• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.71-86
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• 2007

This study aims at looking into the use of oriental medical services in treating disease and patient's attitude of oriental medicine by social classes. The first to be explored through this study is medical accessibility, classifying them by age, gender and job. Second is to examine kinds of oriental medical services and expenses incurred in treating the disease. Third is to compare satisfaction for the services offered and investigate into relations between disease and oriental medicine through cross-analysis by class, and provide fundamental materials for enhancing accessibility to oriental medical centers for treating chronic diseases. The 1,376 households for the period of time from Apr. to Jun. 2005, were asked to answer to the questionnaires offered. The conclusion from the survey can be summarized as follows. Medical services for the onset of disease were less offered to females, older group, low schooling, and low-income bracket. It is attributable to an economic cause, in both genders. The in- and outpatients' rate were found higher in groups of female, older age, low-income and blue-color workers. Use of oriental medical centers were higher in outpatients than inpatients probably for low-income brackets were less frequently put on regular physical checkups, more exposing to diseases. Each hospitalization was found over six days longer in average; 19.7 days for oriental medical hospitals, 12.5 for hospitals. The hospital charges that patients should pay for one hospitalization showed 909,000 won in oriental medical hospitals, much higher than 518,000 won in hospitals. Outpatients were also found to pay more for oriental medical services; 55,000 won for oriental medical hospitals, 19,000 for hospitals. As to outpatients' satisfaction, oriental medical hospitals were generally found to be a little more satisfactory than general hospitals; 11.2% of respondents answered Very Satisfactory. Satisfaction to services offered to outpatients showed 82.2% of respondents responded to Over Satisfactory for herb clinics, 76% for general hospitals. For future intention to use oriental medical services, females, over 51 years old, lower education and income, and blue color workers showed more intention to use them. To be more competitive in treating chronic diseases, it is necessary that oriental medical services become more accessible through extending its coverage of insurance into more medical herbs and their prepared packs, as well as mapping out extensive publicity strategies to make known to the public about high efficacy of medical herbs and their safety.

• Journal of Haehwa Medicine
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.143-151
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• 2010

The purpose of this study is to survey the current status of the oriental medical service satisfaction and needs that the people who utilizing the medical services and suggest the primary factors of consumption and satisfaction in the oriental medical services the city of Asan. We analyze the use and satisfaction of the customers for the oriental medical services with using the questionnaires to the citizens of Asan. The method of this study is that the participants of the survey was 556 people of Asan City. The survey was conducted from August 15th, 2009 to September 15th, 2009(during 30 days) with disease index that specially developed as oriental medicine. The results of this study are as follows: 556 people were responded the survey. 471(84.7%) of respondents were who have ever been treated with oriental medical service and 85(15.3%) of respondents were who have never been treated with oriental medical service. 25(4.7%) of respondents were who doesn't believe the treat of oriental medicine. 76(13.6%) of respondents prefered the oriental medical service. 413(50.1%) of respondents prefered the acupuncture and moxa treatment and 280(33.9%) prefered the herbs. 227(39.6%) of respondents were treated for musculoskeletal disorders The conclusions from this study are as follows: Firstly, it was found that the people who prefer to use oriental medical services usually have one or more of these following diseases: musculoskeletal disorders, paralysis, unclear diseases or injuries. Secondly, the main factor of customers' satisfaction with oriental medical services lies in the age of the user. The more aged, the more high in customers' satisfaction with oriental medical services was found through the survey. The results of this study can be used to develop marketing strategies for oriental medical institutions in the city of Asan.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.27 no.2 s.66
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• pp.86-95
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• 2006

Purpose : This study was conducted to understand Oriental medical health services and analyze the relationships between the perceived Oriental medical health services and the effect, influencing patient satisfaction as. well as intentions of re-visiting such hospitals. Methods : SPSS 10.0, a statistical processing method, was used to process the study data and frequency and ANOVA analysis were used to analyze the differences. Also, Pearson correlation coefficient was performed to analyze the relationships between work satisfaction and health services quality, as well as patient satisfaction and intentions to re-visit such hospitals. Results : Most patients were satisfied with the service, but it was shown that improvement of facilities and medical equipment was needed. The survey showed higher satisfaction with longer experience of doctors and nurses. Staff recognition of health services quality seemed lower than patient satisfaction, so efforts to improve the health services and relationships between health services quality and patient satisfaction are necessary. Conclusion : Higher quality and satisfaction with Oriental medical health services are going to improve total re-use intention to a significant degree.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.27-38
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• 2012

This study is to find out the correlation among the predisposing, enabling, and need factors in Anderson Behavioral Model using the data from Korea Medical Panel Survey conducted in the early part (April 1 - October 31) of 2008. The findings are as follows. It was found that the utilization rate of western medical service was far higher. the influential factor to choose western or oriental medical service taking western medical institutions as the reference group, the influential factor to choose oriental medical institution has significantly increased when the patient who have covered by medical insurance has one accompanied disease and their age was between 45 - 74, compared to the people less than 45 years old. It also increased when the age of the patient was between 45-54 years old, and in the event those who are not covered by medical insurance have accompanied disease and that the disease mobility period is 2-4 years. reviewing the several characteristics of the utilization of western and oriental medical services by the patient with musculoskeletal system disorders, the number of accompanied disease is an influential factor for the utilization of oriental medical services. And, disease mobility period is a significant factor for the utilization of both western and oriental medical services together, though it is not identified in this study. Therefore, it is expected that mutual cooperation between western and oriental medical services is more required for the patient with musculoskeletal system disorders as the aging society rapidly develops. In order to foster oriental medicine, it is required to specialize in competitive disease such as musculoskeletal system disorders.

• Journal of Korean Society for Geospatial Information Science
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.107-112
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• 2014

In keeping with the increasing demand for medical services in accordance with the economic development, the use of oriental medicine is on the rise year by year. In particular, it is a tendency that the elderly over age 65 prefer the oriental medicine to the western medicine in Korea. Under the circumstance, changing into an aging society, the importance of oriental medical services has been growing. In this regard, this study evaluated the quality of medical services by conducting the density analysis and the accessibility analysis of oriental medical clinic targeting Jinju, which is one of local small and medium-sized cities. The study results reveal that oriental medical hospitals accounted for 27% of the entire medical facilities in Jinju, and there was an imbalance in the quality of the oriental medical services according to districts(called dong) because oriental medical hospitals were mainly concentrated in the central commercial areas. In particular, in terms of the analysis on the accessibility of an aging population over age 65 to the oriental medical hospitals, over 50% of the whole districts (dongs) in Jinju were blind spots in medical services, showing a very vulnerable condition. Accordingly, it is judged that systematic measures for improvement in support of the oriental medical services in local small and medium-sized cities should be provided in Korea when we consider the characteristics of Korea where an aging population is rapidly increasing.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.67-79
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• 2007

Objectives : The Purposes of this study were to investigate payment system for oriental medical treatment as supplier of medical services, and to estimate reasonable levels of medical fee. Methods : This study made these following results by reviewing the answers which were given by 172 Korea traditional doctors from March 1 to April 15, 2006. Results : General satisfaction of payment system for oriental health insurance was $2.17{\pm}1.01$ $(mean{\pm}SD)$ on a 1-7 scale (median 4) as very low level. Reasonable medical fees which were answered by 172 Korea traditional doctor are higher than present fees, thus Korea traditional doctors think that present fees should be increased. And according to the survey, current insurance fees have a problem of disparity between each treatment fee. Conclusions : According to results of this study, current fees of oriental medical treatment are not rational. And this problem leads to distortion of medical treatment. Additional studies in thls field are needed.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.168-179
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• 2006

Background and Aim : As the aged society is coming, people pay attention to it and the government is also increasing subsidy into the welfare of the aged. As a branch of social welfare, community welfare is familiar and close to local residents. We could open up a new field in community welfare for oriental medicine and oriental medical doctor(OMD). Materials and Method : Analyzing the worts of community welfare center, we tried to find ways for OMDs to take part in there. We focused m community care and home care service of community welfare center and community health center. Result : Free oriental medical services are offered in many places, but a lot of them are temporary and hard to continue due to financial problem and lack of specialist. Local residents want to know about oriental medicine but few OMDs are willing to participate, thereforen, unqualified lectures of such as hand acupuncture, moxibustion, meridian massage prevail among them. This leads to illegal oriental medical services in the name of volunteer medical work. Conclusion The system is needed that local OMD association take part in community welfare of oriental medical service and care with community welfare center and community health center. Local volunteer medical services and researches of medical policy can help increase the chance for OMDs to go into social welfare system of the aged.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.139-151
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• 2007

This paper evaluated the benefits of the National Health Insurance(NHI) and suggested the necessity of extending some oriental medical services into the benefits schedule in the NHI. Comparing the rate of public financing in national health expenditure in OECD countries and measuring out-of-pocket payments in total medical cost showed the level of insurance payments to total medical cost is approximately $50%{\sim}60%$ in Korea, which is quite insufficient to pay household medical expenses, although the NHI covers the whole population. A few of consumers' priority surveys for medical needs suggested herb medicine, muscle treatment, and manufactured herb medicine be included in the list of the NHI benefits, based on efficiency and equity criteria. It was estimated that the NHI can afford to cover these three items of oriental medical services.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.1-27
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• 2007

This study is designed to estimate an appropriate level of patient's cost-sharing for oriental medical services in the Korean National Health Insurance. The findings of this study can be summarized as follows: 1) The current co-payment system for oriental medical services does not reflect its cost structure in clinical practice due to inconsistency of cost-sharing plan in the NHI. 2) Both oriental medical institutions and their patients, as a result, are at a relative disadvantage in financial burden, compared with other services. 3) The substantial proportion of patients' cost-sharing depends on the amount of co-payment and the range of medical cost that a flat rate is applied to. 4) The extension of the range doesn't make any substantial decrease in patient's cost-sharing. 5) The fixed amount of co-payment is more sensitive than a range to total variations of patient's cost-sharing. Based on the above, the budget impacts of a new co-payment system were estimated for each co-insurance rate, according to given scenarios. The results range from -59 billion Won (-8.5%) to 16 billion Won(2.3%).

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.21-34
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• 2008

Objectives : This paper analysed the alternative methods of calculating conversion factor for oriental medicine in the National Health Insurance and estimated the conversion factor(reimbursing price level) of the oriental medical services, based on health insurance claims data and macro economic data. Methods : Comparing cost accounting method, SGR model, and index model to estimate conversion factor in the national health insurance, six empirical models were derived depending on the scope of revenue considered in financial indicators. Classifications of data and sources used in the analysis were identified as officially released by the government. Results and Conclusion : Cost accounting analysis and SGR model showed a two digit decrease in the physician fee schedule of oriental medical services in the national health insurance, while index model indicated a positive increase in the fee reimbursed. As expected, SGR model measured an overall trend of health expenditures rather than an individual financial status of medical institutions, and index model properly estimated the level of payments to oriental medical doctors. Upon a declining share of health expenditures on oriental medicine, a global budget system fixed to a flat rate of total budget could be an opportunity as well as a challenge.