• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.53-62
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• 2023

Purpose: Recently, the number of severely mentally ill patients has been increasing rapidly in Korea, but there are no design guidelines for spatial planning of Korea's acute psychiatric wards. The study aims to clarify the areas and required rooms in Korea's acute psychiatric wards which are important in establishing the design guidelines for Korea's acute psychiatric wards. Methods: This study proposed a structural framework based on the results of investigating and analyzing the acute psychiatric ward guidelines in the UK, Australia, and the U.S. and the areas and the required rooms of the wards stipulated in the basic data for establishing acute psychiatric ward design guidelines in Korea. The design guidelines for overseas acute psychiatric wards are 'Adult Acute Mental Health' in the UK, 'Adult Acute Mental Health Inpatient Unit' in the Australia, and 'Specific Requirements for Mental Health Hospitals' in the United States. Results: As a result of investigating and analyzing the design guidelines for overseas acute psychiatric wards, the areas of wards applicable to acute wards in domestic psychiatric wards were access, patient, treatment, support, and employee areas. In addition, the required rooms for each area were defined around major considerations such as visibility, convenience, comfort, security, safety, patient observation, barrier-free design, and privacy protection. Implications: The results of the study will be presented as a structural framework and basic data for establishing design guidelines for Korea's acute psychiatric wards, which is still absent.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.9-22
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• 2013

Purpose: The aging population is the quickly increasing in Korea. Since 2008, the National Long term Care Insurance, a number of long term care facilities have established during short time in Korea. Especially, the environmental assessment tool is important for managing healing environment in a long term care facility for the elderly. Alzheimer's Garden Audit Tool (AGAT) is used to assess whether a garden incorporates those elements and qualities as healing outdoor space. In this paper, we discuss the benefits, limitations, and future directions of the assessment tool for long-term care facilities. Methods : The AGAT audit was done through content analysis by 5 experts from diverse discipline as post occupancy evaluation of a long term care facility located in suburban area. The expert group was asked to describe their comments for modification and improvement in application of AGAT. Results : The results of this study show that it is necessary to refine the instrument's items to better meet the needs of the criteria and items for Korean culture-friendly tool. Especially, greenhouse elements (various plants, birds etc.), multisensory experiences, users-oriented space, programmed activities in garden, and hazards on pathway has somewhat limitation as measurement to assess outdoor of long-term care facilities in Korea. Implications : Consequently, AGAT could be applicable to evaluate the outdoor space of long term care facility in Korea with culturally sensitive revision.

• Journal of the Architectural Institute of Korea Planning & Design
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• v.34 no.10
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• pp.83-94
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• 2018

In many theoretical and empirical studies on the design issues of therapeutic healthcare facilities, spatial configuration that promotes users' wayfinding behavior, has been emphasized as a significant factor to mitigate stressful experiences and to enhance restorative quality in the healthcare environment. This is also applicable to the healthcare setting for children. However, not much evidence has been reported with regard to the relationship between spatial configuration and wayfinding behaviors in this specific setting. Moreover, healthcare facilities for children with physical disabilities need more attention to provide easy wayfinding due to various physical restrictions. The aim of this study is therefore, to unfold the relationship between spatial configuration and visual cognitive qualities of outpatient spaces in the selected children's rehabilitation hospitals in Seoul, by examining visual cognitive attributes such as visibility, accessibility, and intelligibility. In the first phase, the spatial layout of the hospitals was analyzed, with an emphasis on the major outpatient areas such as the entrance lobby, doctors' examination, and physical therapy zones. In the second phase, a space syntax tool was implemented to examine visual cognitive characteristics of the spatial configuration. The spatial configuration parameters measured were integration, integration core, visual isovist field continuity, correlation between integration and step depth, and the correlation between integration n and integration 3. As a result, the integration was higher in the hall type configuration. Circulation intersections acted mostly as integration cores for better visibility. Some areas showed the lack of continuity in the visual isovist fields overlap and irregular correlation between integration and step depth. The intelligibility was higher in the circulation area and social interaction spaces such as a cafe, reception waiting, and therapy waiting areas. Based on the analysis, design implication and possible future improvement were discussed to enhance wayfinding experiences in the hospitals for children with physical disabilities.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.7-15
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• 2016

Purpose: As medicare services have gotten spreaded, clinical laboratory has been dominant position. So, it has been acted for quality control and clinical pathology accreditation. But there has been quite deficient information to evaluate working space and technical standards of medical laboratory for accreditation. This study goals to figure out accreditation standard and design guideline for clinical laboratory, and to give safe and efficient design information. Methods: This study has been searched by literature for accreditation standards and design guidelines of clinical pathology in USA, UK, and Germany. Results: Three countries have accredited based on working lab space, staff space, storage space, patient space and health and safety equipment. Design guidelines of three countries commonly have focused on worktable layout, worktable distance and module, and specific laboratory biosafety level. And USA guidelines stress on the architectural design such as design process and passage distance for escape, UK stress on the efficiency as functional work flow and construction cost, lastly Germany design guidelines stress on the operator's safety distance and workstation. Three countries have not only accreditation standards but also design guidelines for more specific quality management, separating from accrediting institute. Implications: In korea, it has been needed to make clinical laboratory design guideline for the safe and efficient environment and reliable and competitive medical service.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.7-15
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• 2016

Purpose: There are the number of color tactile walking surface indicators installed in Korea, because of indefinite regulation in blind and vision-impaired persons' tactile walking surface indicators. In case of yellow tactile walking surface indicators, it shows a deviation severe color. In this study, the researchers suggested color and brightness reference for helping blind and vision-impaired persons' walking through analyzing the color references of tactile walking surface indicators and the color luminance between tactile walking surface indicators and sidewalk currently used. Method: Reasonable luminance contrast criteria is suggested by examining ways of improving the recognition and recognition of objects according to color contrast visually impaired through literature review and analyzing standards of tactile walking surface indicators and the Europe, Japan and Australia of color and luminance contrast criteria. And by examining the color of the tactile walking surface indicators reported in Korea currently used to derive the problem presented by the luminance contrast in the reference and comparison. Finally, the visually impaired tactile walking surface indicators is set for color selection criteria for the recognition rate improves. Results: In order to improve the recognition rate to be tactile walking surface indicators of the contrast of the visually impaired and the environment than the color of the tactile walking surface indicators itself to secure always a certain level or more of brightness contrast values in the set of the color of the tactile walking surface indicators so important. Implication: In order to set the blind tactile walking surface indicators color recognition based on the verification of the real pedestrian based on the results presented in this paper it is required. It is to be understood as an element of the barrier free configuration for securing the walking pedestrian safety.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.7-16
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• 2023

Purpose: Seclusion room in a psychiatric facility limit the body and space for treatment or protection, so controversy over human rights violations arises despite their necessity. The seclusion room should be created as an environment that can promote the recovery and healing of patients, not the purpose of managing patients. while ensuring the safety of medical staff. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to compare and analyze the standards of overseas guidelines for the seclusion room in psychiatric facility, and through this, it is intended to contribute to the improvement of facility standards for seclusion rooms in Korea, which are at a very insufficient level. Method: This study takes the method of comparative analysis through literature review. We analyze the facility standards of seclusion room in Korea, and compare and analyze guidelines for seclusion rooms in Australia, US, UK, and Canada. Result: As a result, the elements of the guideline for seclusion room were classified into size, space, opening, furniture and equipment, and etc. The results of comparative analysis of details are presented. Implications: Korea should also prepare guidelines for psychiatric institutions, and among them, the standards for seclusion room, which are at the center of controversy over human rights violations, should be reviewed in depth.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.15-24
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• 2017

Purpose: Korea is expected to enter an aged society in 2018 and then a super-aged society in early 2025. The country's aging is progressing faster than any other country in the world. However, the foundation of the elderly friendly industry is weak, and measures at the government level are urgently needed. Especially, housing problems of the elderly are one of the most urgent measures to be taken. Korea does not have the minimum residential area standard for the elderly, and the current general minimum residential area standard is based on the survey of the housing situation without scientific evidence. Therefore, both standards need to be revised as soon as possible based on scientific evidence. Methods: The minimum residential area standard has been calculated following Karl H. E. Kroemer's Min or Max design also being called as-single cut and dual cut theory- as the maximum population value and minimum population value theory of Ernest J. McCormick. Therefore there is a need for a formula made using a few key factors, such as corresponding dimension, practical dimension, clearance, spare dimension, integrated dimension. These elements can be defined and used as formulas to calculate minimum residential area standards. Results: Assuming the results of the spatial variability in this study showed that it is possible to raise the standard of living in a terms of sustainable minimum size for the young, old and all residents. Implications: The government should set a minimum residential area standard with scientific grounds and set up a policy improving the life of people who live in an needy residential environment.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.17-24
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• 2024

Purpose: The medical care for children in Korea is needed more than previous time as the situation changed. However, there is a few useful research for the planning of the children's specialized public medical center. This study has been started to provide basic information for the planning of Korean children's specialized public medical center. Methods: Research and architectural documentation with field surveys to 5 of 14 children's specialized public medical center, data have been analyzed for characteristics of children's medical care. Results: The result of this study can be summarized into three points. The first one is that children's medical care can be categorized independent and integrated type according to connection with main hospital. Independent type has vertical or horizontal form from spatial composition. The second one is that spatial composition are allocated by typical service, outpatient, central, and inpatient ward zones. The outpatient zone has horizontal/vertical type, central zone has concentrated/separated type by spatial and treatment situation of medical center. The third one is that children's hospital school is the specific program and healing environment for children. Implications: It is necessary to make typical model for national wide medical care for children in Korea.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
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• 2014.05a
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• pp.884-885
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• 2014

The use of Radio Frequency Identification technology (RFID) in medical context enables not only drug identification, but also a rapid and precise identification of patients, physicians, nurses or any other health care related staffs. The combination of RFID tag identification with structured and secured Internet of Things (IoT) solutions enables ubiquitous and easy access to medical related records, while providing control and security to all interactions. This paper surveyed a basic security architecture, easily deployable on mobile platforms, which would allow to establish and manage a medication prescription service in mobility context making use of electronic personal health records.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.67-74
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• 2019

Purpose: In 2012, the Child Welfare Act was revised to provide better support to children with severe disabilities in Japan. Previously, inpatient facilities had been classified according to the type of disabilities of patients. After the revision of the Act, however, these facilities were assigned into the category of "medical-type facilities for children with disabilities", or "welfare-type facilities for children with disabilities." The focus of the study is to evaluate the reorganization of the Child Welfare Act and to analyze the new layout of Center K after its transition from a facility for children with motional disabilities to a medical-type facility for children with disabilities. Methods: A literature review was conducted to identify the trend in the treatment for persons with disabilities and the process of policy making in Japan. Field research was performed twice in 2015 and 2016, before and after the renovation of the Center K facilities depending upon the revision of the Child Welfare Act. Results: There is an increasing tendency of the population of persons with disabilities in Japan, and the severity level of disability of children with disabilities. In the case of Center K, two types of ward constructed to meet the two types of disability has been reconstructed into three types of unit following the various severity level of disability. Implications: As a result, it could be argued that it is also necessary in Korea to reorganize the facilities for persons with disabilities to deal with the fact that the population of persons with disabilities in Korea has been growing and their degree of disabilities also getting severe.