• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.143-150
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• 2023

The global outbreak of COVID-19 has underscored the pressing need for robust infection control practices in pulmonary function laboratories (PFL). However, the existing guidelines and regulatory frameworks provided by relevant authorities in the country have revealed certain deficiencies in effectively addressing this significant public health crisis. This study surveyed the infection control regulations, disposable item usage, ventilation facilities, spatial separation, and the configuration of entrance doors in 51 domestic hospital facilities from Oct 1, 2021, to Nov 2, 2021. The survey findings revealed that while there was a relatively satisfactory adherence to airborne, droplet, and contact precautions with adequate awareness and utilization of personal protective equipment, the environmental disinfection practices exhibited a suboptimal performance rate of 39.22% per patient. Depending on the specific survey domains, substantial variations were observed in the utilization of disposable items (81.05%), ventilation systems (45.75%), dedicated testing spaces (80.39%), separation of administrative areas (15.69%), and the installation of automated doors (19.61%). This study not only highlights the paramount importance of infection control in PFLs within domestic medical institutions but also provides foundational data for developing and enhancing standardized guidelines that align with international benchmarks for infection control in these settings.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.4
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• pp.5-29
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• 1995

Occupational health services in Korea have been operated as dual types : one is operated by occupational health care manager and the other is health care agency without their own personnel. The performance of occupational health service should be different due to the variety of characteristics of health care manager and workplace, qualification of health care manager. This study is to analyze performance of occupational health care services with a particular consideration of job performance shape and efficiency, based on comparing those two types of health care management to show on the basic data for the settlement of more qualitative health care management system at workplace. For this study, total 391 places in Seoul and Inchon city area ; 154 places (39.4%) managed by designated health care manager and 237 places (60.6%) by the agency with their commission are selected as research samples. Tools for data collection are questionnares that have been investigated during the period of 20 September 1993-20 December 1993. Those data are compared with percentiles, mean, standard deviation and B/C ratio using SPSS PC program. Conclusions observed from the tests and each comparison could be summerized as follows : 1. Occupational health care have been accomplished at workplaces with designated people than with agencies people, and coverage rate of the occupational health care services has differences, due to management types. The reason of these results is due to visit only one or two times monthly by the agencies, while their own health care manager obsess, at the workplaces all the times. 2. Most of the expense for environmental control of all health care services expenditures shows that there is almost no fundamental improvement because more expenses are needed for procuring personal protective equipment and measuring work environment instead of environmental improvement. 3. It is investigated how much the cost of occupational health care services needs per worker, and calculated how much the cost needs per service hour per worker. The results from this show that the cost of occupational health services at workplaces with their own managers used less than the cost of health care agencies, eventually the former gives better services with less cost than the latter. 4. Benefit/Cost ratio is also produced by total benefit/total cost. The result from the above way reads 4.57 as a whole, while their own manager having workplaces reads 4.82 and the agencies do l.56. Even if their own manager performing workplaces spent more cost, this system produces more benefit than the agencies management. 5. The B/C ratio for medical organization such as local clinic, health care center and pharmacy shows more than or equal to at the workplaces controlled by the agencies. It is inferred that benefit would be much less than the cost used, with so being inefficient. 6. It is assumed that the efficiency ratio of health education is equal to reduction rate of workers medical organization visit. Estimated reduction rate 5%, 10%, 15%, show that the efficiency ratio of health education have an effect on producing benefits. It is estimated that more benefit can be produced if more qualitative education will be provided for enhancing health care efficiency. 7. Results of this study cannot be generalized because there are large scale of deviation in case of workplaces with less than 300 full time workers, but B/C ratio reads 2.69 as a whole and 3.25 at workplaces with their own health care manager are higher than 1.63 at the workplaces manged by the agencies. Finally, all the benefit concerning health care services could not be quantified, measured and shown on the value of money. This is a reason that a considerable part of benefits are so underestimated. This is also thought that measurement tools should be developed for measuring benefits of health care services with a comprehensive quantification. in the future. It is also expected that efficiency of occupational health care services should be investigated using cost-effectiveness analysis.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.43-54
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• 2000

This paper will present the result of research which was done with 201 places on the actual condition of using dental diagnostic radiography unit and the protection of radiography. The purpose of this paper is to comprehend the actual condition of using dental x-ray unit and to protect when they do radiation work. Moreover this paper was completed to prepare basic materials that could be helpful to reduce the exposure from radiation. This paper obtains the following result. 1. On radiation photographing work in the dentist office, 50.3% of dental hygienists treat this job, and 19.2% of assistants, 10.8% of dentists, 5.6% of radiolotechnologists and 4.2% others performed this job. 2. The case that radiation worker is educated about diagnostic radiography safety supervision has been shown 14.4% and uneducated case has been shown 78.1%. 3. The result about the actual condition of using the oral diagnostic radiation per day was that a number of film which take photograph again (less than 1 exposure) was 40.3%. Normal photographing($1{\sim}10$ exposure) was 85.1% which is the highest percentage. Using the bitewing film and occlusal film was 7.0%, and 12.4% respectively. The percent that they use cephalo film and panoramic film was 16.4% 29.8% respectively. 4. Dental intra diagnostic radiography unit made in $1996{\sim}2000$ was 24.9% and the one made in $1991{\sim}1995$ was 19.9%, in $1986{\sim}1990$ was 19.9%, in 1985 was 9.5% according to the answer. On kVp, they use 60 kVp mostly(61.7%) and On mA, they use 10 mA with the highest percent(66.7%). On the dental extra diagnostic radiography units which are used for doing the extra oral radiography, the one made in $1996{\sim}2000$ was 13.4%, in $1991{\sim}1995$ was 9.5%, in $1985{\sim}1990$ was 2.0% according to the answer. They use $71{\sim}80\;kVp$ with 10.9% and $60{\sim}75\;kVP$ with 9.5%. They use less than 10 mA with 19.4% and $11{\sim}15\;mA$ with 2.5%. $16{\sim}20\;mA$ with 1.5%. But the case they exactly do not know how much mA they use or they do not have any mA was 76.6%. 5. General characteristics and the part of protection through the protective equipment by operator are completed with 89.1%. They have shown the similar difference in the relationship with age(p<0.001), experience(p<0.05) and in-patient(p<0.05). 6. When they take photographs of radiation with general quality, how far they keep the proper distance from the cone is as follows, Keeping safe distance is 12.9% according to the answer with the low percent. This result is similar with the difference related in experience(p<0.05) and work(p<0.05), the area of working(p<0.05) and in-patient(p<0.05). 7. The answer about the question-if they hold the tube head when they take photographs with general characteristics is as follows. The answer that they never hold the tube head and cone occupies 62.7% with the highest percent. It is shown the similar difference with age(p<0.05). 8. According to the study that they put on dosimeter with general characteristics is as follows. 64.7% has never put on the dosimester with the highest percent. 33.8% showed similar differences with experience(p<0.05), work(p<0.001), the area of work(p<0.005)and in-patient(p<0.001).