• Title/Summary/Keyword: Public health doctors

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Health Economic Approach to End-of-Life Care in the US: Based on Medicare (말기의료의 경제적 요소에 관한 논의: 미국 메디케어 상황을 중심으로)

  • Suk, Ryan
    • The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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    • v.15 no.1
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    • pp.335-373
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    • 2014
  • According to one Medicare report, in the US, total federal spending on health care expends almost 18 percent of the nation's GDP, about double what most industrialized nations spend on health care. And in 2011, Medicare spending reached close to $554 billion, which amounted to 21 percent of the total spent on U.S. health care in that year. Of that $554 billion, Medicare spent 28 percent, or about $170 billion, on patients' last six months of life. So what are the reasons of this high cost in EOL care and its possible solutions? Much spendings of Medicare on End-of-Life care for the terminally ill/chronically ill in the US has led health economics experts to assess the characteristics of the care. Decades of study shows that EOL care is usually supply-sensitive and poor in cost-effectiveness. The volume of care is sensitively depending on the supply of resources, rather than the severity of illness or preferences of patients. This means at the End-of-Life care, the medical resources are being overused. On the other hand, opposed to the common assumption, "The more care the better utility", the study shows that the outcome is very poor. Actually the patient preference and concerns are quite the opposite from what intense EOL care would bring about. This study analyzes the reasons for the supply-sensitiveness of EOL care. It can be resulted from the common misconception about the intense care and the outcome, physicians' mission for patients, lack of End-of-Life Care Decision which helps the patients choose their own preferred treatment intensity. It also could be resulted from physicians' fear of legal liabilities, and the management strategy since the hospitals are also seeking for financial benefits. This study suggests the possible solutions for over-treatment at the End-of-Life resulting from supply-sensitiveness. Solutions can be sought in two aspects, legal implementation and management strategy. In order to implement advance directive properly, active ethics education for physicians to change their attitude toward EOL care and more conversations about end-of-life care between physicians and patients is crucial, and incentive system for the physicians who actively have the conversations with patients will also help. Also, the general education towards the public is also important in the long run, and easy and official advance directive registry system-such as online registry-has to be built and utilized more widely. Alternative strategies in management are also needed. For example, the new strategic cost management and management education, such as cutting unnecessary costs and resetting values as medical providers have to be considered. In order to effectively resolve the problem in EOL care for the terminally ill/chronically ill and provide better experience to the patients, first of all, the misconception and the wrong conventional wisdom among doctors, patients, and the government have to be overcome. And then there should be improvements in systems and cultures of the EOL care.

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A Study on the Development of an Independent Hospice Center Model (독립형 호스피스 센터 모델 개발에 관한 연구)

  • No, Yu-Ja;Han, Sung-Suk;Kim, Myeong-Ja;Yu, Yang-Suk;Yong, Jin-Seon;Jeon, Gyeong-Ja
    • Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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    • v.30 no.5
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    • pp.1156-1169
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    • 2000
  • The study was aimed at developing an independent hospice center model that would be best suited for Korea based on a literature review and the current status of local and international hospices. For the study, five local and six international hospice organizations were surveyed. Components of the hospice center model include philosophy, purpose, resources (workers, facilities, and equipment), allocation of resources, management, financial support and hospice team service. The following is a summary of the developed model: Philosophies for the hospice center were set as follows: based on the dignity of human life and humanism, help patients spend the rest of their days in a meaningful way and accept life positively. On the staff side, to pursue a team-oriented holistic approach to improve comfort and quality of life for terminally ill persons and their families. The hospice center should have 20 beds with single, two, and four bed rooms. The center should employ, either on a part-time or full-time basis, a center director, nurses, doctors, chaplains, social workers, pharmacists, dieticians, therapists, and volunteers. In addition, it will need an administrative staff, facility managers and nurses aides. The hospice should also be equipped with facilities for patients, their families, and team members, furnished with equipment and goods at the same level of a hospital. represented by a center director who reports to a board and an advisory committee. Also, the center director administers a steering committee and five departments, namely, Administration, Nursing Service, Social Welfare, Religious Services, and Medical Service. Furthermore, the center should be able to utilize a direct and support delivery systems. The direct delivery system allows the hospice center to receive requests from, or transfer patients to, hospitals, clinics, other hospice organizations (by type), public health centers, religious organizations, social welfare organizations, patients, and their guardians. On the other hand, the support delivery system provides a link to outside facilities of various medical suppliers. In terms of management, details were made with regards to personnel management, records, infection control, safety, supplies and quality management. For financial support, some form of medical insurance coverage for hospice services, ways to promote a donation system and fund raising were examined. Hospice team service to be provided by the hospice center was categorized into assessment, physical care, emotional care, spiritual care, bereavement service, medication, education and demonstrations, medical supplies rental, request service, volunteer service, and respite service. Based on the results, the study has drawn up the following suggestions: 1. The proposed model for a hospice center as presented in the study needs to be tested with a pilot project. 2. Studies on criteria for legal approval and license for a hospice center need to be conducted to develop policies. 3. Studies on developing a hospice charge system and hospice standards that meet local conditions in Korea need to be conducted.

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Development of a Community-Based Management System of Home-Stay Cancer Patients (지역사회 재가 암환자 관리 체계 구축 - 일 시 지역을 중심으로 -)

  • Kim, Boon-Han;Jung, Yun
    • Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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    • v.4 no.2
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    • pp.154-160
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    • 2001
  • Purpose : This study, as the first year project of setting up a community based management system, was attempted for the cancer patients and their family to improve their quality of life; investigating and managing the cancer patients, educating volunteers and connecting the patients with the volunteers were performed. Method and result : The education of managing cancer patients for the volunteers was done once in lune for 2 days to the 80 volunteers. Questions about education effect, volunteer motivation and so on were made up. The survey showed, generally, education satisfaction level was high and a longer education and an intensive course were needed and was suggested that organizing a volunteer community be needed for the continuous further education and systematic management. As the result, after the public health center and volunteers deliberated, a volunteer community consisting of 4 teams, 28 members was organized, launched in Oct. and operated for the cancer patients and their family. For investigating and enrolling the patients, advertising on a local information paper, recommending of local doctors, publicizing by educating the heads of a subdivision of the city, the heads of a neighborhood association and the people in charge of the related local communities such as women's society, and surveying the community by volunteers were performed and the total, 41 patients were registered. Management of cancer patients was carried out by volunteers in a community and in a nursing school. A regional volunteers' community is composed of 23 members and they have worked 87 times, that is 3.8 times per capita on an average. The content of duties is attending the education (41.1%) the most. A volunteers' community of nursing students composed of 12 members have worked 135 times, that is 11.3 times per capita on an average. The content of duties - consulting with patients and home visiting (37.8 %) were the most and survey for investigating the cancer patients was the second. Conclusion : This study has the meaning that this is the guiding attempt in building a community based management system, and especially the achievement of this study is that a regional society organized a volunteer community for the cancer patients by itself and went into action for the cancer patients and their family. Furthermore, to activate this volunteering, it is necessary to keep managing volunteers and running continuing education or the intensive course of the volunteers. Indeed we should let the patients have good impression on this program through publicity and education for the residents to keep track of more cancer patients. For that, systematic and powerful cooperation of a self-administrative organization is required.

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A Study on the Medical Ethics Education at Colleges of Korean Medicine (한의대 교과목으로서 의료윤리에 관한 고찰)

  • Lee, Jeong-Won;Lee, Hai-Woong
    • Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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    • v.22 no.2
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    • pp.13-24
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    • 2018
  • Objectives : According to the data from the 2016 Yearbook of Traditional Korean Medicine, 10 out of 12 medical schools of Korean medicine are offering medical ethics. Medical ethics has become essential in Korean medicine education, but there has been no agreement on the content of education yet, so initial discussions are necessary with respect to the content and methods of education. Methods : In this study, basic data were collected by searching papers, reports, books, and media articles on medical ethics related to Korean medicine education, and by studying the website of medical schools of Korean medicine nationwide. Based on the collected data, the status of medical ethics lectures were determined and compared with the current state of medical ethics lectures by western medical schools. The contents suitable for medical ethics education at medical schools of Korean medicine were discussed. Results : The topics of the medical ethics include: the basic concepts of medical ethics, the ethics of birth, the ethics associated with genetics, the ethics associated with death, and the ethics regarding doctor-patient interaction, the ethics of medical research, medical rationing ethics, ethics between medical staffs, medical law and ethics, philosophical base of medical ethics, ethics of doctor as professional, and moral personality formation of doctor. The contents of medical ethics in traditional Korean medicine reflected views on the human body and life based on "Huangdi's Internal Classic"and medical ethics from the viewpoints of Buddhism and Confucianism. Conclusions : Medical schools of Korean medicine are medical training institutions, and medical ethics education is essential to become a Korean medicine doctor as professional worker, medical practitioner, and biomedical researcher. There is no fundamental difference in the basic principles of medical ethics in both western and Korean medicine, and there are differences in contents depending on the clinical practice. The contents of medical ethics on clinical practice should be modified for Korean medicine doctors, and traditional Korean medicine ethics would be set up upon that. In the national licensing examination, medical ethics needs to be added as one part so that all the ethical problems related to the clinical situation can be solved.

A Study on the Development of a Clinical Pathway of Korean Medicine for the Management of Patients with Ankle Sprain (족관절염좌 환자 관리를 위한 한의표준임상경로 개발 연구)

  • Yoon, Sangdo;Song, Mi-Yeon;Chung, Won-Seok;Kim, Hyungsuk;Shin, Woo-Chul;Kim, Taeoh;Cho, Whi-Sung;Seo, Yeonho;Seo, Sangwoo;Seo, Joonwon;Kang, Junhyuk;Yu, Seung-Ho;Kim, Seyun;Cho, Jae-Heung
    • Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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    • v.32 no.3
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    • pp.141-151
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    • 2022
  • Objectives The purpose of this study is to improve the accessibility of Korean medicine by standardizing managements, improving quality of medical services, and reducing medical costs in ankle sprain by develop clinical pathway (CP). Methods The development of CP in this study is based on clinical practice guideline (CPG) for ankle sprain, and aims to maximize the quality of treatment, such as reducing treatment time and medical costs, and increasing patient satisfaction through standardized pathway. The CP was revised after consultation and review by the advisory committee. The advisory committee is consisted of a stakeholder group applying the CP. Results In previous research studies, there were no Korean medicine CP studies on ankle sprain. Based on CPG for ankle sprain and analysis of medical records, 6 types of time task matrix type CP (for Korean medicine doctors, medical assistant, patients) and 4 types of algorithm type CP (for Korean medicine clinics, Korean medicine hospitals, and cooperative practicing hospitals, public medical centers) were derived as a result. Conclusions Ankle sprain CP is expected to not only increase patient satisfaction and maximize the quality of treatment, but also reduce the financial burden of health insurance by reducing medical costs.

Hospice System Improvement Measures to Increase the Accessibility of Voluntary Home Death: A Comparison of the South Korean and American Hospice Systems (자택임종 증가를 위한 호스피스제도 개선 방안: 한국과 미국의 호스피스제도 비교를 중심으로)

  • Han, Da-Jeong;Choi, Young-Soon;Lee, Dong-Hyun
    • The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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    • v.22 no.6
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    • pp.567-579
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    • 2022
  • The purpose of this study is to find a way to improve the hospice system to increase comfortable home death, which people prefer, by understanding the factors affecting the difference in the rate of home death between South Korea and America within the hospice system. This study employs the Most Similar Systems Design, which is a case study approach. The result of this study is that both countries have public health insurance systems that are identical in terms of the appropriate time for the receipt of hospice services and the application procedure, which requires that two doctors confirm the patient's hospice eligibility. The main difference is that in South Korea, inpatient hospice is prevalent, whereas routine home care is predominant in the United States. Furthermore, in the United States, hospice assistants and housekeepers support at-home daily living care. Additionally, the United States provides inpatient respite care to allow care-giver, such as family to rest and there is no restriction on hospice-eligible diseases. To increase the accessibility of voluntary home death in South Korea, it is necessary to activate and expand the home type hospice service range and provide at-home daily living care, care-giver support services. Furthermore, there should be no restrictions on hospice-eligible diseases.

일부 농촌지역의 결핵 치료 환자에 대한 실태 조사에 관한 연구

  • 이재희
    • Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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    • v.1 no.1
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    • pp.85-94
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    • 1970
  • This is a study of 21 tuberculosis patients receiving medical treatment at the Public Health Center in Kyongi Do, Pu Chun Gun and at the General Hospital. The results cover the findings of the period from May, 1969 to November 1970. The information obtained is based on personal interviews with the patients, and symptomatic diagnosis made from observations. The following statistics when not equalling 100% contain only the responses of the two extremes in each case. The findings of the research are as follows: 1. 52.3% of the patients in the study are males and 47.7% are females. 28.6% of the subjects are between 20 and 29 years of age and an equal percent are between 30 and 39 years. 2. 47.5% of the subjects had graduated from primary school, while only 4.8% had graduated from high school. 3. 57.1% of the patients said they had no religions beliefs, while 4.8% professed to being Buddhists or believing in superstition. 4. 47.3% of the people said they were unemployed, while 4.8% classified themselves as labourers. 5. In response to how tuberculosis was first detected in their respective cases, 52.6% became aware of their disease through X-ray results, while 4.8% were discovered to have tuberculosis when being treated for other diseases at the hospital. 6. When asked how many of the patients knew anything about their disease when treated, 57.1% knew nothing about tuberculosis when they received treatment, while 42.9% had some knowledge of the disease. 7. Of those who knew something about tuberculosis, 61.9% learned about from doctors and nurses, while 4.8% learned from other people. 8. 57.1% of the patients knew that tuberculosis is a communicable disease, while 42.9% did not know. 9. 52.4% of the patients did not know the cause of tuberculosis while 4.9% believed the disease was caused by a curse. 10. When asked about the extent of treatment, 52.4% responded that they had undergone continuous treatment, while 4.8% had not received treatment. 11.The reasons given for not continuing treatment were the following: economic factors 55.6%; side reactions to the treatment, lack of knowledge of how to get treatment, of the need for treatment, or of the positive effects of treatment 11.1%. 12. 61.9% of the subjects usually took the medical treatment at home, 9.5% took it in the mountains or at the beach. 13. 42.9% of the patients received drugs for treatment at the local public health center, while 4.8% received them at the hospital 14. 33.3% of the patients received P.A.S+I.N.H.+S.M. for treatment of tuberculosis, while 4.8% received P.A.S.+S.M.. and some secondary drug. 15. Of the patients who took some extra medicine for tuberculosis, 38.1% took a Chinese drug, while 9.5% took herb medicine. 16. 38.1% of the patients had continued treatment for three years, 4.8% had interrupted the treatment. 17. When asked about the development of the disease after treatment, the patients gave the following information: after one month, 90.5% thought the treatment helped, while 9.5% weren't sure; after one year, 55.6% thought it was good, while 5.5% thought it was not; after three years, 63.6% had a very bad condition. while 4.8% didn't know. 18. 61.9% of the patients were unconcerned about covering their mouths when they coughed, while 38.1% covered their mouths. 19. 57.2% were unconcerned they spit, while 23.8% spit into a waste basket. 20. 66.7% were unconcerned about sterilizing tableware, while 9.5% handled it separately. 21. 66.7% were unconcerned about ventilating their room, while 9.5% ventilated the room twice a week.

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A study for the factors on choosing hospitals and patients satisfaction between Geriatric Hospitals and General Hospitals (노인병원과 종합병원의 선택요인 및 환자만족도 분석)

  • Yoon, Seo-Jung;Yu, Seung-Hum;Kim, Young-Hoon;Lee, Ji-Jeon
    • Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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    • v.9 no.2
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    • pp.46-75
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    • 2004
  • This research anticipated on acknowledging the inpatients factors in choosing which hospital for the geriatric hospital and general hospital they would prefer to go to the analization of different factors in patients satisfaction, and the relation between satisfactory standards and the patients intentions on recommendation or re-visiting the hospital. The statistical data was based upon the 359 question and answer papers that were done by inpatients that were hospitalized in two geriatric hospitals and two general hospitals, and the methods used for analyzing were frequency, t-test, factor analysis, and hierarchical multiple regression. The results are as follows. 1. The factors on choosing hospitals between geriatric hospital and general hospitals were different. The priority for the geriatrics was kindness, and then considerate nursing, and the reliance of treatment. The patients of general hospitals looked first for reliance of treatment, reputation and history of the hospital, and the kindness of the staff. The kindness of the staff, good nursing, and easy procedures were the primary factors of choosing geriatric hospital. 2. The four primary factors in choosing which hospital patients would go to were the predominance of the facilities, kindness and convenience, the reliance and proximity of medical treatment, and recommendation. The patients in the geriatric hospital first looked for kindness and convenience, second the reliance and proximity of medical treatment, third predominance of facilities, and last recommendation. The general hospitals main priority was the reliance and proximity of medical care, second predominance of facilities, kindness and hospitality, and last recommendation. 3. The satisfaction rate was higher in the geriatric hospital compared to general hospitals, but the satisfactory of factors were very similar. Patients in the geriatric hospital were pleased with the hospital staffs kindness, quick nursing and the improvement of inconvenient matters, and clear diagnosis of the doctors. The general hospital patients were satisfied with the hospital staffs clear explanation and accurate diagnosis 4. The analysis in the satisfactory factors turned out to be the environment of the hospital, kindness of the staff, and convenience. Both the patients of the geriatric hospital and general hospitals were very pleased with the kindness of the hospital staff. Ranking second and third was convenience and service for the geriatric hospital, and environment of the hospital and convenience for the general hospital. 5. According to a rank of multiple recurrent analysis of the patients satisfaction and the intention of re-visiting in addition to intention of solicitation, in the case of a geriatric hospital, when the intention of re-visiting is the dependent variable, the first stage shows that the less insurance the patient has, the higher was the intention of re-visiting. In the second stage, the more satisfied the patient is of the staffs kindness, the higher was the intention of re-visiting. Further more, when the intention of solicitation is the dependent variable, the first stage shows that not all the independent variables were significant, but the second stage shows that the more satisfied the patient is of the staffs kindness and the hospital along with the medical treatment expenses, the higher was the intention of solicitation. 6. In the first stage of a rank of multiple recurrent analysis of the satisfaction of the general hospital and the intention of re-visiting, not all the variables were significant, but in the second stage, all the satisfaction by factors were significant. Moreover, when the intention of solicitation was the dependent variable, the first stage shows not all the variables were significant, but in the second stage, all the satisfaction by factors were significant. That is to say, in the case of a general hospital, the satisfaction of the hospital and the medical treatment expenses were high, and the more satisfied the patient is of the hospitals environment and the staffs kindness, the intention of re-visiting and the intention of solicitation was higher.

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Decision-making process and satisfaction of pregnant women for delivery method (임산부의 분만방법 결정과정과 만족도)

  • Jun, Hae-Ri;Park, Jung-Han;Park, Soon-Woo;Huh, Chang-Kyu;Hwang, Soon-Gu
    • Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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    • v.31 no.4 s.63
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    • pp.751-769
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    • 1998
  • This study was conducted to assess the attitude of pregnant women toward delivery method, understanding of the reason for determining her own delivery method, participation in decision-making process and satisfaction with delivery method after labor. Study subjects were 693 pregnant women who had visited obstetric clinic for prenatal care in the last month of pregnancy in one general hospital and one obstetrics-gynecology specialty hospital in Taegu city from February 1 to March 31 in 1998. A questionnaire was administered before and after labor and a telephone interview was done one month after labor. Proportion of women who had health education and/or counselling about delivery method during prenatal care was 24.0% and this proportion was higher for women who had previous c-section(35.5%) than others. Women thought vaginal delivery is better than c-section for both maternal and baby's health regardless of previous delivery method. About 90% of primipara and multiparous women who had previous vaginal delivery wanted vaginal delivery for the index birth, while 85.6% of multiparous women who had previous c-section wanted repeat c-section. Reasons for choosing c-section in pregnant women who preferred vaginal delivery before labor were recommendation of doctors(81.9%), recommendation of husband (0.8%), agreement between doctor and pregnant woman(4.7%), and mother's demand (12.6%). Reasons for choosing vaginal delivery were mother's demand(30.6%) and no indication for c-section(67.2%). Reasons for choosing c-section in pregnant women who preferred c-section before labor were recommendation of doctors(76.2%), mother's demand(20.0%), recommendation of husband(1.3%), and agreement between doctor and pregnant woman(2.5%). Of the pregnant women who had c-section, by doctor's recommendation, the proportion of women who had heard detailed explanation about reason for c-section by doctor was 55.1%. Mother's statement about the reason for c-section was consistent with the medical record in 75.9% . However, over 5% points disparities were shown between mother's statement and medical record in cases of the repeat c-section and mother's demand. In primipara and multiparous women who had previous vaginal delivery, the delivery method for index birth had statistically significant association with the preference of delivery method before labor(p<0.05). All of the women who had previous c-section had delivered the index baby by c-section. Among mothers who had delivered the index baby vaginally, 84.9% of them were satisfied with their delivery method immediately after labor and 85.1% at 1 month after labor. However, mothers who had c-section stated that they are satisfied with c-section in 44.6% immediately after labor and 42.0% at 1 month after labor. Preferred delivery method for the next birth had statistically significant association with delivery method for the index birth both immediately after labor and in 1 month after labor. The proportion of mothers who prefer vaginal delivery for the next birth increased with the degree of satisfaction with the vaginal delivery for the index birth but the proportion of mothers who prefer c-section for the next birth was high and they did not change significantly with the degree of satisfaction with the c-section for the index birth. These results suggest that the current high technology-based, physician-centered prenatal and partritional cares need to be reoriented to the basic preventive and promotive technology-based, and mother-fetus-centered care. It is also suggested that active involvement of pregnant woman in decision-making process for the delivery method will increase the rate of vaginal birth after c-section and decrease c-section rate and improve the degree of maternal satisfaction after delivery.

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A Study for Improvement of Nursing Service Administration (병원 간호행정 개선을 위한 연구)

  • 박정호
    • Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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    • v.3 no.1
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    • pp.13-40
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    • 1972
  • Much has teed changed in the field of hospital administration in the It wake of the rapid development of sciences, techniques ana systematic hospital management. However, we still have a long way to go in organization, in the quality of hospital employees and hospital equipment and facilities, and in financial support in order to achieve proper hospital management. The above factors greatly effect the ability of hospitals to fulfill their obligation in patient care and nursing services. The purpose of this study is to determine the optimal methods of standardization and quality nursing so as to improve present nursing services through investigations and analyses of various problems concerning nursing administration. This study has been undertaken during the six month period from October 1971 to March 1972. The 41 comprehensive hospitals have been selected iron amongst the 139 in the whole country. These have been categorized according-to the specific purposes of their establishment, such as 7 university hospitals, 18 national or public hospitals, 12 religious hospitals and 4 enterprise ones. The following conclusions have been acquired thus far from information obtained through interviews with nursing directors who are in charge of the nursing administration in each hospital, and further investigations concerning the purposes of establishment, the organization, personnel arrangements, working conditions, practices of service, and budgets of the nursing service department. 1. The nursing administration along with its activities in this country has been uncritical1y adopted from that of the developed countries. It is necessary for us to re-establish a new medical and nursing system which is adequate for our social environments through continuous study and research. 2. The survey shows that the 7 university hospitals were chiefly concerned with education, medical care and research; the 18 national or public hospitals with medical care, public health and charity work; the 2 religious hospitals with medical care, charity and missionary works; and the 4 enterprise hospitals with public health, medical care and charity works. In general, the main purposes of the hospitals were those of charity organizations in the pursuit of medical care, education and public benefits. 3. The survey shows that in general hospital facilities rate 64 per cent and medical care 60 per-cent against a 100 per cent optimum basis in accordance with the medical treatment law and approved criteria for training hospitals. In these respects, university hospitals have achieved the highest standards, followed by religious ones, enterprise ones, and national or public ones in that order. 4. The ages of nursing directors range from 30 to 50. The level of education achieved by most of the directors is that of graduation from a nursing technical high school and a three year nursing junior college; a very few have graduated from college or have taken graduate courses. 5. As for the career tenure of nurses in the hospitals: one-third of the nurses, or 38 per cent, have worked less than one year; those in the category of one year to two represent 24 pet cent. This means that a total of 62 per cent of the career nurses have been practicing their profession for less than two years. Career nurses with over 5 years experience number only 16 per cent: therefore the efficiency of nursing services has been rated very low. 6. As for the standard of education of the nurses: 62 per cent of them have taken a three year course of nursing in junior colleges, and 22 per cent in nursing technical high schools. College graduate nurses come up to only 15 per cent; and those with graduate course only 0.4 per cent. This indicates that most of the nurses are front nursing technical high schools and three year nursing junior colleges. Accordingly, it is advisable that nursing services be divided according to their functions, such as professional, technical nurses and nurse's aides. 7. The survey also shows that the purpose of nursing service administration in the hospitals has been regulated in writing in 74 per cent of the hospitals and not regulated in writing in 26 per cent of the hospitals. The general purposes of nursing are as follows: patient care, assistance in medical care and education. The main purpose of these nursing services is to establish proper operational and personnel management which focus on in-service education. 8. The nursing service departments belong to the medical departments in almost 60 per cent of the hospitals. Even though the nursing service department is formally separated, about 24 per cent of the hospitals regard it as a functional unit in the medical department. Only 5 per cent of the hospitals keep the department as a separate one. To the contrary, approximately 12 per cent of the hospitals have not established a nursing service department at all but surbodinate it to the other department. In this respect, it is required that a new hospital organization be made to acknowledge the independent function of the nursing department. In 76 per cent of the hospitals they have advisory committees under the nursing department, such as a dormitory self·regulating committee, an in-service education committee and a nursing procedure and policy committee. 9. Personnel arrangement and working conditions of nurses 1) The ratio of nurses to patients is as follows: In university hospitals, 1 to 2.9 for hospitalized patients and 1 to 4.0 for out-patients; in religious hospitals, 1 to 2.3 for hospitalized patients and 1 to 5.4 for out-patients. Grouped together this indicates that one nurse covers 2.2 hospitalized patients and 4.3 out-patients on a daily basis. The current medical treatment law stipulates that one nurse should care for 2.5 hospitalized patients or 30.0 out-patients. Therefore the statistics indicate that nursing services are being peformed with an insufficient number of nurses to cover out-patients. The current law concerns the minimum number of nurses and disregards the required number of nurses for operation rooms, recovery rooms, delivery rooms, new-born baby rooms, central supply rooms and emergency rooms. Accordingly, tile medical treatment law has been requested to be amended. 2) The ratio of doctors to nurses: In university hospitals, the ratio is 1 to 1.1; in national of public hospitals, 1 to 0.8; in religious hospitals 1 to 0.5; and in private hospitals 1 to 0.7. The average ratio is 1 to 0.8; generally the ideal ratio is 3 to 1. Since the number of doctors working in hospitals has been recently increasing, the nursing services have consequently teen overloaded, sacrificing the services to the patients. 3) The ratio of nurses to clerical staff is 1 to 0.4. However, the ideal ratio is 5 to 1, that is, 1 to 0.2. This means that clerical personnel far outnumber the nursing staff. 4) The ratio of nurses to nurse's-aides; The average 2.5 to 1 indicates that most of the nursing service are delegated to nurse's-aides owing to the shortage of registered nurses. This is the main cause of the deterioration in the quality of nursing services. It is a real problem in the guest for better nursing services that certain hospitals employ a disproportionate number of nurse's-aides in order to meet financial requirements. 5) As for the working conditions, most of hospitals employ a three-shift day with 8 hours of duty each. However, certain hospitals still use two shifts a day. 6) As for the working environment, most of the hospitals lack welfare and hygienic facilities. 7) The salary basis is the highest in the private university hospitals, with enterprise hospitals next and religious hospitals and national or public ones lowest. 8) Method of employment is made through paper screening, and further that the appointment of nurses is conditional upon the favorable opinion of the nursing directors. 9) The unemployment ratio for one year in 1971 averaged 29 per cent. The reasons for unemployment indicate that the highest is because of marriage up to 40 per cent, and next is because of overseas employment. This high unemployment ratio further causes the deterioration of efficiency in nursing services and supplementary activities. The hospital authorities concerned should take this matter into a jeep consideration in order to reduce unemployment. 10) The importance of in-service education is well recognized and established. 1% has been noted that on the-job nurses. training has been most active, with nursing directors taking charge of the orientation programs of newly employed nurses. However, it is most necessary that a comprehensive study be made of instructors, contents and methods of education with a separate section for in-service education. 10. Nursing services'activities 1) Division of services and job descriptions are urgently required. 81 per rent of the hospitals keep written regulations of services in accordance with nursing service manuals. 19 per cent of the hospitals do not keep written regulations. Most of hospitals delegate to the nursing directors or certain supervisors the power of stipulating service regulations. In 21 per cent of the total hospitals they have policy committees, standardization committees and advisory committees to proceed with the stipulation of regulations. 2) Approximately 81 per cent of the hospitals have service channels in which directors, supervisors, head nurses and staff nurses perform their appropriate services according to the service plans and make up the service reports. In approximately 19 per cent of the hospitals the staff perform their nursing services without utilizing the above channels. 3) In the performance of nursing services, a ward manual is considered the most important one to be utilized in about 32 percent of hospitals. 25 per cent of hospitals indicate they use a kardex; 17 per cent use ward-rounding, and others take advantage of work sheets or coordination with other departments through conferences. 4) In about 78 per cent of hospitals they have records which indicate the status of personnel, and in 22 per cent they have not. 5) It has been advised that morale among nurses may be increased, ensuring more efficient services, by their being able to exchange opinions and views with each other. 6) The satisfactory performance of nursing services rely on the following factors to the degree indicated: approximately 32 per cent to the systematic nursing activities and services; 27 per cent to the head nurses ability for nursing diagnosis; 22 per cent to an effective supervisory system; 16 per cent to the hospital facilities and proper supply, and 3 per cent to effective in·service education. This means that nurses, supervisors, head nurses and directors play the most important roles in the performance of nursing services. 11. About 87 per cent of the hospitals do not have separate budgets for their nursing departments, and only 13 per cent of the hospitals have separate budgets. It is recommended that the planning and execution of the nursing administration be delegated to the pertinent administrators in order to bring about improved proved performances and activities in nursing services.

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