• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.67-84
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• 2005

To compare differences of LOS between the group of inpatients via referral centers(the referral group) and the group of inpatients via different routes (the general group) and analyze factors which determine the difference. The 9,484 cases of newly inpatients of Mar., Jun., Sep., Dec. of year 2003 were used for the data. We calculate the Case-mix index of length of stay($CMI_{LOS}$) to compare LOS adjusted with the disease as the ratio of a patient' LOS to all patients' average LOS by 21 classification diagnosis group. We conducted t-test to compare differences of $CMI_{LOS}$ between two groups and multiple regression to analyze factors determining the difference. $CMI_{LOS}$ was 0.94 in the referral group, which was smaller than 1.01 in the general group. LOS was 7.5days in the referral group, which was 0.6day shorter than that in the general group. Multiple regression also showed that $CMI_{LOS}$ was smaller in the referral group than in the general group after controlling patients' general characteristics, diagnostic information variables. The referral centers can be said to playa role in decreasing LOS. We suggest that variety of depth studies on referral centers should be continued at the strategic level of hospital management using additional medical informations.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.235-240
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• 2000

This study was carried out among 34 patients who visited Yonsei Dental Hospital from 1996. 1. to 1999. 5 for trigeminal neuralgia. By studying the patient's treatment prior to visiting our hospital, features of trigeminal neuralgia, treatment process of trigeminal neuralgia, prognosis of treatment, consultation with other professions and involvement of surgery, etc., the results are as follows: 1. 67.7% of onset age range from 40s to 60s, and average age is 50.2. 2. Ratio of right to left involvement is 1:2.1, male to female ratio is 1:1.9. 3. Occurrence rate of each branch is V3(44.1%), V2(11.8%), V1+V2+V3(11.8), V1+V2(8.8%). 4. Treatments prior to admission to our hospital are extraction(5.9%), endodontic treatment(5.9%), medication(11.8%), Oriental Medicine treatment(5.9%). 5. Routes of admittance to our hospital are by their preference(55.9%), local clinic referral(32.4%), E.N.T referral(5.9%), Neurology referral(5.9%). 6. 70.6% of patients treated at our hospital who were relieved of symptoms, were referred to Neurology(66.7%) and Pain Clinic(33.3%) for the reason of relapse, side effects of the drug itself, incomplete relief of pain. 7. 2 patients who were referred to medical part showed brain vessels contacting trigeminal nerve root on Brain MRangiography. But pain is being controlled by medication and no specific surgical procedure was carried out. The results show that 17.7% of patients admitted received inappropriate early treatment. In order to relieve tooth loss and patient's psychologic stress due to inappropriate treatment, precise differential diagnosis must be made among local teeth disease and idiopathic facial pain. Medication may show side effects of the drug itself, incomplete relief of pain or relapse of symptoms. Therefore, to treat trigeminal neuralgia appropriately by drug injection, surgery or radiation therapy, consultations among dentists, neurologists and anesthesiologists are required.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.116-135
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• 1991

Few studies have been conducted on the detailed routes of medical care utilization under the National Health Insurance. This study was undertaken to identify the utilization patte군 of health care facilities among industrial workers and their dependents. One of the largest health insurance association was purposively chosen for this objective. The association had 345, 757 members as of 31 December, 1990. The study sample of 297, 948 subjects have been drawn from the membership pool on the basis of their continuous membership status during 1 January through 31 December 1990. This study has tried to identify differential utilization patterns between acute and chronic conditions, and among standard income classes. All the diagnoses were recoded in a manner to achieve the objective of this study. As for acute diseases, most age group had used one medical facility as much as by 60% except the age group of 1-4, This young age group had used over three different health facilities as much as by 10.9-15.8%. The finding suggests that some policy measures by sought for remedying the excessive/inappropriate use of services. In addition, mid-income classes(between 17 and 48) were more likely to use multiple sources of care than lower income classes(between 1 and 16) and upper income classes(above 49). This study has revealed that chronic cases are more likely to pursue multiple sources of care, however those with chronic conditions tend to use single health facility more than those with acute conditions(67.9% versus 52.4%). As many as 12.2% have visited more than three health facilities in chronic conditions, but 5.9% for acute conditions. The most likely source of care was primary clinics for both acute and chronic conditions. Compared with the role of general hospital, small-size hospitals found to play a minimal role in the care and referral of patients. This indicates the need of strengthening the function of small-size hospitals. While a minor cross utilization of western medicine and pharmacy was noted, no significant boundary crossing was identified between western medicine and oriental medicine, or between pharmacy and oriental medicine. It is too early to confirm that whether there is substitutability or cross utilization among these alternative sources of care. A further study is needed to identify these relationship.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.1075-1078
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• 2002

Objective: The management for the stroke should ,given as soon as possible to be effect. But Patients with stroke symptoms commonly delay many hours before seeking medical attention. We evaluated the factors which are related to the time of hospital arrival after acute stroke. Method: Data were obtained from 317 patients admitted to our hospital within 72 hours of stroke onset. We assessed demographic variables, stoke subtype. referral routes. history of previous stroke, level of consciousness, distance from the place where stroke occurred to hospital, and the time interval between onset of stroke and arrival at the hospital. Results: Mean patient age was 65.99±9.57 years. The mean time interval between onset of stroke and hospital arrival was 17.26±18.69 hours and 128 (40.38%) patients arrived within 6 hours. The patients whoes stoke subtype was infarction, who arrived our hospital by way of other hospital, who had no suffered from previous stroke and who showed no impairement of consciousness was arrived at the hospital late(p<0.05). Conclusion: The majority of patients arrive at the hospital after prolonged delays for multiple reasons, and patients with milder symptoms, for whom treatment might be more effective, were less likely to arrive in time for therapy. Our study suggest that effective education about stroke to the patients and public would be highly necessary.