• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.17 no.10
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• pp.19-29
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• 2017

Purpose : To describe and understand the experience of QI (quality improvement) nurses related to the hospital QI activities in public general hospitals. Methods : Purposive sampling was conducted 10 QI nurses and who have QI work experience for more than 1 year. Data were collected through focus group interviews. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and analyzed with qualitative content analysis using Strauss and Corbin's methodology. Results : The core categories of experience with QI activities were 'the success and failure of the medical care and overall health service sector', 'the degree of activation of current QI activities', 'characteristics of public hospital QI activities', 'what is needed to activate future QI activities'. The key themes were derived as follows. 'Success of quality enhancement activities according to the characteristic of public hospitals', 'activation of public hospital QI activities through leadership and QI education', 'reorganizing the role of regional hospitals in public hospitals'. Conclusion : Physician participation is important in the success of QI activities in public hospital practice. To lead these physician participation, Sharing doctor's QI experience and providing the necessary knowledge in QI activities and helping their leadership in QI activities are needed. QI nurses at public hospitals should lead QI activities to improve national hospitals' care quality through cooperating with local hospitals.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.10-26
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• 2011

This study attempted to develop the directions for developing customized health tourism programs of Gangwon province. The data was collected by telephone surveys for 500 citizens in a metropolitan and regional cities in Korea in 2009. In conclusion, the province has many advantages to develop health tourism industries because the image of Gangwon health tour was represented to be generally positive and more than 65% of respondents were interested in participating health tourism of the province. The respondents also considered that the purpose of the tour is for relaxation rather than medical treatments. However, it requires flexible seasonal employment, scientific investigations of the natural environmental treatments and connectionwithleisureactivities, also need to collaborated with health and hospital services.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.1-25
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• 2003

The wave of globalisation initiated by marketisation has increasingly penetrated into all sectors across the world, accordingly, the health & hospital service sector could not be made no escapes, and it currently faces the order of more marketised competition more than ever. Traditionally, the characteristic of the hospital services in the UK has considered as a model of social provision by government. However, contrary to our knowledge, the sphere of the hospital service in the UK has already been immersed in by the marketisation, in which the private actors have been embedded in order to tweak the activities of the hospital service with in the European Union. As the methodology of this research, the qualitative analysis, namely the interview with some doctors in Surgery, NHS Trusts staffs and relevant specialists in has been performed on April to May, 2003. And on the other hand, the various documents related to its service have been analysed. Thus, this paper will review the characteristics of the health service sector in the UK. In doing so, it will illuminate what would be the structural factors derived from its existing system, as a result, it will shed light on how the UK government makes an effort to resolve the problematic situation by reviewing the policy direction of Foundation Hospital proposed recently. In the next stage, it will analyse how all elements consist of the hospital management in the UK has been adjusted and be likely to be changed within Europe. More specifically focuses on how the private hospital service has been managed and related with the activities of its public hospital service-NHS Trusts. Also, under the circumstance, what private health insurance companies function will be studied. In conclusion, it will be concluded that what will be the implication of Korean hospital service market so as to correspond to globally open market by WTO. Now the UK health service system has faced a turning point of becoming more health care market internally and externally pressed by global and regional factors. Thus it is meaningful to scrutinize how a key part of social provision in the health care market system tends to adjust to globally marketised regulation.

• Journal of the Architectural Institute of Korea Planning & Design
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• v.34 no.12
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• pp.113-122
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• 2018

The purpose of healthcare facility should be user healing and health promotion. However, healthcare facilities have a bigger impact on the natural environment than the general buildings, eventually effecting the health of people globally. 'Environmentally friendliness' is a more important concept in hospitals, not just in technical or mechanical performance but in therapeutic effects on users. Therapeutic environment is closely related to the natural environment. Depending on how the natural environment is drawn into the space, the healing effect of the patients is also increased. Most of the previous studies are statistical and comparative researches that cannot provide theoretical basis of architectural planning. Therefore, architectural research on the composition of architectural space and nature is needed. In this study, we categorize 16 types of relation between architectural space and nature, and based on this, analyze the present situation of 7 regional public hospitals' 33 spaces, and provide theoretical background and guideline for therapeutic space.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.15-32
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• 2013

Few public health researchers have paid research attention to the location of medical institutions in Korea. Previous studies were published in geography journals, and relied on limited data in terms of geographic regions and the type of medical institutions. This study utilized nationwide data covering 8 types of medical institutions. We obtained data from Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service and National Population and Housing Census. The correlation coefficients of resident, daytime, university-graduate population, and the population of different age groups (fewer than 15, 15~64, 65 or more) were compared to understand their relative association with the location of medical institutions. Medical clinic, dental clinic, oriental medical clinic, and pharmacy, all of which are almost completely operated by private sector, showed strong positive correlation with population. Hospital-level medical institutions, which are operated by both public and private sector, had moderate positive correlation. Daytime population and university-graduate population, rather than resident population, were more correlated with the location of medical clinics. The correlation coefficients of the population of 15~64 age group and the location of medical institutions were greater than that of other age groups. The results showed that daytime and university-graduate population are more important than resident population to explain the location of medicalrelated facilities. The results also suggests that the population of age groups (especially, 15~64) might be one of important influence factors in the location of medical institutions.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.49 no.sup1
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• pp.28-36
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• 2016

Background: This study aimed to develop the models for regional cardiac surgery centers, which take regional characteristics into consideration, as a policy measure that could alleviate the concentration of cardiac surgery in the metropolitan area and enhance the accessibility for patients who reside in the regions. Methods: To develop the models and set standards for the necessary personnel and facilities for the initial management plan, we held workshops, debates, and conference meetings with various experts. Results: After partitioning the plan into two parts (the operational autonomy and the functional comprehensiveness), three models were developed: the 'independent regional cardiac surgery center' model, the 'satellite cardiac surgery center within hospitals' model, and the 'extended cardiac surgery department within hospitals' model. Proposals on personnel and facility management for each of the models were also presented. A regional cardiac surgery center model that could be applied to each treatment area was proposed, which was developed based on the anticipated demand for cardiac surgery. The independent model or the satellite model was proposed for Chungcheong, Jeolla, North Gyeongsang, and South Gyeongsang area, where more than 500 cardiac surgeries are performed annually. The extended model was proposed as most effective for the Gangwon and Jeju area, where more than 200 cardiac surgeries are performed annually. Conclusion: The operation of regional cardiac surgery centers with high caliber professionals and quality resources such as optimal equipment and facility size, should enhance regional healthcare accessibility and the quality of cardiac surgery in South Korea.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.95-107
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• 2016

Objectives: Physical activity is well known as one of the most effective health behaviors for maintaining and promoting health. The purpose of this study was to investigate the regional variation, compositional and contextual factors on physical activities in Korea. Methods: This study analyzed data of 6,353 adults in 4th-1, 2 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). Independent variables were compositional factors that included general characteristics, health behaviors, health status, and contextual factors that included physical environment, political environment, and social safety net. Dependent variables were vigorous physical activity, moderate physical activity, and walking activity. Multilevel analysis were used to determine a variation of physical activity between levels of compositional factors and contextual factors. Results: Physical activities of the Korean people were affected by the regional variables. Financial independence and population density were related with moderate physical activity significantly. Population density, school sport or rally spaces, cultural facilities, and social safety concerns were related with walking activity significantly. These variables impacted on physical activities along with variables at the individual level. Variance Partition Coefficient were 9.94% at moderate physical activity and 2.91% at walking activities, respectively. Conclusions: The results suggest that the regional variables should be considered when planning public intervention to promoting physical activities in Korean adults.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.289-295
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• 2019

Acute diarrhea is a global health problem that causes high morbidity and mortality in children. Notably, enteric pathogen co-infections have been suggested to play an important role in gastroenteritis. In this study, we analyzed 1150 stool specimens of patients who visited the pediatric ward of Dongguk University Hospital in Gyeongju province from January 2011 to December 2017. The average isolation rate of potential stool pathogens over 7 years was 37.3% (429/1150), and coinfections were observed in 51 patients (51/429; 11.9%). In the 51 co-infection cases, the most frequent type of co-infection was found to be that of virus-bacteria (33/51). The most frequently detected bacterial pathogen among the co-infected cases was Clostridium spp. (22/51), out of which Clostridium perfringens was found to be the main pathogen (16/22; 72.7%). Escherichia coli spp. were the second most common bacterial pathogens found in 12 cases (12/51; 23.5%), with 10 cases of E. coli EPEC. Furthermore, the most frequently implicated viral pathogen among the co-infected cases was norovirus (16/51), followed by rotavirus (12/51).

• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.41-78
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• 2007

Due to the concern of regional unbalance relating to healthcare resources, the government has set up a plan to expand public healthcare services and a policy to manage the supply of hospital beds. However, it is not clear what standards are needed to measure the degree of unbalance, and to what extent the gap needs to be narrowed. Unlike the previous methodology comparing the proportions of patients who move out from their administrative district to receive medical services, this study examines the inconvenience gap patients experience when they have to move out from their actual living area. The logit and multinomial logit models are employed. The regional unbalance decreases when the degree of movement is measured based on the living area. This result implies that essential standard for achieving regional balance relating to medical services need to be based not on the even distribution of medical resources, but the complications of regional people that require proper medical services.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.44-62
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• 2002

Advanced surgical technology demands more precise, meticulous, and time-consuming procedures. In addition, the patient's preference of tertiary health providers makes over crowding of the University Hospitals. Therefore, it has been necessary to maximize utilization of the operating room of such hospitals to accommodate these requirements. This study, targeting 1,302 surgical cases performed in 22 operating rooms at a university hospital in Seoul from October 8 to November 1, 2001, analyzed reasons for delay, and factors that caused delayed use of operating rooms. This study also assessed that the rate of operating room use would increase if the sources for possible reform were improved. 1. Among total of 1,302 cases of surgery, the incidence of surgeries in which there were no time delays and no factors for delay were discovered is 71.4% or 930 cases: the incidence in which surgeries were delayed was 28.6% or 372 cases. 2. As results of logistic regression for delay, procedures involving women were delayed 1.4 times more frequently than those of men. Compared to Department A, Department B was 1.8 times more likely to be delayed, and Department H was 0.4 times less likely to be delayed. Regional anesthesia was 2.4 times more likely to be delayed than general anesthesia, and surgeries that PCA was applied were 0.6 times less likely to be delayed than those when it was not. Surgeries performed on the Thursday were 1.7 times more likely to be delayed than those performed on the Monday. Compared to surgeries performed between 07:00-07:59, those performed between 08:00-08:29 were 4.3 times higher. 3. The reasons for delay were related to surgeon, surgical department, patient, anesthesia, administrative system, sick ward, and support services. Among these, 5,755 minutes for 276 delayed cases could be resolved easily, and resolving delays of 3,320 minutes for 131 cases would be more difficult. Among the causes for delay that could be improved, delays due to patient's transfer and surgeon's factor were the most common, 21.6% and 17.4% respectively. 4. If resolvable delays are improved, pre-anesthesia room is administered, and regional anesthesia and PCA are done ahead of time, use of emergency operating rooms will increase, we can increase overall utilization by 4.09%, we will save 744 minutes a day, we can reduce the time the operation room is used after 4 PM by 35%, and we can resolve the operation cancellations due to insufficient operating rooms. For the increase in the use of operating rooms, we need to maximally decrease the delays that could be improved, by allocating block time based on used totals hours of elective cases, giving accurate information on surgery schedule, voluntary cooperation by staff participating in surgeries in reducing delay time, and the hospital management's will to improve delay.