• Journal of Haehwa Medicine
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.93-105
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• 2005

Objective : We investigated the actual condition of oriental medical office in a public health center. Methods : We classified patients who visited an oriental medical office iin a public pealth center of Dalseong-gun, Daegu Metropolitan City during recent 3 years by KCPJMAIN(data processing system), according to location, age, time(month, year), sex, disease, insurance, etc. Results : As a local category, the residents in Hyeunpung-Myeon higher than 80% of the patients who visited the public health center. The patients aged over 60 occupied 80% of the patients. The frequency of the treatment was more than 10 in those patients aged over 60. The number of the patients was the highest in May when there was a change for the past 36months, whereafter the number has sustained decline for 3-5 months and repeated decreasing. As a gender category, the female inpatients were 10732(82%). This statistics shows that these musculoskeletal system disease occupied large part in them. As a heath insurance category, the patients who were insured by health care were 12454(96.30%). Conclusion : It should need to enable the rural residents who have difficulty benefitting from medical service to reach the service by making their access to the oriental medical office in public health center easier. Most of all, the support from both government and municipality should be urged to accomplish it. plus, it should be included not only boosting doctors' reliance but also improving the capability and services of doctors in public heath center. In conclusion, the treatment service in public health center should be diversified beyond musculoskeletal system disease and the identity transform of public health center should be needed to appeal to young generation.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.13-24
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• 2023

Objective : This study was aimed to reassess the scope of practice for medical personnel based on laws. Method : The law specifying the scope of practice for medical personnel has been selected searching Korean Law Information Center(https://www.law.gov.kr). The result was categorized as 'examination, diagnosis, treatment, procedure, prescription, and others'. Results : The laws related to medical procedures were divided into three categories: diagnosis, treatments, and public health and others. In the field of diagnosis, traditional Korean medicine practitioners are generally allowed to play a role. However, some laws specify that only medical doctors can be the primary authorities for diagnosing infectious diseases. In the area of treatments, particularly in emergency medical situations, only medical doctors or nurses are typically mentioned. There are debates in the field of public health and other areas concerning issues such as vaccination, disability diagnosis, and the qualifications for health center directors. A reevaluation is also needed for the Occupational Safety and Health Act, where only medical doctors are set as the personnel standard for workers' health examinations. Conclusion : To safeguard and promote the health of the citizens, there is a need for a clear definition of the licensure and scope of practice for healthcare professionals. Consistent interpretation of conflicting provisions among various laws and clear criteria for the term 'physician' in legal contexts are essential.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.57-77
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• 2005

The purpose of this study was to assess medical professionals' knowledge and attitude about AIDS. The subjects of study were medical doctors and dentists, belonging to Korea Association of Public Health Doctors. We sent a e-mailed questionnaire to 3,059 members and received 407 replies. Questionnaire was made on the basis of former studies' results and interviews with infected people. Major findings of this study were as follow. A lot of medical professionals had incorrect and biased knowledge about AIDS. More than half of them overestimated infection probability in case of being prickled with a contaminated needle. And many has negative attitude. The more they had correct informations about AIDS, the more they had possibilities to have friendly attitude to infected people. Incorrect knowledge cause excessive fears about AIDS, which amplify the stigma and discrimination. They contribute to people's vulnerability not only to HIV infection but also to other threats to health and well-being. It is in need of medical professionals' effort to increase their knowledge and improve attitude about AIDS.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.196-206
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• 2013

On September 24th of 1945, the existing Health Department under the Bureau of Economy and Trade was abolished complying with the Article 1 of the Ordinance of US military occupation "Establishment of Health Bureau". After the establishment of the Health Bureau, one of its first priorities was to select South Korean medical doctors and send them away to the US for training "in order to educate the talents necessary for the Health Bureau to address the public hygiene and health issues of Korea". Under the sponsorship of Rockefeller Foundation, the US Military Government sent 10 Korean medical doctors to three universities. After they came back to Korea from the training in the US, they played significant roles in building and managing the Korean health and medical system under the US Military Government as well as during the post-war of Korea and in the 1960s-1970s. Furthermore, they made a great contribution to expanding and transplanting the 'American-style' health and medical system in heath administration, health research and medical education in Korea. On the one hand, this means the limitation and elimination of an independent, progressive idea in the health and medical field as the influence of the US within the country after the liberation expanded. The lives of 10 doctor represent an important symbol of how the Korean health and medical field has been established under the domestic and overseas political conditions, 'colonization-liberation-military occupation of the Powers', and one part of the concrete history.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.87-102
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• 2003

This study was conducted to examine recognition of oriental medical doctors on the quality control of herbal medicine and to provide useful information for the establishment of effective quality control system of herbal medicine. Data were collected from 202 oriental medical doctors working in oriental medical hospitals or clinics in Daegu-Gyungbuk province. Generally, there is a tendency that most respondents have low degree of recognition, trust and satisfaction of the quality control of herbal medicine while they think standardization and complete quality control systems of herbal medicine is needed highly. Thus, in order to increase confidence of consumers in herbal medicine, and to increase the utilization of oriental medical services, both strengthening of quality control systems and standardization and establishment of Oriental KFDA as a new government agency responsible for the work should be required.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.269-278
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• 2022

Background: PTSD (Post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD) had a great impact on health care workers during the COVID-19 (Corona Virus Disease 2019, COVID-19). Better knowledge of the prevalence of PTSD and its risk factors is a major public health problem. This study was conducted to assess the prevalence and important risk factors of PTSD among medical staff during the COVID-19. Methods: The databases were searched for studies published during the COVID-19, and a PRISMA (preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis) compliant systematic review (PROSPERO-CRD 42021278970) was carried out to identify articles from multiple databases reporting the prevalence of PTSD outcomes among medical staff. Proportion random effect analysis, I² statistic, quality assessment, subgroup analysis, and sensitivity analysis were carried out. Results: A total of 28 cross-sectional studies and the PTSD results of doctors and nurses were summarized from 14 and 27 studies: the prevalences were 31% (95% CI [confidence interval, CI]: 21%-40%) and 38% (95% CI: 30%-45%) in doctors and nurses, respectively. The results also showed seven risks (p < 0.05): long working hours, isolation wards, COVID-19 symptoms, nurses, women, fear of infection, and pre-existing mental illness. Two factors were of borderline significance: higher professional titles and married. Conclusion: Health care workers have a higher prevalence of PTSD during COVID-19. Health departments should provide targeted preventive measures for medical staff away from PTSD.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.1-16
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• 2005

This study was conducted to identify the needs of introducing new medical specialties in oriental medicine. Three stakeholders in introducing new oriental medical specialties are oriental medical doctors, policy makers and medical consumers. Of the three, this study intended to focus on opinions of oriental medical doctors. About 1,150 self-administered questionaries were sent to the potential respondents, 320 specialists, 250 interns & residents and 580 private oriental medicine practitioners, and 480 doctors responded. The study revealed that 62% of respondents showed negative attitudes towards the introduction of new oriental medicine specialties. The private oriental medical practitioners were more likely not in favor of adding new medical boardmanship. The reasons of objection were as follows : First, it is more important to enrich the existing oriental medical boardmanship (70%). Second, the newly established specialties are most likely to be weakened(15%). The study revealed that the first and most likely specialties to be introduced was Chuna(18%), subspecialization of oriental internal medicine (15.8%), the next oriental family medicine (15.1%) and so on. And the second specialties to be desired most by the respondents were (1) cooperative medicine between the westem and oriental medicine (28%), (2) oriental preventive medicine (17.4%) and (3) oriental family medicine (16.8%). Caution must be exercised in introducing new oriental medicine specialties. The failures of western medicine in the operation of its specialist production should carefully by examined here.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.370-375
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• 2023

The responsibility to ensure the health rights of detainees, particularly their medical rights, fundamentally lies with the state in all nations. However, in the correctional facilities of the Republic of Korea, these rights are currently not adequately safeguarded. Numerous detainees express dissatisfaction with the medical services provided and show a preference for voluntary external treatment. However, barriers such as prolonged application processes for external treatment and the requirement for detainees to cover their medical expenses present significant challenges. Therefore, the National Human Rights Commission of Korea has advocated for an increased medical budget in correctional facilities and a bolstered professional medical workforce to improve the medical care of detainees. Recommendations for improvements include: (1) establishing dedicated correctional hospitals for detainees, (2) setting up specialized correctional wards, (3) collaborating with military hospitals, (4) launching mobile medical buses for diverse specialties, (5) enhancing collaboration with public and private medical institutions, (6) increasing compensation for partnering external medical institutions, (7) improving the working conditions of medical officers, (8) safeguarding the defense rights of medical staff, (9) improving the working conditions of public health doctors from the Ministry of Justice in correctional facilities, and (10) pre-assigning public health specialists and military doctors to correctional facilities. By implementing these measures, it is anticipated that the quality of medical services in the Republic of Korea's correctional facilities will improve, reducing the demand for external treatments among detainees and ensuring their health and medical rights are realistically upheld.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.236-244
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• 2002

Objective : To empirically investigate the relationship of internal and external customer satisfactions, service quality, and customer loyalty in medical services. Methods : This essay proposes an integrated model to explain the causality of internal and external customer satisfactions, service quality, and customer loyalty. To this end, a structural model was developed, consisting of the following factors: internal and external customer satisfactions, service quality, and customer loyalty. The study included 214 sets of data, with 107 sets being collected for both out-patients and in-patients. The data were analyzed using AMOS 4.0. Results : We found the greater the internal customer satisfaction, the greater the out-patient quality of service quality. Secondly, the greater the service quality, the greater the external customer satisfaction of both in- and out-patients. The service quality of doctors, compared to that of the nurses, had a greater effect on external customer satisfaction. Thirdly, the service quality of doctors and nurses affected both internal and external customer satisfactions, which ultimately affected the customer loyalty. Finally the greater the external customer satisfaction, the greater the customer loyalty. Conclusion : This Study confirms the positive relationship among the internal and external customer satisfactions, service quality, and customer loyalty, which proves the doctors quality of service is the primary factor for external satisfaction, and customer loyalty relating to medical services.

• The Journal of Korean Medical History
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.175-185
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• 2013

Purpose : The current Medical Law and the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act, which are incapable of utilizing the research results and the advanced academic, clinical, and pharmaceutical system of the present-day Korean (Oriental) medicine, have limitations and create a paradox by provoking social conflict among the professionals in the field. The aim of this study was to find out the legal and systematic problems that contributed to a complicated conflict amongst Korean (Oriental) medicine doctors, doctors, pharmacists, and Korean (Oriental) pharmacists regarding the classification of their functions. Methods : We reviewed the history and characteristics of the legislation regarding the duties of Korean (Oriental) medicine doctors and Korean (Oriental) pharmacists as well as the relevant and important public health policies since the enactment of the National Medical Services Law in 1951. We focused on the laws and regulations that are made in the process of the separating functions of physicians and pharmacists and the dispute between the Korean (Oriental) medicine doctors and the Korean (Oriental) pharmacists in the 1990s and 2000s. Results : The legislations and amendments of the medical and pharmaceutical laws and regulations that reflect the modern academic, clinical, and pharmaceutical system of the Korean (Oriental) medicine and the research results could be summarized as follows: 1) A partial amendment of the Medical Law in 1987, which added the provision of "Oriental health guidance" as one of the duties of Korean (Oriental) medicine doctors, assured a place for Korean (Oriental) medicine doctors in the field of public health. 2) A partial revision of Pharmaceutical Affairs Act in 1994 established a new system for Korean (Oriental) pharmacists, bringing about the creation of dualistic pharmaceutical system that complements the dualistic medical system. 3) The Promotion of the Research and Development of Wonder Drugs by Using Natural Substances Act was legislated in 2000 in order to stimulate research and development of Korean (Oriental) medicine and its industrialization. 4) Oriental Medicine Promotion Act in 2003 was enacted to lay foundation to specify and promote technology and industry that are related to Korean (Oriental) medicine. Discussions and conclusions : Although the dualistic medical and pharmaceutical system is set up by the Medical Law and Pharmaceutical Affairs Act, it is shown that the relevant regulations have been developed from a perspective of the western medicine.