• Health Policy and Management
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.197-201
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• 2018

There is a general consensus that many health care problems are attributable to the structural defects of the health care delivery system in Korea. The basic policy aimed to address these problems is to reform the delivery system so as that it incorporates two core principles: (1) stratification of medical care institutions into primary, secondary, and tertiary care providers according to the capability to perform specialized and complex services; (2) patients seeking care starting from the primary care provider and, if necessary, to be referred to the other provider step by step. This policy has been consistently pursued for about 30 years, but the achievement is far from success. Thus it is believed that the feasibility of the policy should be questioned. Starting from this question, based upon the observation of the current structure of the delivery system and its expected changes, the reform policy was discussed focusing on the assessment of its feasibility from both practical and theoretical viewpoints. The discussion leads to cast doubt on the policy for its possibility of making planned changes and producing expected desirable effects. Therefore it is advisable to investigate a wide range of alternative strategies and models for improving health care delivery.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.45-54
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• 2022

Purpose: The study aims to identify the theme list and priority criteria of patient safety theme reports in South Korea. Methods: The survey was conducted twice, and the importance of each criterion and theme was measured on a nine-point scale using the Delphi technique by a panel of 19 patient safety experts. The criteria included severity, universality, preventability, and organizational-social impact. Descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, median, and interval quartile range were used to analyze the data. Results: The parameters were assigned a weighted average of 35% for severity, 20% for universality, 30% for preventability, and 15% for organizational-social impact, respectively. The final top three rankings were surgery safety, blood transfusion safety, and medication safety. In addition to expert opinion, for the theme that is selected based on the priority ranking, one to five sub-topics can be derived from the theme based on the priority ranking, societal demands, or the yearly priority list of patient safety incidents. Conclusion: It is recommended that the official patient safety center distribute the report in the form of a summary that can be utilized nationwide at medical institutions, government institutions, and other places. Updates, as well as accumulated theme reports, will serve as the baseline data for the proposal of the system and for the policy designed to implement and improve institutions' safety practices as a standard of domestic patient safety practice guidelines.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.1-16
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• 2022

Backgrounds : Doctor of Osteopathy (D.O.) in the United States have drawn attention as one of the future models of Korean Medicine doctors in Korea in that they have their own fields of care and therapies that distinguish them from medical doctor (M.D.), but are also able to carry out the treatment of general doctors. By analyzing D.O.'s specialization strategy, this study intends to preview points for establishing the future role of Korean Medicine doctors. Methods : We searched books, research papers, reports, conference presentations, and media articles, and chronologically classified and organized the collected data. In addition, the latest update information on related institutions' web pages and expert opinions released were also reviewed. Results : The D.O. emerged as a form of doctor in alternative medicine, however it rapidly turned to an M.D. substitute during the pandemic of the 1910s and World War II in the 1940s. Through the American Osteopathic Association (AOA)'s organizational activity, curriculum specialization, research development, and financial support, D.O. now has secured the status of M.D. in 50 states and federal law in the US. It has its own and exclusive full practice rights, capable of prescribing drugs and practicing surgery, as well as manual therapy. Beginning in July 2020, M.D.-D.O. achieved the full integration-unification of the professional training and residency program. Conclusions : In order to introduce the D.O. model to Korean Medicine system, it is necessary to strengthen biomedicine in the curriculum, and significantly expand the educational infrastructure and faculty manpower.