• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.61-71
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• 2023

Objectives : This study aimed to investigate the recognition of coverage for Korean medicine treatments in private medical insurance among Korean medicine doctors (KMDs). Methods : Questionnaire reviewed by experts was performed to KMDs who were registered in the Association of Korean Medicine. The survey targeted awareness of private health insurance for Korean medicine, appropriate coverage, cost, and frequency. Results : Data were collected from 932 respondents out of 28,234 Korean medicine doctors. Most KMDs were aware of coverage for Korean medicine in private medical insurance, and they responded that pharmacopuncture and herbal decoction were covered first. KMDs also responded that the coverage should be provided without limited number of times, except herbal medicine. Conclusion : Most KMDs responded that Korean medical private medical insurance was essential. To promote the developing insurance for Korean medicine, survey for public and insurance company will be performed.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.38-52
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• 2020

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to suggest the main functions and implications of public hospitals to effectively respond to the future epidemic crisis based on analyzing the accessibility to designated Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) medical institutions of Seoul and examining the main features of the quarantine of Seoul municipal hospitals. Method: To analyze the response and function of Seoul municipal hospitals, we reviewed the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention ACT, 258 articles of Seoul Metropolitan Government press releases from January to the end of April, 48 articles of Seoul Metropolitan Government's daily newsletters, 2019 Health Bureau Budget report. We also referred to internal data of Seoul Children's Hospital, Seoul Seobuk Hospital, and Seoul Eunpyeong Hospital during the same period. Besides, the accessibility to medical institutions was analyzed by using the COVID-19 data which was announced daily basis. Results: The accessibility of COVID-19 patients living in the Southeastern part of Seoul to a medical institutions was 16.2km on a distance basis, and it was the lowest accessibility among four regions of Seoul since it took about 40 minutes by car. On the other hand, patients living in the Northeast part had the highest accessibility, as the access to medical institutions was 10.7km and 27 minutes by car. Also, the main functions of the municipal hospital of Seoul against COVID-19 were to shift the public hospital function to COVID-19 patients only hospitals, to perform the epidemiological investigation by medical doctors, and to support the operation of self-isolation facilities, community treatment centers and triage rooms of community health centers. Conclusion: Through the experience of COVID-19, we suggested that the functions of public hospitals will be reorganized as the reinforcement of infectious disease treatment and mental health for quarantined patients, cooperation with private hospitals, supporting for strengthening community health capacity and preparation for another epidemic.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.60-81
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• 2008

This thesis is written about the causes, the processes and the treatments of edema. It consists of 31 chapters. Covering 11 chapters, there are prescriptions and constructions. When one of the organs fails to work metabolizing water, you can have edema. It is the result of the accumulation of excess fluid under the skin. Edema most commonly occurs in the head facial, the palpebral portion, the feet and legs or all the body. Sometimes it is accompanied with ascites. There are three classifications in the thesis. First, according to the cause and the symptom of disease, it is divided into 5 types. Type 1. The swelling caused by the disorder of the lungs from the troubling wind. Type 2. The swelling caused by the weak spleen. Type 3. The swelling caused by abnormal condition between the kidneys and the lungs. Type 4. The swelling in abdomen caused by the weak kidneys. Type 5. The swelling (Yellow sweat) caused by the heat inside body as water outside. Second, the swelling and the abnormal symptom of five viscera. Third, the swelling accompanied with menstruation in female and with chilliness. In short, the original textbook is showed that the treatment of edema focuses on the cause and the region of fluid accumulation. When the swelling is in the upper body or the cause of diseaseis outside, the useless humidity can be expelled through sweating. On the other hand, when the swelling is in the lower body or the cause of disease is inside, it is pushed out by urination. In this book, the author presents further treatments. And these treatments are often cited by doctors after ages. Even one of them suggested that the swelling be divided by cosmic dual forces. In spite of many researches, it is too complicate for us to understand the writer’s intend. For that reason, comparing with other medical books and referring to guides explained by doctors, I have studied the textbook to help understand.

• Journal of Korea Association of Health Promotion
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.14-18
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• 2003

Although it has been well known that smokimg is one of the major cause of various disease and conditions, the smoking rate is still very high in Korea. A variety of smoking cessation program are provided by public organization and also by healthcare institutions. In this social enviroment, the smoker's intension and trial rates for smokimg cessation increasing, but it is also true that the succes rate is low about 30%. Therefore this study was conducted to suggest the strategies for providing the effective smoking cessation programs by exploring the factors related to recognition and behavioral intention or programs. To explain the health behavior for smoking and smoking cessation programs, the behavioral model was constructed. The model is composed of five-stages such as recognition of the program, past exprience, present smoking status, intention for smoking, and behavioral intention for cessation programs. It is results that there were very low recognition and and purchase rates for most of smoking cessation programs. Evidenced-based and effective smoking cessation progrms need to be encouraged to smokers by medical doctors, and the strategies of eucationm public realtions, and advertisement are recommended. In addition, cotinuing legal and systematic supports for smoking cessation would lower the smoking rate and ultimately ontribute to the nation;s health promotion, Recognitionm Behavioral Intention.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.302-310
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• 2024

Background: The prevalence of allergic rhinitis in South Korean adolescents is increasing. Adolescents in South Korea currently use liquid electronic cigarettes more than heated tobacco products. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the association between the use of liquid electronic cigarettes and allergic rhinitis diagnoses among South Korean adolescents. Methods: This study used data from the 17th Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey in 2021. Out of a total of 59,066 students, data from 18,869 students who had experience with liquid electronic cigarettes were used in the final analyses. Diagnoses of allergic rhinitis by medical doctors were self-reported as outcome variables. Results: For females, when comparing 'daily users' and 'current users' with 'never users', the adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for 'allergic rhinitis' were 2.20 (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.00~4.84) and 1.49 (95% CI, 1.07~2.09), respectively. For males, when comparing 'daily users' and 'current users' with 'never users', the adjusted ORs for 'allergic rhinitis' were 1.42 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.91~2.22) and 1.41 (95% CI, 1.08~1.84), respectively. Conclusions: The use of liquid electronic cigarettes was statistically significantly associated with increased odds of allergic rhinitis, especially for females. The results of this study will provide a useful scientific basis for establishing public health policy and using the educational data related to the use of liquid electronic cigarettes in the future.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.205-218
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• 2014

Background: Most studies on the national health insurance benefit expansion policy have focused on policy tools or decision-making process. Hence there was not enough understanding on how policies are actually implemented within the specific policy context in Korea which has a national mandatory health insurance system with a dominant proportion of private providers. The main objectives of this study is to understand the implementation process of the benefit coverage expansion policy. Unlike other implementation studies, we tried to examine both the process of implementation and decision making and how they interact with each other. Methods: Interviews were conducted with the ex-members of the Health Insurance Policy Review Committee. Medical doctors who implement the policy at the 'street-level' were also interviewed. To figure out major variables and the degree of their influences, the data were analyzed with Winter's Policy Implementation Model which integrates the decision making and implementation phases. Results: As predicted by the Winter model, problems in the decision making phase, such as conflicts among the members of committee, lack of applicable causal theories application of highly symbolic activities, and limited attention of citizen to the issue are key variables that cause the 'implementation failure.' In the implementation phase, hospitals' own financial interests and practitioners' dependence on the hospitals' guidance were barriers to meeting the policy goals of providing a better coverage for patients. Patients, the target group, tend to prefer physicians who prescribe more treatment and medicine. To note, 'fixers' who can link and fill the gap between the decision-makers and implementers were not present. Conclusion: For achieving the policy goal of providing a better and more coverage to patients, the critical roles of medical providers as street-level implementers should be noted. Also decision making process of benefit package expansion policy should incorporate its influence on the implementation phase.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.153-162
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• 2003

Objective : This study was conducted in order to investigate professional job perception, job stress and job satisfaction in doctors. Method : The authors conducted a survey using a self-administered questionnaire, conducted between August and September,2001. The study subjects were 457 doctors practicing at local clinics in Daegu City. Results : For the professionalism scale, the score for 'sense of calling to field' and 'feeling of autonomy' were relatively high, Age, working hours per day, and perception of socioeconomic status significantly influenced the professionalism scale scores (p<0.01). For the job stress scale, the scores for 'clinical responsibility/decision' factor were the highest of all the surveyed factors. Working hours per day significantly influenced the job stress scores (p<0.01). To investigate the overall relationship between the variables, the authors conducted a linear structural equation model analysis. The equation was statistically appropriate and a good fit. The job stress, and the professionalism factors, respectively influenced job satisfaction negatively and positively (T>2.0). The working hours per day and status perception also influenced their job satisfaction (T>2.0). Conclusion : To promote the iob satisfaction of doctors, the development of coping tools and other intervention methods are needed to increase doctor's professional job perception and reduce their job stress. Further studies are required to understand the characteristics of job satisfaction and for its promotion with doctors.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.34-45
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• 1992

In this county, the gap between the urban 'haves' and the rural 'have-nots' continues to be an increasing problem. WHO and UNICEF see primary health care(PHC) as the key to achieving an acceptable level of health throughout the world as a community development. PHC is essential health care made accessible to individuals and families in the community by means acceptable to them. It is the first level of contact of individual, the family, and community with the national health system. It includes at least education on health system. It includes at least education on health problems, promotion of food supply, MCH including family planning, immunization against infectious diseases, control of endemic diseases, treatment of common diseases and injuries, promotion of mental health, and provision of essential drugs. However, of the aboves, education concerning of mental health problems and the methods to identify, prevent, and control them is the principal step of establishment. In Korea, the category of PHC worker includes the physician as public doctor and nurse as primary health care practitioner and community health leader as village health worker. PHC workers of the aboves will thus function best if they are appropriately trained to respond to the health needs of the community. However in this country, since the national PHC service project launched in 1980, the government has not developed and performed appropriate and enough education and training activities. In light of above reasons, several categories of health education activities had been planned and performed being aimed at above specific target groups and the main focus was on the village health workers for about one year from July 1991 to July 1992 in Yeoju Kun of Kyonki Province. At the end of the period, evaluation of education input was carried out to measure the improvement of healthful life of people in terms of awareness, attitude, and practice. At the end of the period, evaluation of education input was carried out to measure the improvement of healthful life of people in terms of awareness, attitude, and practice. The totals of 80 village health workers, 13 public health practitioners and 9 public docters took in the course of health education for a few hours at every month and the evaluation works of educational effect were taken. The results the study were as follows. 1) Number of persons who realized the maxim "health care of the people is a duty of the government" increased after the education course, On the other hand, the rate of satisfaction on the effort of government for health promotion of the people decreased. 2) Public doctors and primary health care practitioners(nurses) liked and enjoyed the education schedule as a meeting of peer group. It provided chances of communication with staffs of Korea University Hospital. It was said that lectures covered great deal of knowledge and technic they urgently needed in the field. 3) After finishing the education course, more of village health workers(VHW) thought they adapted themselves to their roles and functions showing increased number of home visit and contact with primary health care practitioners by month. 4) In case of patient refer, VHW preferred primary health care practitioners to public doctors. 5) Capability of VHWs in most of their functions increased dramatically after when the education course finished except tuberculosis control.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.28 no.3 s.71
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• pp.244-260
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• 2007

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to provide lawmakers with basic data for the purpose of establishing a policy on health insurance for packed herbal medicine. Methods : To properly execute an insurance system for packed herbal medicine, we surveyed the following questions from May 1st to June 15th, 2006: (1)the way to pay the insurance benefits (2)specific impression (disease) names as related to insurance (3)the range of insurance coverage. We obtained answers from 304 Korea traditional doctors. Results : 89.4% respondents were agreed on execution of health insurance for packed herbal medicine. 93.86% respondents answered that the way to pay insurance benefits and the range of insurance coverage have to be changed properly. Most respondents answered that the coverage should be based on a specific disease being treated, not the current symptoms method which relates to the prescription. The execution of health insurance for packed herbal medicine is expected to increase the number of patients and make the Korean medical system more popular. Conclusion : The findings are expected to make it easier for the general public to get treatment by providing basic data with policy makers that will cover packed herbal medicine in insurance. Also, a proper Korea traditional health insurance program should be set up as soon as possible to widen the choice of medicine for the general public.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.33-52
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• 2009

Health promotion policies have needed to assess in detailed and evidence-based work to set a policy goal and clear future directions of health promotion in Korea. To identify the major factors related with health promotion, we assessed the associations between public health outcome (potential years of life loss, PYLL) and national health determinants. For this purpose, we used a pooled cross sectional time-series regression analysis with corrected fixed effect models involving sixteen member countries of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development during the period 1970 to 2001. The PYLL was positively associated with tobacco and alcohol consumption (model 1 and 2) and calories intake (model 2 and 3) while the PYLL was negatively associated with GDP, fruit and vegetable intake (model 2), number of doctors (model 3), coverage rates of health care security, and elderly population rates (model 4). In conclusion, health behaviors related with tobacco, alcohol, and nutrition were significant health determinants for health outcome. Overall analysis results of this study will provide a guidance toward improved macro- and micro-policy development for future health promotion policy in Korea.