• Journal of Korean Academic Society of Home Health Care Nursing
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.11-18
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• 2012

Purpose: The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficiency of the outpatient clinics in a hospital, using DEA. Methods: Data were collected using an activity-based costing system, medical information system, and annual reports of customer satisfaction management team of a general hospital in a city. The input variables were the number of doctors, the number of nurses, and the number of staffs. The output variables were the number of treatment times, the number of outpatient clinic patients, the total profits from outpatient clinic, the patient's satisfaction score, and the number of re-visit appointments. EMS Window version 3.1 was used to measure the efficiency score and benchmarking analysis. Results: The average efficiency score of 24 outpatient clinics was about 82.01%. Thirteen outpatient clinics had 100% efficiency score among them. The lowest efficiency score was 57.56%. Conclusion: According to these results, we found that, generally, outpatient clinics were operated very efficiently. However, some outpatient clinics had low efficiency and they needed specialized outcome improvement strategies. To increase the efficiency of inefficient outpatient clinics, we will recommend using results of DEA, as a benchmark point of the most efficient outpatient clinics.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.385-396
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• 2020

Teachers are facing various job demands with psychosocial aspects being fundamental due to the nature of the occupation. Although teachers' work is associated with different psychosocial health risks, little is known on how to identify and tackle those. Thus, a systematic literature search as per the PRISMA statement was conducted via MEDLINE (PubMed), PSYNDEX (PubPsych), and ScienceDirect. Two reviewers independently screened 2261 titles and abstracts and 169 full-texts. According to the inclusion criteria established a priori, articles from peer-reviewed journals (English or German) on psychosocial risk management in teachers were incorporated. Despite a comprehensive and sensitive search, only four publications could be identified, outlining a process to implement risk management and different assessment tools. Taken together, data presented in the articles were scarce. Recommendations for process steps and the assessment of psychosocial risks can be derived from the findings. To implement effective psychosocial risk management in the teaching profession, further research is needed, though. Effective and practicable approaches, which are accepted by the target group, should be further developed and investigated. Relevant causes of occupational strain in the teaching profession must be identified and assessed reliably. Low-threshold interventions should be implemented, and the outcome must be evaluated afterward.

• Korean Institute of Interior Design Journal
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.133-142
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• 2004

Recently, the Korean medical system changed with diversification & specialization and the field of medical service is also specialized in these days. And healing environment is proposed as a general concept in the hospital architecture. There is a trend that a establishment of women's hospital is increasing as specialized type. In difference from general hospital, they are providing specialized and integrated services in response to the women's disease and demand. Particularly, Outpatient department space in women's hospital has been changed in terms of area, shape and program. However, there used to be not enough research efforts of responding these changes. This study includes the Outpatient department of s women's hospital in the form of small and medium sized building over a certain level in Korea. And the methods of the study adopted the theoric examination based concept and features of women's hospital, the abstraction of distinctions in the Outpatient department through the analysis of the drawing, and the analysis of distinctions in the Outpatient department of women's hospital with the structural space classified and the analysis of space relation. Therefore, the purpose of this is to study investigates and analyzes the spatial characteristics of the Outpatient department space in women's hospital through a analysis of case study. To conclude, the space composition can be classified into the entry space, the clinic space for patients, the support space of patients' check-up, the reception and waiting space, the rest and convenience space, and the link space in the Outpatient department of women's hospital. The level space can account for the waiting space type, the clinic office type, the type based on the relation between the waiting room and the clinic office with its features. As a result, the results will be applied for the planning & design for the future women's hospital.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.196-210
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• 2024

Background: In January 2018, revised elderly fixed outpatient copayment for the elderly were implemented. When people ages 65 years and older receive outpatient treatment at clinic-level medical institutions (clinic, dental clinic, Korean medicine clinic), with medical expenses exceeding 15,000 won but not exceeding 25,000 won, their copayment rates have decreased differentially from 30%. This study aimed to examine the changes of health utilization of elderly after revised elderly fixed outpatient copayment. Methods: We used Korea health panel data from 2016 to 2018. The time period is divided into before and after the revised elderly fixed outpatient copayment. We conducted Poisson segmented regression to estimate the changes in outpatient utilization and inpatient utilization and conducted segmented regression to estimate the changes in medical expenses. Results: Immediately after the revised policy, the number of clinic and Korean medicine outpatient visits of medical expenses under 15,000 won decreased. But the number of clinic outpatient visits in the range of 15,000 to 20,000 won and Korean medicine clinic in the range of 20,000 to 25,000 won increased. Copayment in outpatient temporarily decreased. The inpatient admission rates and total medical expenses temporarily decreased but increased again. Conclusion: We confirmed the temporary increase in outpatient utilization in the medical expense segment with reduced copayment rates. And a temporary decrease in medical expenses followed by an increase again. To reduce the burden of medical expense among elderly in the long run, efforts to establish chronic disease management policies aimed at preventing disease occurrence and deterioration in advance need to continue.

• Journal of The Korean Dental Society of Anesthesiology
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.95-102
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• 2013

Background: Sedation or outpatient general anesthesia is a necessary method for a successful dental treatment for children and the disabled who have a difficulty of cooperation. The aim of this study was to assess the patients who had dental treatment under sedation or outpatient general anesthesia at department of pediatric dentistry, Chonnam national university dental hospital and Gwangju dental clinic for the disabled. Methods: 875 patients who had sedation from January 2009 to September 2013 and 88 patients who had outpatient general anesthesia after May 2011 were assessed for this study. Patient's distribution and treatment patterns were examined. Results: The number of patients has been increasing in both sedation and outpatient general anesthesia. In case of sedation, the proportion of male patients was higher and 4-6 years age group was the highest. Most patients have resided in Gwangju buk-gu and the percentage of restorative treatment was the highest. In case of outpatient general anesthesia, the proportion of male patients was higher than that of sedation. Two groups, 10-19 and 20-29 years age, consisted most of patient. Most patients have resided in Gwangju buk-gu and Jeollanam-do, and the percentage of periodontic and preventive treatment was the highest. Conclusions: Sedation or outpatient general anesthesia for dental treatment has been increasing for children and the disabled who have a difficulty of cooperation. Therefore, it is important to improve treatment environment under sedation and general anesthesia through continuous research and studies.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.53-62
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• 2023

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships of serum folate (vitamin B9), cobalamin (vitamin B12) levels and diet with semen parameters (semen standard parameters [SSP] and DNA fragmentation index [DFI]) in infertile men. Methods: Sperm samples were assessed for SSP and DFI (using the sperm chromatin dispersion test). Serum vitamin concentrations were measured with an immuno-electrochemiluminescence assay, and men completed a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Results: Serum folate levels were positively correlated with sperm progressive motility and DFI. A comparison of SSP between two groups of patients according to serum folate concentration (B9 <4.840 ng/mL and B9 ≥4.840 ng/mL) showed significantly higher sperm concentration and sperm progressive motility in the latter group. However, there was no difference between these groups regarding DFI. Interestingly, serum folate levels were significantly higher in patients with a high DFI (using the cut-offs of 30% or 18%). FFQ data showed that the consumption of fruits and egg yolk correlated positively with sperm concentration and sperm motility, respectively. Conclusion: Serum folate levels showed significant associations with sperm concentration and sperm progressive motility. However, the positive association of serum folate with DFI raises the need for careful prescription of folate supplements.

• The Journal of the Korean dental association
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.49-57
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• 2018

The most widely used method of pain control in dental practice is to block the pathway of painful impulses by local anesthesia. For a maximum effect of pain control at outpatient minor operation, regional anesthesia including nerve block must be performed. This issue includes various dental local anesthetic techniques on mandible, maxilla and considerations for selection of dental local anesthetics according to patient's age, duration of operation. Additionally, current conscious sedation technique combined with local anesthesia will be introduced for control of patient's anxiousness. Based on patient's general condition, severity of operation, local anesthesia sometimes must be changed into general anesthesia to avoid failure of dental practice. The exact choice of anesthetic techniques for minor operations at dental outpatient clinic must not be underestimated for complete success of pain control.

• The Journal of Society for e-Business Studies
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.113-127
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• 2011

An RFID system has been widely applied in many areas over the initial SCM application. In the literature enormous RFID applications in healthcare are documented to improve patient safety, patient/provider logistics, and the efficiency of collecting data. Based on the proposed 4-layered RFID system architecture, we introduce a case that implemented an UHF passive RFID-based tracking system in an outpatient clinic. Particularly, we propose a method to process RFID data that contains noise and missing reads. The proposed method for processing unreliable RFID data is capable to locate the tag accurately and provide additional business information. We finally conclude the paper with identifying obstacles and what is necessary to ensure system reliability.

• Journal of The Korean Dental Society of Anesthesiology
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.133-140
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• 2011

Background: Dental treatment under outpatient general anesthesia is an option for disabled person, children and dentally disabled person who have the difficulty of cooperating voluntary with dental care. The aim of this study was to access the patients who had dental management under general anesthesia at Chungnam dental clinic for the disabled. Methods: This survey is consisted of 114 severely disabled and dentally disabled person who undergone dental treatment under general anesthesia from January to June 2011. Data were collected by individual dental and anesthesia records. Results: Of the 114 patients studies, the 45 patients was the dentally disabled and the 69 patients was the severely disabled. Rate of dental treatment among male patients was higher than among female patients. The dentally disabled was an similar age distribution. In the severly disabled, above 13-year-old was higher than below 12-year-old. The most popular induction method of general anesthesia was sevoflurane inhalation after induced sedative effect of nitrous oxide inhalation. The severly disabled who had definitely negative behavior was applied inhalation of high concentration sevoflurane. Conclusions: Chungnam Dental clinic for the disabled provide dental management for the disabled and the dentally disabled.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.185-189
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• 2016

Background: For treatment of pneumothorax in Korea, many institutions hospitalize the patient after chest tube insertion. In this study, a portable small-bore chest tube (Thoracic Egg; Sumitomo Bakelite Co. Ltd., Tokyo, Japan) was used for pneumothorax management in an outpatient clinic. Methods: Between August 2014 and March 2015, 56 pneumothorax patients were treated using the Thoracic Egg. Results: After Thoracic Egg insertion, 44 patients (78.6%) were discharged from the emergency room for follow-up in the outpatient clinic, and 12 patients (21.4%) were hospitalized. The mean duration of Thoracic Egg chest tube placement was 4.8 days, and the success rate was 73%; 20% of patients showed incomplete expansion and underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. For primary spontaneous pneumothorax patients, the success rate of the Thoracic Egg was 76.6% and for iatrogenic pneumothorax, it was 100%. There were 2 complications using the Thoracic Egg. Conclusion: Outpatient treatment of pneumothorax using the Thoracic Egg could be a good treatment option for primary spontaneous and iatrogenic pneumothorax.