• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제41권2호
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• pp.92-99
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• 2008

Objectives : Effective cancer prevention and control measures can only be done when dependable data on the cancer incidence is available. The Seoul Cancer Registry (SCR) was founded to provide valid, comparable and representative cancer incidence data for Koreans. We aimed to compare the cancer incidence in the first (1993-1997) and second term (1998-2002) of the SCR, and we analyzed the annual incidence trend during that 10 years. Methods : The SCR detects potential cancer cases through the Korean Central Cancer Registry (KCCR) data, the health insurance claims, the individual hospital's discharge records and the death certificates. About 87% of the SCR data is registered through the KCCR. The rest of the data is registered by SCR registrars who visit about $70{\sim}80$ mid-sized hospitals in Seoul to review and abstract the medical records of the potential cancer patients. Results: The total number of new cancer cases was higher in $1998{\sim}2002$ than in $1993{\sim}1997$ by 20.6% for men and 18.4% for women, respectively. The age-standardized rate (ASR) of total cancer per 100,000 increased 1% (from 295.4 to 298.3) for men and 5.1% (from 181.5 to 190.7) for women, between the two periods. The commonest cancer sites during 1998-2002 for men were stomach, liver, bronchus/lung, colorectum, bladder and prostate, and the commonest cancer sites for women were breast, stomach, colorectum, cervix uteri, thyroid and bronchus/lung. Compared with the ASRs in 1993, the ASRs in 2002 increased for colorectum (58.4% for men, 27.1% for women), prostate (81.5%), breast (58.3% for women), thyroid (141% for women), and bronchus/lung (15.4% for women). The ASRs for stomach (-18.7% for men, -20.7% for women) and uterine cervix cancer (-39.7%) had decreased. Conclusions : The cancer incidence is increasing in Seoul, Korea, especially for the colorectum and prostate for men, and for the breast, colorectum, bronchus/lung and thyroid for women.

• 대한예방한의학회지
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• 제11권2호
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• pp.71-86
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• 2007

This study aims at looking into the use of oriental medical services in treating disease and patient's attitude of oriental medicine by social classes. The first to be explored through this study is medical accessibility, classifying them by age, gender and job. Second is to examine kinds of oriental medical services and expenses incurred in treating the disease. Third is to compare satisfaction for the services offered and investigate into relations between disease and oriental medicine through cross-analysis by class, and provide fundamental materials for enhancing accessibility to oriental medical centers for treating chronic diseases. The 1,376 households for the period of time from Apr. to Jun. 2005, were asked to answer to the questionnaires offered. The conclusion from the survey can be summarized as follows. Medical services for the onset of disease were less offered to females, older group, low schooling, and low-income bracket. It is attributable to an economic cause, in both genders. The in- and outpatients' rate were found higher in groups of female, older age, low-income and blue-color workers. Use of oriental medical centers were higher in outpatients than inpatients probably for low-income brackets were less frequently put on regular physical checkups, more exposing to diseases. Each hospitalization was found over six days longer in average; 19.7 days for oriental medical hospitals, 12.5 for hospitals. The hospital charges that patients should pay for one hospitalization showed 909,000 won in oriental medical hospitals, much higher than 518,000 won in hospitals. Outpatients were also found to pay more for oriental medical services; 55,000 won for oriental medical hospitals, 19,000 for hospitals. As to outpatients' satisfaction, oriental medical hospitals were generally found to be a little more satisfactory than general hospitals; 11.2% of respondents answered Very Satisfactory. Satisfaction to services offered to outpatients showed 82.2% of respondents responded to Over Satisfactory for herb clinics, 76% for general hospitals. For future intention to use oriental medical services, females, over 51 years old, lower education and income, and blue color workers showed more intention to use them. To be more competitive in treating chronic diseases, it is necessary that oriental medical services become more accessible through extending its coverage of insurance into more medical herbs and their prepared packs, as well as mapping out extensive publicity strategies to make known to the public about high efficacy of medical herbs and their safety.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제37권2호
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• pp.111-119
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• 2004

Purpose : To identify those factors influencing the post-operative satisfaction in myopia patients receiving laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) Methods : This study included 288 consecutive patients who received LASIK between July and December 2001 from two eye clinics located in Seoul and Pusan. Factors that were considered to influence post-operative satisfaction included pre-operative baseline characteristics, pre-operative expectation for treatment outcomes, and treatment outcomes. Before undergoing LASIK, study subjects were asked to rate the degree of their expectation for the improvement of visual functions and symptoms after LASIK on a 5-point Likert-type scale: where 1 referred to 'somewhat worse,' 2 to 'no change,' 3 to 'somewhat improved,' 4 to 'improved,' and 5 to 'very improved.' Self-administered questionnaire was used to evaluate baseline visual functions and symptoms on a 5-point scale before LASIK. At 6 months after LASIK, the evaluation was repeated to measure treatment outcomes in terms of the difference in the score before and after LASIK. Post-operative satisfaction was also measured at 6 months on a 5-point scale. Multiple regression analysis was performed to examine the independent relationship between influencing factors and postoperative satisfaction. Results : A total of 171 patients (59.4%) participated in the 6-month follow-up investigation. The average expectation scores for the improvement in visual functions and symptoms were 3.8 and 3.4, respectively. The average score for the 7 questions assessing satisfaction was 4.0. The results of the regression analysis showed that the post-operative satisfaction increased with improvement in the visual function ($\beta$=0.16, p<0.05) and symptoms ($\beta$=0.25, p<0.05), the degree of preoperative refractive error ($\beta$ =0.26-0.67, p<0.05) and in male patients ($\beta$=0.31, p<0.1). The pre-operative expectation was not a statistically significant factor in explaining postoperative satisfaction in the regression model. Conclusion : The finding from this study was that patients with very severe myopia tended to be more satisfied with the treatment than those with mild myopia, which implies that LASIK can be more beneficial to those suffering from a severe visual condition. Patient satisfaction was also significantly affected by the treatment outcomes experienced after LASIK. This suggests that improving the clinical outcome is the most fundamental requirement for the improvement of patient satisfaction.

• 한국임상약학회지
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• 제21권2호
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• pp.122-130
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• 2011

Objective: Although recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO) has revolutionized the treatment of anemia in chronic kidney disease (CKD) receiving hemodialysis (HD) with no need of blood transfusion, some patients have a blunted or appear to be resistant to rhEPO. There is a controversy in the causes of rhEPO resistance in maintenance HD patients with anemia. This study is to examine current anemia treatment outcomes and the factors influencing the rhEPO responsiveness in HD patient with CKD. Methods: The clinical parameters or factors relating to erythrompoietin treatment outcomes and erythropoietin responsiveness were collected from the HD patients in two large dialysis centers for three months. The collected paramenters included serum iron, total iron biding capacity (TIBC), transferrin saturation rate, ferritin, albumin, intact PTH, C-reactive protein (CRP), nPCR and medications such as an angiotensin converting enzyme inhbitor, an angiotension II receptor blocker and an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor (HMG-CoA RI). The data were analyzed to examine the degree of acheiveing the anemia treatment goal and factors relating to ERI. Results: Among total 111 patients, 42 (42.3%) and 47 (37.8%) patients achieved the target Hct and Hb based on the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Services (HIRA) reimbursement criteria. In the higher ERI group (upper quartile), the patients had higher CRP levels (0.5 mg/dl) (p=0.0096), and lower TIBC score (<$240{\mu}g/dl$) (p=0.0027), and less patients were taking HMG-CoA RI (p=0.0019). Male patients (p=0.0204), patients with high TIBC score ($R^2$=0.084, p=0.0021) and patients taking HMG-CoA RI (p=0.0052) required to administer less dose of rhEPO meaning higher erythropoietin responsiveness. Conclusion: Less than 50% of CKD patients were achieving the goals of anemia by erythropoietin administration in large hospitals in Korea even though the goals were lower than those of NKF-K/DOQI practice guideline. The factors influencing ERI were sex, TIBC and HMG-CoA RI administration status, and neither an ACEI nor an ARB did not influence ERI.

• 한국보건간호학회지
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• 제6권2호
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• pp.70-107
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• 1992

This study was intended to assess the need of home nursing care and analyze the effect of home nursing care, and find out the problems during the performance of home nursing care for the chronic patients among the low-income people in urban area. Data collection by interview was carried out from Nov. 1991 to Jul. 1992. The main results were as follows; 1) Total subjects for the need assessment of home nursing care were 123 households wi th 488 persons in a urban poor area. Over half of households $(57.7\%)$ was teenage family. The overall living conditions were poor and the average monthly income was 580 thousands won. $74.8\%$ of subjects was covered by medical care insurance and only $4.7\%$ was covered by public assistance. The morbidity rate was $8.2\%$ among 488 subjects and $27.5\%$ of them was not treated at all, $30\%$ was treated in utilizing pharmacies or local clinics. 2) The subjects of home nursing care were 46 with Hypertension or DM who agreeded the participation of study among registered patients at a public health center in Incheon. Home visiting was performed at intervals per one month for one year. Most of them were the elder(mean age=61 years) and long term patients(7.8 years continued). Home nursing care was effective. That is, blood pressure(including systolic and diastolic pressure) was significantly reduced (t(n=22)=2.31, P=.031, t(n=24)=4.16, P=.000 respectively) and knowledge of disease(t(N=46)=-7.63, P=.000), attitude of disease (t(N =46) = -4.92, P=.000), and self-care(t(N =46) = -4.89, P= .000) were significantly improved through home nursing care. But there was no difference in blood sugar for diabetics between the beginning and the end of visits. At the beginning of visit for home nursing care, sex$(\beta=-0414,\;t=-3.012)$ and nursing need({3=.310, t=2.164) were influencing self-care, and duration of disease$(\beta=.297,\;t=2.106)$ and nursing need $(\beta=.385, t=20417)$ were influencing blood pressure, blood sugar level. Namely, the subjects who were male and had higher nursing need showed better self-care and the longer duration of disease and the higher nursing need were relationship with the better blood pressure and blood sugar level. At the end of visit for home nursing care after one year, the blood pressure and blood sugar level was influenced by age $(\beta.320,\;t= 2.242)$, duration of disease ($(\beta.352,\;t= 2.395)$ and nursing need $(\beta=.350,\;t=2.623)$ and self-care had no influencing factor. The higher age and the longer duration of disease and the higher nursing need were relationship with the better blood pressure and blood sugar level. 3) The problems that were found out during the performance of home nursing care were the absent of useful protocols for services and the clear evaluation base, and the difficulty of teaching elders who were the major part of our subjects.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제39권5호
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• pp.411-418
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• 2006

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine whether the disabled have worse access to primary care than the non-disabled. Methods: We used the National Disability Registry data and the National Health Insurance data for the calendar year 2003, and we analyzed 807,380 disabled persons who had been registered until December 2001 and we also analyzed 1,614,760 non-disabled persons for nine ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSCs). The rates of physician visits and hospitalizations for the patients with ACSCs were compared between the disabled and the nondisabled. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between medical care utilization and disability and to assess the association between hospitalization and the number of physician visits while controlling for potential confounders. Results: The numbers of physician visits per 100 patients were $0.78{\sim}0.97$ times lower for the disabled than that for the non-disabled with five of nine ACSCs. The numbers of hospitalizations per 100 patients were $1.16{\sim}1.77$ times higher for the disabled than that for the non-disabled with all the ACSCs. While the ORs of a physician visit for the disabled were significantly lower than that for the non-disabled with all the ACSCs (OR: $0.44{\sim}0.70$), and the ORs of hospitalization for the disabled were significantly higher (OR: $1.16{\sim}1.89$). The lower physician visit group (number of physician visits ${\leq}$1) was more likely to be hospitalized than the higher physician visit group (number of physician visits ${\geq}$2) (OR: $1.69{\sim}19.77$). The effect of the physician visit rate on hospitalization was larger than the effect of disability on hospitalization. Conclusions: The results suggest that the disabled were more likely to be hospitalized for ACSCs due to their lower access to primary care.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제28권3호
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• pp.623-639
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• 1995

We have never seen any method to cope basically with complicated situation and problems around medical reimbursement rates here in Korea since 1977 witnessed by the beginning of medical insurance. By the way researchers concerned are beginning to propose some kinds of innovative and detailed ideas to government these days. They are Diagnosis-related group(DRG) and Resource-based .elative value scale(RBRVS). In the light of this situation it is so encouraging that our government can come up with that and move. In case of RBRVS research we have already been reaching even to the level of reviewing and revising methodology for its further development after naive pilot study on internal medicine and general surgery last year. However there might be something different conditions between USA and Korea to apply the same Dr. Hsiao's method and it must be vital to check so called' total work approach' compared with 'intra-service work approach' before expanding to the whole medical fields. According to the' Intra-service approach', the physician's work is supposed to be divided into three sub-works by the name of intraservice work, pre, and post service work. These sub-works, again should be merged together to be the pre-postwork subset through some statistical methods of the estimation process applied by Dr. Hsiao's methodology in RBRVS development later on. But in this paper that estimation process was not taken because we could have real values for all of those surveyed items related to just one specialty, OB & GY. Instead, We used some statistical comparison procedures relevant to demographic characteristics, reliability & validity and correlation analysis with American RVU(Relative value unit) between the total work and merged total work from intraservice work approach. The unit of analysis was individual physicians of OB & GY and 300 physicians were selected for each approach through statistical sampling method based on national population of OB & GY physicians in Korea. And also with the thankful help of Advisory Committee under Korean Association of OB & GY, questionnaires were made and mailed to the subjects, two times. As a result there were not any statistically significant differences in demographic characteristics between the two approaches except for the variable 'Response time for the questionnaires', but in other sections of comparisons, response rate, representative values, reliability & validity test, correlation analysis with American RVU, all showed 'Total approach' was not only more rational and statistically meaningful than 'Intra-service approach' but also had considerable merits. But we are not absolutely sure about this paper's robustness. Because of some limitations, we'd rather like to suggest further researches should be followed. In that sense the first thing would be a research for the influence of doctor's characteristics, especially 'frequency' on the rating of work and the way to define total work more clearly.

• 대한지역사회영양학회지
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• 제17권3호
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• pp.341-352
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• 2012

It is well established that excessive sodium intake is related to a higher incidence of chronic diseases such as hypertension, stroke, coronary heart disease, cardiovascular disease and gastric cancer. Although the upper limit of the current sodium intake guideline by WHO is set at 2,000 mg/day for adults, sodium intake of Koreans is well over 4,700 mg/capita/day implying an urgent need to develop and implement sodium intake reduction policy at the national level. This study investigated the cost-effectiveness of the sodium intake reduction policy, for the first time, in Korea. Analyses were performed using most recent and representative data on national health insurance statistics, healthcare utilization, employment information, disease morbidity/mortality, etc. The socioeconomic benefits of the policy, resulting from reduced morbidity of those relevant diseases, included lower medical expenditures, transportation costs, caregiver cost for inpatients and income losses. The socioeconomic benefits from diminished mortality included reductions in earning losses and welfare losses caused by early deaths. It is estimated that the amount of total benefits of reducing sodium intake from 4.7 g to 3.0 g is 12.6 trillion Korean Won; and the size of its cost is 149 billion Won. Assuming that the effect of sodium intake reduction would become gradually evident over a 5-year period, the implied rate of average return to the sodium reduction policy is 7,790% for the following 25 years, suggesting a very high cost-effectiveness. Accordingly, development and implementation of a mid-to-long term plan for a consistent sodium intake reduction policy is extremely beneficial and well warranted.

• 한국콘텐츠학회논문지
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• 제17권7호
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• pp.696-706
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• 2017

본 연구는 장애아동과 비장애아동의 의료이용 및 질병이환의 특성을 분석하여 건강격차를 비교하고자 시행하였다. 연구자료는 2010년도 국민건강보험공단의 표본코호트자료를 이용하여 0-19세 장애아동과 비장애아동을 대상으로 의료이용량과 진료비, 질병보유수, 다빈도질환과 아동장애와 관련질환의 환자비율 등을 비교하였다. 분석결과 장애아동은 비장애아동보다 의료이용빈도 및 입원율, 질병보유수가 많아 건강상태가 좋지 않고 진료비를 더 많이 지출하였다. 두 집단 간에 많이 겪는 다빈도질환도 차이가 나서 장애아동은 신경계통질환, 순환기계질환 및 정신행동장애의 순으로 많은 반면, 비장애아동은 호흡기계질환, 손상 및 중독질환, 감염성질환 순이였다. 장애아동은 신경계통의 선천기형질환이나 신체장애와 밀접한 건강관련질환의 의료이용이나 진료비지출이 많으나, 비장애아동은 감염성질환에서 높게 나타났다. 결론적으로 비장애아동보다 잦은 진료와 입원, 과다한 의료비 지출과 복합적으로 보유한 질환 등으로 특징지워지는 장애아동의 의료접근성을 향상시키는 다양한 보건의료정책이 필요하다. 그리고 손상으로 인한 장애가 추가적으로 발생하거나 심화되지 않도록 장애아동 및 비장애아동의 부모에게 예방교육이 필요하다.

• 한국의료질향상학회지
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• 제8권2호
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• pp.218-231
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• 2001

Background : The purpose of this study was to investigate the understanding and the attitude of Korean hospital CEOs toward the healthcare quality improvement. Methods : A mailed questionnaire survey to the CEOs of hospitals with 400 beds or more was conducted between September 15 and October 30, 2000. Of the 108 hospitals eligible for the study, 58 participated, yielding a response rate of 54 percent. Result : The hospital CEOs have expressed that their hospital management was arduous job, and they had been pressured by increasing competitions among healthcare providers. They indicated that the low fees of health insurance made their hospital management difficult. The results also indicated that there was general consensus that the improvement of service quality was important in encouraging their organizations, but the investment of manpower and equipment ranked higher than the improvement of service quality. The majority of the CEOs have good understanding about quality improvement activities. However the facts that in general QI must be focused at the process of services and customer satisfaction, meanwhile quality improvement activities are helpful for the organizational productivity embarrassed them. The hospital CEOs responded that there were successful changes in terms of quality of care, patient satisfaction, and process efficiency after QI activities, but no increase in patient number and profit. Lack of understanding to QI activities and limited budget seem to attribute unsatisfactory outcomes. Conclusion : The majority of Korean hospital CEOs have a good understanding and attitude about QI activities. As mentioned in the result, despite of several limitations, several facts regarding the CEOs of hospital in Korean can be elucidated. (1) The general cognition of the QI project is relatively high, and it is accepted with positive concern, (2) the priority of the QI project, however, is not set higher than other projects and (3) the specific concepts of the actual QI project such as customer (patient)-focused work driving, the recognition of the work accomplishment, and the importance of rewards have not sufficiently understood.