• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
• /
• v.4 no.1
• /
• pp.1-20
• /
• 1999

Since the late 1980s, there have been radical changes in the managerial environment of Y University Medical Center(YUMC). Externally, the competition among hospitals has intensified due to the establishment of universal health insurance in 1939 and the entrance of large enterprises into the health care industry in the early 1990s. In addition, government regulation of medical institution is becoming stricter. Also, consumer groups have continued to demand the respect for patient rights and improvement of the quality of medical services. Internally, the financial condition of YUMC has worsened, not only because weak control and poor mediation in its large-scale structure have made its operation inefficient, but also because the rates of increase in the prices of goods and labor have grown faster than any increases in revenues. This study on materials management at YUMC presents a way for YUMC to reduce costs and increase its productivity, thereby overcoming its financial difficulties and dealing with external pressures. This study utilized the case studies of the materials purchasing and medical supply management in the United States and the comparative analysis of management to suggest short-term and long-term alternatives for innovation in YUMC. The goals of the short-term alternatives for innovation are to centralize the purchasing and supply departments and to simplify the decision-making processes. Through these attempts, it is estimated that YUMC's costs could be reduced by $600,000 per year. In the long-term, it is necessary to consider introducing a Supply Processing Distribution(SPD) system and setting up a centralized electronic system for supply and inventory management, although it is difficult to estimate the effect of cost-cutting because of the lack of analysis data. Thus, YUMC should thoroughly analyze initial investment costs and economical efficiency generated from long-term alternatives.

• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
• /
• v.12 no.1
• /
• pp.43-67
• /
• 2011

Humankind history is faced with one gigantic turning point due to development of Living genetically Modified Organisms. Food production by means of LMO is on the acceleration in an effort to solve the shortage of food problems. Food is also used as alternative energy source. Use of LMO product is not only limited to food and energy, but is actively utilized in various fields of medicines. This paper is first to check out the state of biomedicine developed and associated problems from industries that use LMO, after which we made an attempt on legislative approach to find out means of relief, through examples of such laws legislated for the sufferer from the adverse effect of the biomedicine. As for the liable subject to bear the responsibility for compensatory damage in a way of relieving the victim owing to adverse effect of biomedicine, those who manufactured and sold biomedicine and who are related to the damage to the victim due to the accident and medical doctors and pharmacists who prescribe and administer the medicine in question have been looked into. Accidents involving medicines and medical supplies could take place without reason for imputation on part of the liable subjects or fault of the victim, in which case the victim can't receive damage compensation from any of both parties. When such accidents happened turn out to be no fault accidents, introduction of damage relief measures might have to be reviewed against side effects of medicine and medical supplies as no fault compensation in order for actual relief to be possible. Talking about technicality of legislation, we can suggest a method of strengthening the accountability of manufacturer for stereotypical agenda on biomedicines by newly legislating special regulation with an issue that resists claim on risks associated with the development of medicine and incorporating the same into Manufactured Product Liability Law. After all, when an accident happens associated with biomedicine, the damage will be done to the consumer. And the consumer will be exposed to fatal danger even without the time to cope with potential risks associated with medicine and medical supplies they take. Therefore, it is necessary to protect the potential victim by having the manufacturer of biomedicines bear the liability of medical risks.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
• /
• v.36 no.3
• /
• pp.262-268
• /
• 2009

Purpose: Recently medical dispute about plastic surgery is increasing rapidly as result of growing surgery itself due to high interest in appearance and advertisement of plastic surgery. So we want to find a way to prevent similar medical accident by making better solution of plastic surgery through case analysis of medical dispute. Method: 161 cases about plastic surgery asked for aid at Korea Consumer Agency and 41 cases judged at the court was surveyed and gender, location and kind of hospital, goal and kind of operation, making operation agreement or not, kind of damage, result of process, result of lawsuit was studied from 2004.1.1. to 2006.12.31. Result: Medical doctor have to explain about symptoms of disease, method of treatment, possibility of complication, prognosis to patients before therapy so they can make decision if they take operation by doctor or not. On this survey, among the patients who underwent re - operation or had complication, 88.1%(96 from 109 cases) of them didn't get enough explanation about possibility of complication before surgery They brought lawsuit insisting they would not undergo operation if they got enough explanation about possibility of complication and result of operation before surgery. Conclusion: It is advisable that doctor must observe the duty of explanation before surgery and respect the right to decide of patient, make operation agreement and put down concrete progress note and store the pre and post operative photo to avoid medical accident. It is also needed to have guideline of therapy, Code of ethics, organization which deals with medical dispute, reconsideration of law to control that.

• Journal of rehabilitation welfare engineering & assistive technology
• /
• v.9 no.3
• /
• pp.223-230
• /
• 2015

There is an increasing trend of medical devices and products moving out of hospitals and clinics into community and residual homes for use by the general public due to both the technological developments and demographic changes resulted from the increased life expectancy and decreased birth rate. In Korea, however, the definition of "home medical device" is rather ambiguous and we thus compared the definition of the term used in the global market with that in Korea. FDA definition of "home medical device" includes the devices intended for use in both professional healthcare facilities and home. The KFDA, does not provide the definition for the "home medical device"and the definition has only been inferred from the results of consumer surveys. With a paradigm shift in advent of u-healthcare era, the definition of "home medical device" in Korea should include the medical devices that could be used both at hospitals and at home.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
• /
• v.13 no.5
• /
• pp.297-307
• /
• 2015

This study reviews equipped with enhanced capability of medical care, quality service, accessibility, and consumer awareness to be a competitive and representative local healthcare service provider with improved administrative efficiency. The method of analysis are ANOVA and Structural Equation Modeling. The results which revealed the significant difference among demographic factors in determining the preference or degree of satisfaction at medical service to select local healthcare institutions suggest that the close review on the needs of groups of major customers of local healthcare institutions are necessary when preparing the strategy of specialized medical service of local healthcare institutions. this suggests that both images would be important factors to secure the competitive advantage of local healthcare institution and therefore the strategy maximized the enhancement of medical service with embossed image of hospital to attract customers of medical service is needed.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration
• /
• v.11 no.4
• /
• pp.425-437
• /
• 2005

Purpose: The purposes of this study were to compare the nursing service quality, gap, overall nursing service satisfaction, overall medical service satisfaction and intent to revisit the hospital perceived by consumers and providers. Methods: Data were collected with self-administered questionnaire and analyzed using frequency, %, mean, standard deviation, t-test, Pearson correlation coefficient, and multiple regression analysis. Result: Nursing service gap perceived by consumers was smaller than that of providers. Consumer's overall satisfaction with nursing and medical service was higher than that of nurses. In consumers, nursing service satisfaction alone accounted for 62.9% of the variance in their intent to revisit the hospital, while explained 3% of the variance in providers. Conclusion: There are definitely perception gap between consumers and providers. Therefore nursing and hospital managers must recognize it, and carry out the internal marketing strategies for nurses.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
• /
• v.47 no.4
• /
• pp.252-259
• /
• 2003

Self-medication is a representative phenomenon in the domain of popular care, originated from perspective of medical pluralism and the pharmacy profession is said to be in the most appropriate position of health care professions to activate self-medication. As any healthcare reform impacts in a country, 2000 institutional separation between medicine and pharmacy implemented in Korea brought a lot of changes in behavior of drug use not only to physicians and pharmacists but also to consumers (patients). In this paper, the reality of self-medication since the institutional separation between medicine and pharmacy was analyzed, based on the empirical data which were collected by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs in 2002. The major finding is that the domain of popular care including self-medication was significantly shrunk, while that of professional care was proportionally expanded. As a result, the following four points were strongly recommended for the purpose of promoting self-medication: i) upgrading the pharmacy education system from 4 year to 6 year level, ii) improvement of continuing education and introduction of GPP (Good Pharmacy Practice), iii) activating 'pharmacal encounter' (i.e., pharmacist-consumer relationship) and iv) promotion of socio-economic research activities and proactive participation in the international self-medication movement of pharmacists in Korea.

• Journal of Marine Bioscience and Biotechnology
• /
• v.15 no.2
• /
• pp.90-95
• /
• 2023

This study aimed to develop low-salt seasoned Gim (김) with new functionality to meet the diversification of the export market and consumer demand for Gim, which is one of the four major seafood products in Chungcheongnam-do province. Spirulina, a microalgae containing essential amino acids, vitamins, and minerals, is known to have antioxidant components such as phycocyanin. Therefore, to determine the suitability of spirulina as a seasoning material, we conducted seaweed. It can be used as a substitute for seasoning salt in the development of low-salt seasoned laver with enhanced functionality.

• Health Policy and Management
• /
• v.21 no.1
• /
• pp.115-131
• /
• 2011

Several common issues are encountered by countries - Germany, Japan, and the United States - that adopted long-term care (LTC) system. First, the demand for LTC and its associated costs have steeply risen following the implementation of the LTC policy. Second, ensuring the quality of services have been difficult. Third, the coordination of services among providers and between LTC and medical care has been inadequate. Learning from their experience, we suggest ways to improve the LTC system in Korea. The basic approach aims for efficiency over equity in the system. This would require promoting provider competition and consumer choice. We propose several policy options according to the major stakeholders. For consumers, cash benefits at fixed rates and personal savings accounts are feasible options to self-contain the demand and cost of services. On the insurer's side, creating an environment of multiple insurers will engender competition, leading to cost savings and quality care. For providers, delivery of quality services through competition, cost-containment through capitated reimbursements, and coordination of services through integrated delivery system can be achieved. From the assessors' perspective, establishing an information system to monitor the activities of insurers and providers would be important, empowering consumers with information to choose cost-effective service providers. In summary, the suggested approach would provide cost-effective LTC services by guaranteeing consumer choice and promoting major stakeholder accountability. Further studies are needed to test the feasibility of this model in ensuring quality LTC in Korea.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
• /
• v.104 no.4
• /
• pp.668-676
• /
• 2015

The objective of this paper is to elicit some policy implications to promote agroforestry in South Korea from the consumers' perspective. We conducted internet survey to 640 urban households about the recognition of forest farming products. Consumers purchased forest farming products for their nutrition, medical function, and safety and regarded them as higher quality than crops cultivated from agricultural land. Consumers preferred forest farming products but revealed no difference in recognition of naturally-grown products. Consumers buying forest products prioritize the quality and medical function among attributes. Among consumers as their income increases, they regard naturally grown products more important than price and freshness. Therefore, to promote agroforestry in South Korea, certification for naturally-grown products to win the consumers' trust and the $6^{th}$ industrialization by combining experience and green tourism program must be considered.