• Korean Medical Education Review
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.18-34
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• 2022

The purpose of this study is to clarify the background of the controversial attempt to establish a new public medical school linked to compulsory service as a means of strengthening public healthcare in Korea, and to raise anticipated problems with possible solutions. In Korea, healthcare is predominantly provided by the private sector focused on medical care, rather than public healthcare, even under the national health insurance system. The government has been mainly in charge of public health and unmet medical services from a residual perspective, but health inequalities still exist. To resolve this issue, the government created the concept of public health and medical service (PHMS) from a universal perspective and tried to strengthen the infrastructure of public healthcare and to foster core PHMS doctors by establishing a new public medical school linked to compulsory service in medically vulnerable areas. This study investigated the reality and concept of the new public medical school planned by the government, and identified problems such as the possibility of obtaining accreditation and evaluation before its establishment, the side effects of dividing doctors' roles, the waste of huge amounts of resources, and insensitive policies. In conclusion, in order to resolve health inequalities in Korea, we need to train doctors through medical school education that strengthens the social responsibility of doctors along with strengthening public healthcare infrastructure, and to provide a better environment for doctors working in medically vulnerable areas through sophisticated policies.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.70-103
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• 1995

The aim of this study sets out to discover a desirable form of public centers among the alternative ones and make a health center model. Especially, this study attempts; (i) to investigate factors that affect the performance of health centers; (ii) carry out cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) for the various type of health centers; (iii) identify innovative strategies to increase the use of health center. Cost-effectiveness analysis is used to compare the performance of all the centers. The following is taken to create the index. Wi = Ti x Mi x Eij (Wi: weight for service item I, Ti : time spent for service I, Mi ; number of health personnel involved in service I, Eij : years of schooling for personnel j in providing service I). As a result of these analyses, policy options as follows are recommended; (i) proper manpower, especially public health physician (oriental medical doctor), should be enough to provide health care adequately; (ii) facilities ad equipments in the health center should be provided sufficiently. (iii) the utilization of health centers should be raised by active operation of mobil service, community participation and health education program. Ultimately health centers in public sector are to be fostered for the promotion of health care by enhancing the financial and quality, continuity and efficiency of health services.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.39-56
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• 2012

Objectives: This paper aims to discuss the current situation of and future directions for health promotion practice(HPP) and research in private sectors in Korea. Methods: Publications and web-site information of public health organizations, WHO-Health Promoting Hospitals member institutes, health/medical academic societies, and professional unities were collected and reviewed. Activities of Korea Association of Health Promotion(KAHP) were described in detail considering its leading role in health examination and promotion field in Korea. Results: The most common HPPs in private sectors were health education and public health campaigns for the prevention and management of diseases. Tailored health promotion programs for lifestyle changes and longitudinal follow-ups were the routine process for managing high risk groups at KAHP. Health promotion research in private sectors have focused on identifying health problems and behavioral determinants, and planning, implementing and evaluating health promotion programs. The most serious issues in HPPs of the private sectors were limited budget and manpower along with a lack of public recognition and a system-level support. Conclusion: To promote HPPs and research in private sectors, a system for financial sustainability should be introduced. They also need scientific evidence from research. 'Borderline medicine', a discipline specialized in management of high risk borderline group, could lead HPPs to sustainable private practices.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.53-56
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• 2013

Background: It is known that blood group antigens are related to the development of peptic ulcer and gastric carcinoma. Infections due to H. pylori are most widespread among the developing regions due to poor standard of public health. This study sought to determine the association of H. pylori with ABO blood groups, age, gender, and smoking status among inpatients at a public sector hospital in Karachi. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at endoscopy suite at a public sector hospital in Karachi in the year 2011. All the symptomatic patients coming for upper GIT endoscopy were included in this study. Results: Biopsy for histopathology was taken from 93 patients, with an age range from 15-65 years. Age group of 15 to 20 years was found to be associated with H. pylori infection but without significance (p-value 0.83). In all, 36 (38.7%) turned out to be H. pylori positive with a significant male preponderance (p=0.04). Distribution of ABO blood groups in H. pylori positive group were A=31.4%, B=15.4%, AB=25.0% and O=53.7%, with a statistically significant link for blood group O (p=0.05). Rhesus factor was also compared but significant relationship was evident (p-value 0.73). Conclusions: This study demonstrated that H. pylori infection can be related to ABO blood group, middle age persons and male gender. People of blood group O are more prone to develop infection related gastritis, ulcers, and even perforations, so they should be more cautious against transmission of the bacterium.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.240-246
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• 2017

Objectives: This study was conducted to evaluate the vulnerability of the human health sector to $PM_{10}$ due to climate change in Incheon over the period of 2005-2014. Methods: Vulnerability to $PM_{10}$ consists of the three categories of climate exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. The indexes for climate exposure and sensitivity indicate positive effects, while adaptive capacity shows a negative effect on vulnerability to $PM_{10}$. The variables in each category were standardized by the rescaling method, and respective relative regional vulnerability was analyzed through the vulnerability index calculation formula of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Results: Regions with a high exposure index were the western and northern urban areas with industrial complexes adjacent to a highway, including Bupyong-gu and Seo-gu. Major factors determining the climate exposure index were the $PM_{10}$ concentration, days of $PM_{10}$ >= $100{\mu}g/m^3$, and $PM_{10}$ emissions. The regions showing a high sensitivity index were urban regions with high populations; these commonly had a high mortality rate for related diseases and vulnerable populations. Conclusions: This study is able to support regionally adjusted adaptation policies and the quantitative background of policy priority since it provides information on the regional health vulnerability to $PM_{10}$ due to climate change in Incheon.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2002

The proportion and role of public sector in health care industry is very small in Korea. Asymmetric distribution of health care resources is one of the major health care concerns. This issue is so important that it raises a question of accessibility, availability, continuity of care and equity of rural area people's health care utilization. To solve these problems and to satisfy the basic demand of oriental medical service in rural areas, the oriental public health doctors were placed in rural health centers since 1998. The main objectives of this study are twofold: to measure the cognition and attitude of health center directors on the strategies for utilizing oriental public health doctors and to provide basic data for improving the health manpower management program. Data have been collected by way of the self-administrative questionnaires. Developing the questionnaire, the literature review on the previous studies and delphi method were carried out. The response rate was 38.7%. The results of this study are summarized as follows; 1. community people respond positively on the oriental medical service activity in health center. 2. In regard to workloads of oriental public health doctor, 'appropriate' was 81.1% and 'burdensome' was 18.2%, respectively. 3. The 94.0% of respondents thought that the oriental medical service will be continued. 4. To activate oriental medical service in health center, the sufficient budget and provision of aid workers is a necessity. 5. The 75.5% of health center directors respond positively on the allocation of oriental public health doctor to health sub-centers. 6. Health center directors agreed that oriental public health doctor should perform the clinical service as well as prevention and health promotion activity. These results recommend that oriental medical service in health center should be continued gradually, and oriental public health doctors working at health center perform their work efficiently. Undoubtedly, their activity should be more focused on health promotion and disease prevention than daily patient care. For achieving this objective, more support of governmental policy is essential for utilizing oriental public health doctor and better health of the rural area community people.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.398-405
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• 2023

Background: Starting from March 2020 until December 2021, different phases of Covid-19 pandemic have been identified in Italy, with several containing/lifting measures progressively enforced by the National government. In the present study, we investigate the change in occupational risk during the subsequent pandemic phases and we propose an estimate of the incidence of the cases by economic sector, based on the analysis of insurance claims for compensation for Covid-19. Methods: Covid-19 epidemiological data available for the general population and injury claims of workers covered by the Italian public insurance system in 2020-2021 were analyzed. Monthly Incidence Rate of Covid-19 compensation claims per 100,000 workers (MIRw) was calculated by the economic sector and compared with the same indicator for general population in different pandemic periods. Results: The distribution of Covid-19 MIRw by sector significantly changed during the pandemic related to both the strength of different waves and the mitigation/lifting strategies enforced. The level of occupational fraction was very high at the beginning phase of the pandemic, decreasing to 5% at the end of 2021. Healthcare and related services were continuously hit but the incidence was significantly decreasing in 2021 in all sectors, except for postal and courier activities in transportation and storage enterprises. Conclusion: The analysis of compensation claim data allowed to identify time trends for infection risk in different working sectors. The claim rates were highest for human health and social work activities but the distribution of risk among sectors was clearly influenced by the different stages of the pandemic.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.241-249
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• 2007

Health education aims at behavior change rather than just delivering health knowledge to people. In Korea health education activities in public sector began in 1960 and they were included in the primary prevention program in communities. This article reviewed current health education programs in healthy living practice programs provided by local public health centers in Korea and drew implications for the future role of health education in community setting. Health education has been a core function of the National Health Promotion programs in the nation since the enactment of the National Health Promotion Law in 1995. The National Health Promotion programs are funded by the National Health Promotion Fund which are drawn from tobacco tax. The National Health Promotion programs include healthy living practice programs (smoking prevention and cessation programs, moderate alcohol use programs, physical activity promotion programs, and nutrition programs), chronic disease prevention programs, oral health programs and public hygiene programs. Methods of the National Health Promotion programs include health education, health counseling, health class, health information management, survey and research. Smoking prevention and cessation programs include smoking cessation clinic, smoking cessation education, non-smoking environment program, and non-smoking campaign. Moderate alcohol use programs include alcohol use education, moderate alcohol use campaign, alcohol use counseling, and alcohol free environment programs. Physical activity promotion programs include obesity control, targeted exercise program, and exercise civic group programs. Nutrition programs include nutrition management, obesity management, nutrition education, breakfast eating program, and nutrition counseling and treatment programs. The health education programs in community are not efficient today because there are many overlapping contents and short term goals. Community health education programs needs to be more comprehensive. Workforce development is another big issue at the moment because the National credential program will begin in 2009. Variety of community health education programs should be developed and funded by the national health promotion fund.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2022

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the impact of fear and perception of infection risk on depression among service workers during prolonged Covid-19 service, and to provide basic data on the impact of COVID-19 prevention on the psychological health of service workers. Methods: Data were collected from workers nationwide from May 24 to 31, 2021. The data were analyzed using the t-test, ANOVA, Scheffé test, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and multiple regression analysis, using SPSS 28. Results: It was found that 44.3% of the participants experienced depression (PHQ-9 total scores ≥ 10) during the Covid-19 pandemic. The general characteristics of service workers that made a difference in the level of depression were health status, smoking, and perception of infection risk. Conclusion: Social support from institutions is needed to treat depression caused by Covid-19 among workers in the service sector.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.1-25
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• 2003

The wave of globalisation initiated by marketisation has increasingly penetrated into all sectors across the world, accordingly, the health & hospital service sector could not be made no escapes, and it currently faces the order of more marketised competition more than ever. Traditionally, the characteristic of the hospital services in the UK has considered as a model of social provision by government. However, contrary to our knowledge, the sphere of the hospital service in the UK has already been immersed in by the marketisation, in which the private actors have been embedded in order to tweak the activities of the hospital service with in the European Union. As the methodology of this research, the qualitative analysis, namely the interview with some doctors in Surgery, NHS Trusts staffs and relevant specialists in has been performed on April to May, 2003. And on the other hand, the various documents related to its service have been analysed. Thus, this paper will review the characteristics of the health service sector in the UK. In doing so, it will illuminate what would be the structural factors derived from its existing system, as a result, it will shed light on how the UK government makes an effort to resolve the problematic situation by reviewing the policy direction of Foundation Hospital proposed recently. In the next stage, it will analyse how all elements consist of the hospital management in the UK has been adjusted and be likely to be changed within Europe. More specifically focuses on how the private hospital service has been managed and related with the activities of its public hospital service-NHS Trusts. Also, under the circumstance, what private health insurance companies function will be studied. In conclusion, it will be concluded that what will be the implication of Korean hospital service market so as to correspond to globally open market by WTO. Now the UK health service system has faced a turning point of becoming more health care market internally and externally pressed by global and regional factors. Thus it is meaningful to scrutinize how a key part of social provision in the health care market system tends to adjust to globally marketised regulation.