• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.29 no.2 s.53
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• pp.227-238
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• 1996

This study was conducted to evaluate the accuracy of the official death registry in rural area. The base data used for the study was 379 deaths registered during the period of 1993 and 1994 in 4 rural townships of Chonnam province. The interview survey for cause-of-death was performed on the next of kin and/or neighbor. Additional medical informations were collected from hospitals and medical insurance associations for the purpose of verification. The underlying cause-of-death of 278 cases presumed by the survey was compared to the cause on official death registry. There was a prominent disagreement of cause-of-death between the survey data and the registry data(agreement rate: $38.9\sim44.6%$, according to disease classification method). These results may be caused by extremely low rates of physicians' certification, which were mostly confined to the poisoning and injury. Symptoms, signs, and ill defined conditions on death registry could be classified into circulatory disease(32.3%), neoplasm(21.2%), digestive disease(7.1%), injury and poisoning(7.1%) and so on. These results suggest that careful attention and verification be required on utilization of death registry data in rural area.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.141-150
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• 2013

Objectives : The objective of this report is to identify the utilization of hospital school service during hospitalization among patients in their childhood and adolescence with psychiatric disorders. Methods : We retrospectively reviewed the medical record of child and adolescent psychiatric who were hospitalized during March 2009 through October 2012. We compared the one-year successful schooling and outpatient follow up rate between users and nonusers of the inpatient hospital school service. The hospital schooling experiences of the users were investigated upon follow-up visits to the outpatient clinic. Results : Sixty-three students received hospital school service during hospitalization among total 122 child and adolescent inpatients. Hospital school participants showed a significantly higher school reentry rate (61.9%) than non-participants (40.7%). However, there was no difference on follow up rate between the two groups. More than 60% of the 22 interviewed participants expressed an above-average level of satisfaction about hospital school service. Conclusion : Many patients with mental illness experience difficulty in receiving school education during treatment. That induces deterioration in disease, academic failure, poor social skills, low self-esteem, economic difficulties, and future job opportunities. The results of this study emphasize the importance of hospital school service and offer useful guidance for hospital school operation.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.3-9
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• 1991

In order to find out status of health care for community residents with special reference to organization and man power in a rural health subcenter, a study was carried out, through analyzing the data, operated by health subcenter during 1973~1990 in a rural area, Su Dong-Myun, Nam Yang Ju-Gun, Kyung Gi-Do, Korea. The following results were obtained : l) The Number of Population in Su Dong-Myun is decreasing and household is increasing chronologically. 2) In 1989, the characteristics of population composition rate in Su Dong-Myun were shown : the groups of Age, 65 and over was high rate(9.8%) and 0~4 was low rate(5.3%) decreasing chronologically. 3) Since 1972, services of Su Dong-Myun health subcenter have been carried in the 3 functions(medical treatment, health care management and clerical work) with supports of Ewha Woman's University through the participation of community residents organization. 4) The Number of Su Dong-Myun health subcenter personnel in 1990 was 5 persons(public health doctor l, public health dentist l, health worker l, dental technician l and assistant nurse l) and of these, health worker who must have the huge charge of health care management, has been worked at Myun-office as a public official, in condition, decreased from 3 in 1980 to 2 in 1981 and from 2 to 1 in 1985. 5) Health service Activities of Su Dong Myun health subcenter obtained good results in it's achievement during 1975-1985, but since 1986, it has been in condition of lower stepping. 6) Since 1977, annual medical utilization rate showed decreasing tendency such as 900 per l,000 population in 1977, 846 in 1979, 723 in 1981, 343 in 1973 and 34l in 1987. 7) A proposal : (l) Organization of health subcenter must be unified and systematized by government, so that health subcenter can carry out primary health care for community residents through responsibilities and authorities. (2) Teaching programs in educational process must be reorganized, according to periodical request. considering relative importance to primary health care in health care needs of community residents.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.17 no.2 s.32
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• pp.34-47
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• 1996

We have seen a sharp increase in the utilization rate of medical services since the launch of Nation Health Insurance system in 1989. However, the market share of oriental medicine in the Korean health sector has been gradually diminished mainly due to low insurance coverage and high price. Especially high price as an entry barrier to oriental medical services has played a major role in decreasing market share. This paper investigated the effects of price discount on the financial condition and market share of oriental medical institutions. Microeconomic theory and multiple regression analysis were used as a methodology in testing the alternative hypothesis: price discount of enveloped herb drug will result in increases in both the revenue and market share of oriental medical institutions. Data was collected from the statistical yearbook and sample survey. The price elasticity of demand for enveloped herb drug was estimated at 5.8 during 1987-1995 period, which means that a 1% decrease in price will bring about a 5.8% increase in the utilization of oriental medical services. The empirical result shows that a drastic price discount for the enveloped herb drug will eventually improve the financial status of the oriental medical institutions and enlarge the market share of oriental medicine in the Korean health care sector.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.3411-3417
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• 2013

Over the last 10 years, the number of cancer survivors in South Korea has reached nearly one million with a survival rate of 49.4%. However, integrated supportive care for cancer survivors is lagging. One area in which the current cancer control policy needs updating is in the utilization of information and communication technology (ICT). The remarkable progress in the field of ICT over the past 10 years presents exciting new opportunities for health promotion. Recent communication innovations are conducive to the exchange of meta-information, giving rise to a new service area and transforming patients into active medical consumers. Consequently, such innovations encourage active participation in the mutual utilization and sharing of high-quality information. However, these benefits from new ICTs will almost certainly not be equally available to all, leading to so-called communication inequalities where cancer survivors from lower socioeconomic classes will likely have more limited access to the best means of making use of the health information. Therefore, most essentially, emphasis must be placed on helping cancer survivors and their caregivers utilize such advances in ICT to create a more efficient flow of health information, thereby reducing communication inequalities and expanding social support. Once we enhance access to health information and better manage the quality of information, as a matter of fact, we can expect an alleviation of the health inequalities faced by cancer survivors.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.46-53
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• 2012

Objectives: Many cancer patients have been using Korean medicine with conventional medical care. This study aimed to look into current status of Korean medicine in cancer patients in Korea. Methods: We reviewed utilization of Korean medicine for cancer by searching DB (KoreaMed, KMbase, KISS, NDSL, KISTI, National Assembly Library, OASIS, Korean Traditional Knowledge Portal). The first search keyword used was "cancer" and the second keyword used was either "oriental", "alternative" or "complementary". Results: The utilization rate of Korean medicine was 31.0%. In terms of patient's disease characteristics, most of them were suffering from stomach cancer, lung cancer and colon cancer. Most of them were diagnosed as fourth stage of cancer. Ginseng (14.8%) was a favorite Korean medicine, followed by medicinal treatment (8.1%), acupuncture (3.1%), moxibustion (3.0%), and cupping (2.1%). Conclusions: In Korea, one third of cancer patients are using Korean medicine. We need to know the expectations and demand for Korean medicine for treating cancer and establish our strategy to attract public attention.

• East Asian Economic Review
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.127-164
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• 2020

We perform an econometric assessment of the role that pharmaceutical innovation-the introduction and use of new drugs-has played in improving the health of Koreans, by investigating whether diseases for which more new drugs were launched had larger subsequent increases in longevity and smaller subsequent increases in hospitalization. Drugs launched during 1993-2012 are estimated to have increased mean age at death from all diseases by 1.71 years between 1995 and 2015 and 1.09 years between 2005 and 2015. We also estimate that new drugs increased the five-year relative survival rate from all cancers combined by 23.2 percentage points-78.5% of the total increase-between 1993-1995 and 2011-2015, and that new drugs launched during 2008-2010 reduced the number of hospital days in 2017 by 13.0 million. If the drugs launched during 2003-2012 had had no effect on other medical expenditure in 2015, the cost per life-year gained would not have exceeded 6332 USD. Therefore, even if we ignore the effect of new drugs on hospital utilization, the drugs launched during 2003-2012 were very cost-effective, overall. When reduced hospital utilization is accounted for, the evidence indicates that, in the long run, pharmaceutical innovation was cost-saving as well as life-year saving.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.41-48
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• 1990

In order to find out the status of health care of the old aged people (age of 65 and over) in a rural area, a study was carried out, through analyzing the data of health care clinic for 207 old aged people with geriatric diseases, and of questionnired survey for 84 old aged people with geriatric diseases in a rural community. Su Dong-Myun. Nam Yang Zu-Gun, Kyung Gi-Do, Korea, during the year of 1989. The following results were obtained. 1) The composition rate of population of age of 65 and over was 9.8% in total, and sex-specific composition rate was 9.3% in male and 10.4% in female. 2) Utilization rate of health care clinic for old aged people with geriatric diseases was the highest rate with 37.9%, through individual letters at the first time, and showed gradually decreasing tendency afterward. 3) In the means of utilization advices to health care clinic for the old aged people. the individual letters(37.9%) at the first time were more effective than public information of the old aged hall or/and Myun office(18.4%). 4) In opinion on utilization of health subcenter-health care clinic for the old aged people "will utilize"(59.5%) was the highest and "do not know"(26.2%) "be difficult to utilize" (9.5%) and "will not utilize"(4.8%) were in the next order. 5) Out of 84 respondents, the old aged people With geriatric diseases, 73.8%(about three-fourths) of them answered "their diseases to the aggravated" (29.8%) "not to be changed"(25.0%) and "to be unknown"(19.0%), and the others(26.2% of them) "to be changed for the better". 6) Out of 62 respondents(the old aged people), answered their geriatric diseases not to be changed for the better, "no curative effect" was the highest with 43.5% of them. "could not know" (33.9%), "would not treat"(19.4%) and "could not be treated"(4.8%) were in decreasing order. 7) The old aged people, responded their diseases to be changed for the better, answered that they(patients) should make themselves(68.2%) responsible for basic effort of health care. However the old aged people responded their diseases not to be changed for the better answered that they should impute the responsibility of basic effort for health care to medical facilities or other conditions(63.0%). 8) In the reason of failure that the old aged people responded their geriatric diseases not to have curative effect, mis-control of regular habits of daily life was the highest(57.1%), and failure of taking selected medicine steadily(28.6%), and abuse of medicines(14.3%) were in decreasing order. 9) The reason order of being changed for the better that the old aged people responded their diseases to have curative effect, was keeping and control of regular habits of daily life (46.7%), taking selected medicines steadily(33.3%) and others (20.2%) respectively. 10) The courses of geriatric diseases itself are so chronic, duplicate and uncertain, and the old aged people activities for disease control are so slow, various and uncertain that continuous health education in home or/and community unit must be essential factors for effective geriatric health care.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.17 no.7
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• pp.696-706
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• 2017

This study is to examine health care utilization and morbidity of disabled and non-disabled children in Korea to evaluate the health disparities. We used medical claim data of 2010 from the National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort data. As a result of the analysis, the disabled children are not in good health condition because they have more frequency of medical service use, hospitalization rate, and more number of diseases and spent more on medical expenses than non-disabled children. Patterns of the most frequent disease differ from significantly between disable and non-disabled. Disabled children had a higher prevalence of selected birth defects and selected health conditions associated with physical disability and a lower prevalence of selected infection disease than children without disability. In conclusion, Health policy changes that would extend the access to health service for children with disabilities characterized by frequent medical care, hospitalization, excessive medical expenditure and complex diseases.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.107-126
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• 1991

The purpose of the study was to assess the morbidity pattern and the medical care utilization behavior of the urban residents in the poor area. The study population included 2,591 family members of 677 households in the poor area of Daemyong 8 Dong, Nam-Gu, Taegu and 2,686 family members of 688 households, near the poor area in the same Dong, were interviewed as a control group. On this study the household interview method was applied. Well-trained interviewers visited every household in the designated area and individually interviewed heads of households or housewives for general information, morbidity condition, and medical care utilization with a structured questionnaire. Individuals were interviewed from 1 to 30 December 1988. The major results were summarized as follows : The proportion of the people below 5 years of age was 4.2% of the total study population and 5.5% were above 65 years of age in the poor area. This was slightly higher than in the control area. The average monthly income of a household in the poor area was 403,000 won versus 529,000 won in the control area. Fifty-eight percent of the residents in the poor area and sixty-one percent in the control area were medical security beneficiaries, but the proportion of medical aid beneficiaries was 7.8% in the poor area and 4.6% in the control area. The 15-day period morbidity rate of acute illnesses was 57.1 per 1,000 in the poor area and 24.2 per 1,000 in the control area. Respiratory disease is the most common acute illness in both areas. The most frequently utilized medical facility was the pharmacy among the patients with acute illnesses in the poor area. Among them 58.1% visited pharmacy initially while 38.4% of the patients in the control area visited a clinic. Among persons with illnesses during the 15 days 8.8% in the poor area and 4.6% in the control area did not seek any medical facility. Mean duration of utilization of medical facilities was 3.5 days in the poor area and 3.3 days in the control area. Initially of the medical facilities in Daemyong 8 Dong, The pharmacy in the poor area and the clinic in the control area were most commonly utilized. The most common reason for visiting the hospital was 'regular customers' in the poor area and 'geographical accessibility' in the control area. The one year period morbidity rate of chronic illness in the poor area was 83.0 per 1,000 population and 28.0 per 1,000 in the control area. Disease of nervous system was the most common chronic illness in the poor area while cardiovascular disease in male and gastrointestinal disease in female were most prevalent in the control area. The most frequently utilized medical facility was the pharmacy among the patients with chronic illnesses in the poor area. Among them 24.2% visited the pharmacy initially while 34.7% of the patients in the control area visited the out-patient department of the hospital within a 15-day period. Among the patients with chronic illnesses 34.9% in the poor area and 16.0% in the control area did not seek any medical facility. Mean duration of utilization of medical facilities was 9.2 days in the poor area and 9.9 days in the control area within a 15-day period. Initially of the medical facilities in Daemyong 8 Dong, the pharmacy in the poor area and the hospital in the control area were most commonly utilized. The most common reason for visiting the hospital, clinic, health center or pharmacy in the poor area was 'geographical accessibility' while the reason for visiting herb clinic was 'good result' and 'reputation' in both areas.