• 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.

• 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.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.49-70
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• 2004

This study analyzes the effect of separation of dispensary from medical practice on hospital management performance. The results are as follow. The earning ratios of large size hospitals become deteriorated significantly after the separation of dispensary. The growth ratios of revenues from inpatient were unchanged, but the growth ratios of revenues from outpatient of large and middle size hospitals were decreased significantly. Hospitals can't sell the medicines to the outpatient after the separation of dispensary, but they can do to the outpatient. The labor cost ratios of small and large size hospitals are increased significantly after the separation of dispensary. There are two reasons for increase of labor cost ratios. One is the decrease of material cost ratio. The other is the increase of doctor's salary. The material cost ratios of every size hospital are decreased significantly after the separation of dispensary. Because medicines costs of outpatients are decreased. The labor cost and doctors' salary per patient of middle and large size hospitals are increased significantly after the separation of dispensary. And average treatment fees per day of inpatients of middle and large size hospitals are increased significantly after the separation of dispensary. But those of outpatients are decreased significantly. Average numbers of outpatients per bed of small and large hospitals are decreased significantly after the separation of dispensary. And average numbers of inpatients per bed of large hospitals are decreased significantly. In summary, as a consequence of separation of dispensary from medical practice, management performances of large size hospitals become deteriorated significantly.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.154-163
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• 2022

Background: The costliness index (CI) is an index that is used in various ways to improve the quality of medical care and the management of appropriate treatment in medical institutions. However, the current calculation method for CI has a limitation in reflecting the actual medical cost of the patient unit because the outpatient and inpatient costs are evaluated separately. It is desirable to calculate the CI by integrating the medical cost into the episode unit. Methods: We developed an episode-based CI method using the episode classification system of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to the National Inpatient Sample data in Korea, which can integrate the admission and ambulatory care cost to episode unit. Additionally, we compared our new method with the previous method. Results: In some episodes, the correlation between previous and episode-based CI was low, and the proportion of outpatient treatment costs in total cost and readmission rates are high. As a result of regression analysis, it is possible that the level of total medical costs of the patient unit in low volume medical institute and rural area has been underestimated. Conclusion: High proportion of outpatient treatment cost in total medical cost means that some medical institutions may have provided medical services in the ambulatory care that are ancillary to inpatient treatment. In addition, a high readmission rate indicates insufficient treatment service for inpatients, which means that previous CI may not accurately reflect actual patient-based treatment costs. Therefore, an integrated patient-unit classification system which can be used as a more effective CI indicator is needed.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.581-589
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• 1997

42 dentally handicapped patients who require general dental treatments but behavioral managements had been an obstacle to proper treatments were chosen and the author conducted dental treatment under outpatient general anesthesia. Followings are the conclusions 1. The average time for the treatment procedure was 2 hours and 1 minute and the average of 9.52 teeth were treated for individual patient indicating its high efficiency. 2. The average time for the recovery was 3 hours and 14 minutes and none of the patients showed any specific serious complications. 3. Treatments under outpatient general anesthesia can be a proper patient management method for the dentally handicapped patients if the patient selection is proper.

• 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.

• Health Communication
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.175-183
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• 2018

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare communication competence, nursing professionalism, work environment and job satisfaction between outpatient nurses and ward nurses, and to identify the correlation among variables. Methods: The participants were 90 outpatient nurses and 98 ward nurses at the two general hospitals. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, ${\chi}^2-test$, independent t-test and Pearson's correlation coefficient. Results: There were statistically significant differences between two groups in nursing professionalism, possibilities for development, commitment to the workplace, social support from colleagues, social community at work and job satisfaction, outpatient nurses showed higher level than ward nurses except commitment to the workplace. The work environment variables and nurses' job satisfaction were mostly correlated. Job satisfaction showed significant negatively correlated with quantitative demands, emotional demands and role conflicts in both groups nurses. Conclusion: These findings showed that nursing work environments were the most important factor for job satisfaction of both group nurses. Therefore, it is necessary to put efforts in improving nursing work environment and to develop diverse strategies for human resource management.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.315-323
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• 2017

Background: This study was purposed to analyze the effect of spatial accessibility to the psychiatry department in general hospital on the outpatient visit of mental patients. Methods: Data was provided from the Statistics Korea and Statistical Geographic Information Service, National Health Insurance Service, Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, and Korea Transport Institute in 2015. The study regions were 103 administrative regions such as Si and Gu. The 103 regions had at least one general hospitals with a psychiatry department. The number of outpatient visit of mental patients in regions was used as the dependent variable. Spatial accessibility to mental general hospital was used as the independent variable. Control variables included such as demographic, economic, and health medical factors. This study used network analysis and multi-variate regression analysis. Network analysis by ArcGIS ver. 10.0 (ESRI, Redlands, CA, USA) was used to evaluate the average travel time and travel distance in Korea. Multi-variate regression analysis was conducted by SAS ver. 9.4 (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA). Results: Travel distance and time had significant effects on the number of outpatient visits in mental patients in general hospital. Average travel time and travel distance had negative effects on the number of visits. Variables such as (number of total population, percentage of aged population over 65, and number of mental general hospital) had significant effects on the number of visit in mental patients. Conclusion: Health policy makers will need to consider the spatial accessibility to the mental healthcare organization in conducting regional health planning.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.3-11
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• 2018

Purpose: This study utilized a strong quasi-experimental design to test the hypothesis that the implementation of a policy to expand dental care services resulted in an increase in the usage of dental outpatient services. Methods: A total of 45,650,000 subjects with diagnoses of gingivitis or advanced periodontitis who received dental scaling were selected and examined, utilizing National Health Insurance claims data from July 2010 through November 2015. We performed a segmented regression analysis of the interrupted time-series to analyze the time-series trend in dental costs before and after the policy implementation, and assessed immediate changes in dental costs. Results: After the policy change was implemented, a statistically significant 18% increase occurred in the observed total dental cost per patient, after adjustment for age, sex, and residence area. In addition, the dental costs of outpatient gingivitis treatment increased immediately by almost 47%, compared with a 15% increase in treatment costs for advanced periodontitis outpatients. This policy effect appears to be sustainable. Conclusions: The introduction of the new policy positively impacted the immediate and long-term outpatient utilization of dental scaling treatment in South Korea. While the policy was intended to entice patients to prevent periodontal disease, thus benefiting the insurance system, our results showed that the policy also increased treatment accessibility for potential periodontal disease patients and may improve long-term periodontal health in the South Korean population.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.37-49
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• 2016

The purpose of this study is to investigate the level of competition between Public Health Centers (PHCs) and private clinics (PCs) by examining the number of patients that used PHCs vs. PCs, estimating the total amount of revenue generated from outpatient services at both PHCs and PCs, thereby analyzing the financial impacts on PCs derived from the PHCs. We utilized 2011 National Inpatient Sample data (NIS). Using the 20 table containing general information on each individual claims, we integrate it with the 40 table which contains all the diagnostic codes for each claim. Then, we disaggregate the bundled claims into the original individual claims. Overall, 3.1% of outpatient visits are made at PHCs while the rest was made at the PCs (96.9%). Among the total claim costs of 6.34 billion USD (as of 2011), PHCs occupy 2.0% (124 million USD), and 98.0% are contributed to PCs (6.21 billion USD). The estimated economic losses of PCs due to PHCs are summarized as follow; the maximum potential loss is estimated at 198 million USD in total and 7,099 USD per clinic when we include all patient types; the minimum loss is estimated at 71 million USD in total and 2,540 USD per clinic where Medical Aid recipients and the elderly (aged 65 and over) are excluded. Our results confirm the potential economic effect on PCs due to PHCs providing outpatient services. PCs and PHCs are the most important players providing primary care in Korea. Unnecessary competition between PCs and PHCs is not desirable. Health authorities should carefully examine the healthcare services currently provided by PHCs and their impacts on PCs.