclude that the quality of care hasn't changed. The maintenance of the quality resulted from the systemic "check-and-balance" composed of three factors; (1) The doctors are reimbursed based on the fee-for-service system, (2) hospitals contact with doctors under the attending system, and (3) there are some public hospitals. In Korea, the reimbursement for hospitals and doctors are not divided, the hospitals have doctors as employees, and 90% of hospitals are private. These differences may weaken the "check-and-balance" existing in the U.S. system. And there are few long term care facilities and the diagnostic coding system using in pilot test are not suitable for Korean situation. In conclusion, for successful implementation of the DRG payment system in Korea, the government should establish the "check-and-balance" system in the health sector to make sure the quality of care before the implementation.

• Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.12-26
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• 2000

In Japan, a new nursing insurance system was enforced in April 2000, where premiums were paid according to the level of necessary care. Our project, Nutrition Care and Management(NCM) for the elderly was started in 1995, funded by the Ministry of Health and Welfare of Japan. The NCM project was to provide appropriate nutrition care for the elderly and to see that it effectively functions as part of the health care services. There were 4 stages to the project : the first stage was to find out the PEM status among the elderly patients in hospital and home-care settings in Japan. The 2nd stage was to develop and evaluate nutritional assessment methods, anthropometry, resting energy expenditure measuring methods using of portable indirect calorimeter, and the convenient protein energy intake assessment methods, etc. for the elderly patients with PEM risk. The 3rd stage was to examine the effectiveness of the nutrition care plan induced of protein energy supplement and team care in improving nutrition among the elderly patients. The last stage was to develop the NCM set for the elderly patient based on the past three years of scientific evidence. it is expected that the NCM system for the elderly will provide adequate nutritional care management, improve the elderly care environment and create effective resource management.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.12
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• pp.7309-7314
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• 2013

Aim: To investigate factors that affect the place of death (POD) of terminal cancer patients. Materials and Methods: We recruited 702 consecutive patients (${\geq}18$ years) from 12 centers during July 2005 to October 2006, and 481 completed the questionnaire. In April 2011, we linked the data for 96.0% (n=462) of the deceased patients to the POD using the 2005-2009 death certificate data of Korea's National Statistical Office. The primary outcome variable was POD, and the predictive value of variables pertaining to patients and caregivers was evaluated using univariate and multivariate analyses. Results: Most patients died in a hospital (91.5%, n=441) and age, education, preference for place of terminal care, wish to use hospice/palliative care services, terminal cancer awareness, time between diagnosis and death, and global quality-of-life subscale of the EORTC QLQ-C30 of patients, and education and preference for place of terminal care of caregivers were significant predictors in univariate analyses. On multivariate analysis, patients and caregivers who preferred hospital/palliative care as the terminal care option over home care [adjusted odds ratio (aOR), 2.68; 95% confidential interval (CI), 1.18-7.04 and aOR: 2.65; 95%CI: 1.15-6.09 for patient and caregiver preferences, respectively] and caregivers who were highly educated (aOR, 3.19; 95%CI, 1.44-7.06) were predictors of POD. Conclusions: Most of the terminal cancer patients died in a hospital. Our findings indicate that major predictors of hospital deaths are preference of both the patient and caregiver for hospital/palliative care as the terminal care option and higher education of the caregiver.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.70-95
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• 1991

The ageing problem of the population has been emerging in Korea since 1970's so that it is expecting the elderly 65 years and over among the total population from $4.5\%$ in 1988 to be $6.3\%$ in year 2000. This study was conducted to provide secure policy development in coming years for the aged on medical and health care aspects based on the examining current status of the aged problems and health care policies and systems. The study divided into four parts; The first part examined the medical insurance program and public assistance program of the health services in relation to the aged. The second part emphasized on reduction of medical care cost for the aged. The third part studied the regular health check-up program and health education for the aged. The fourth part examined the chronic disease management programs for the aged and strategies of the health care service quality improvement and specialized programs. The following recommendations made as the results of the study. 1. At present, the medical insurance program and public assistance program for the medically indigent is not appropriate to the elderly because it is a part of general medical insurance program so that Health Security Law for the Aged is proposed. 2. Medical cost will be increased due to the high occupancy rate of hospital beds and long stay of the elderly so that it is recommended to develop an early discharge program, home health care program, Health hospice and an althernative programs. 3. At present, a regular health check-ups for the elderly is not included in medical insurance program so that it is recommended to be included in the insurance program and at the same time health education program thoroughly developed for the aged. 4. To make proper medical and nursing services on chronic diseases for the elderly, it is recommended manpower development, specialized clinics or hospitals, nursing homes and an equivalent long term care facilitices should be established on the community based and a research institutions also to be related to supper the care programs.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.349-356
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• 2014

Background: This study aimed to explore factors associated with the non-use of beneficiaries of long-term care insurance services for the elderly in Jeollanam-do Province by analyzing a dataset obtained from National Health Insurance Service. Methods: The study sample consists of 1,663 individuals who were evaluated as eligible for long-term care insurance services in Jeollanam-do Province during the period of July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2009. As a dependent variable, the non-use of the service was defined as one when a beneficiary had used it once or more times during one year after he or she was evaluated as eligible and as zero otherwise. A proportion analysis was conducted to describe characteristics of study sample. Chi-square tests were used to compare general characteristics between beneficiaries who had used the services and those who had not used them. Multiple logistic regressions were performed by three models including additional sets of explanatory variables such as socio-demographic characteristics, health conditions, and economic status. Results: Main results are summarized as follows. The proportion of beneficiaries who had not used the service was 14.5% of all beneficiaries. According to the results from the model using all explanatory variables, the factors associated with the non-use of the services were residence location, dwelling place, type of desired service, level of care needs, and instrumental activities of daily life limitations. Conclusion: In particular, regarding the type of desired service, the cash benefit showed a high likelihood of the non-use of the service; it had an odds ratio (OR) of 50.212 (95% confidence interval [CI], 24.00-105.04) compared with home service. In case of dwelling place, a hospital showed also a high likelihood of the non-use with an OR of 20.71 (95% CI, 10.12-42.44) compared with home.

• Korean Journal of Hospice Care
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.46-69
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• 2001

Hospice Care is the best way to care for terminally ill patients and their family members. However most of them can not receive the appropriate hospice service because the Korean health delivery system is mainly be focussed on acutly ill patients. This study was carried out to clarify the situation of hospice in Korea and to develop a hospice care delivery system model which is appropriate in the Korean context. The theoretical framework of this study that hospice care delivery system is composed of hospice resources with personnel, facilities, etc., government and non-government hospice organization, hospice finances, hospice management and hospice delivery, was taken from the Health Delivery System of WHO(1984). Data was obtained through data analysis of litreature, interview, questionairs, visiting and Delphi Technique, from October 1998 to April 1999 involving 56 hospices, 1 hospice research center, 3 non-government hospice organizations, 20 experts who have had hospice experience for more than 3 years(mean is 9 years and 5 months) and officials or members of 3 non-government hospice organizations. There are 61 hospices in Korea. Even though hospice personnel have tried to study and to provide qualified hospice serices, there is nor any formal hospice linkage or network in Korea. This is the result of this survey made to clarify the situation of Korean hospice. Results of the study by Delphi Technique were as follows: 1.Hospice Resources: Key hospice personnel were found to be hospice coordinator, doctor, nurse, clergy, social worker, volunteers. Necessary qualifications for all personnel was that they conditions were resulted as have good health, receive hospice education and have communication skills. Education for hospice personnel is divided into (i)basic training and (ii)special education, e.g. palliative medicine course for hospice specialist or palliative care course in master degree for hospice nurse specialist. Hospice facilities could be developed by adding a living room, a space for family members, a prayer room, a church, an interview room, a kitchen, a dining room, a bath facility, a hall for music, art or work therapy, volunteers' room, garden, etc. to hospital facilities. 2.Hospice Organization: Whilst there are three non-government hospice organizations active at present, in the near future an hospice officer in the Health&Welfare Ministry plus a government Hospice body are necessary. However a non-government council to further integrate hospice development is also strongly recommended. 3.Hospice Finances: A New insurance standards, I.e. the charge for hospice care services, public information and tax reduction for donations were found suggested as methods to rise the hospice budget. 4.Hospice Management: Two divisions of hospice management/care were considered to be necessary in future. The role of the hospice officer in the Health & Welfare Ministry would be quality control of hospice teams and facilities involved/associated with hospice insurance standards. New non-government integrating councils role supporting the development of hospice care, not insurance covered. 5.Hospice delivery: Linkage&networking between hospice facilities and first, second, third level medical institutions are needed in order to provide varied and continous hospice care. Hospice Acts need to be established within the limits of medical law with regards to standards for professional staff members, educational programs, etc. The results of this study could be utilizes towards the development to two hospice care delivery system models, A and B. Model A is based on the hospital, especially the hospice unit, because in this setting is more easily available the new medical insurance for hospice care. Therefore a hospice team is organized in the hospital and may operate in the hospice unit and in the home hospice care service. After Model A is set up and operating, Model B will be the next stage, in which medical insurance cover will be extended to home hospice care service. This model(B) is also based on the hospital, but the focus of the hospital hospice unit will be moved to home hospice care which is connected by local physicians, national public health centers, community parties as like churches or volunteer groups. Model B will contribute to the care of terminally ill patients and their family members and also assist hospital administrators in cost-effectiveness.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.17 no.9
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• pp.301-310
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• 2019

This study aims to examine eligibilities, services and delivery of services for the current end-of-life care and analyze the quality control of services for end-of-life care. We analyzed the literature and laws on end-of-life systems in Korean and the United States. Current end-of-life care, hospice and palliative care in Korea is being provided mainly in hospital setting. Quality control for the services focuses on setting the criteria for structures in hospitals (i.e. staffing, facilities and equipment). Whereas American end-of-life care system has much broader eligibility for service beneficiaries and provides care mostly at home. Also quality control for services includes process (delivering service) and outcomes, such as monitoring performance indicators and consumer's satisfaction. This is linked to annual payment. The comparative analysis findings contributed to give the next direction of current Korean end-of-life care system. It is nessary to establish the better and extensive end-of-life care system in Korea in considering other countries' end-of-life care systems based on more future research.