• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.139-152
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• 2020

Objectives To explore the traffic injury patients' experience on health care utilization of Korean Medicine (KM) practice and perception of health care system for developing a Korean medicine clinical practice guideline (CPG) of traffic injuries by survey method. Methods Two hundred ten patients in suffering from traffic injuries were surveyed from September 1st, 2019 to January 31th, 2020 at 2 University Hospitals (Pusan National Korean Medicine Hospital and Kyung Hee Korean Medicine Hospital at Gangdong) and 1 Spine Specialty Hospital (Jaseng Hospital of Korean Medicine). A structured questionnaire of experience on health care utilization of KM practice and perception of health care system of was distributed to responders by visits and all data were statistically analysed. Results Survey results showed high satisfaction of patients with the experience of KM treatments in order of daoyin exercise (7.8±2.3), chuna manual therapy (7.7±4.0), pharmacoacupuncture (7.4±3.0) etc. Safety concerns were reported in 9.1% subjects and 205 (97.6%) patients answered that collaboration with KM and western medicine is necessary for patients with traffic injuries. For the patients' requirement for extending insurance coverage, the most required therapy was chuna manual therapy (57.5%) and pharmacoacupuncture (42.0%). Conclusions This study presented the realistic patient-centered perception of KM practice and health care system in Korea. These results will provide basic data to be reflected in the process of adaptation for the revision of Korean Medicine CPG for traffic injuries.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.32-45
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• 2004

Objective : The aim of this study were to measure quality of life(QOL) in liver transplant recipients, to compare QOL between living donor liver transplant recipients and cadaveric liver transplant recipients and to investigate whether SF-36 may be used as a disease-specific instrument in liver transplant recipients. Methods : We conducted a single-center cross-sectional study of 133 LT recipients ages 13 to 65 years, all of whom had had Liver Transplantation(LT) at least 1 months previously. QOL was assessed using a self-completion questionnaire consisting of the Bang Whal Ran(1991) instruments and the 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey(SF-36) health status profile measure. We investigated whether the SF-36 instrument may be used as a disease-specific instrument in LT recipients. Individual scale scores range from 0 to 100, with higher score reflecting better health. Data on demographics, clinical status at pre transplantation 1 day, post transplantation clinical status, and graft function were collected to identify predictors of post transplantation QOL. Results : Standard measures for test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and discriminant and concurrent validity were examined. The reliability of the SF-36, as measured by test-retest correlation(Pearson coefficients: 0.729, p=0.002) and by internal consistency(Cronbach's alpha: 0.9431) exceeded conventional acceptability criteria. The correlation between domain scores of SF-36 and the Bang Whal Ran(l991) was clear and logical in that the clinical characteristics of SF-36 strongly correlated with the clinical component summary score of the Bang Whal Ran(l991)(r = 0.8155, P<.01). SF-36 scale scores were compared between Cadaveric Liver Transplant recipients and Living Donor Liver Transplant recipients. Donor types of post LT did not influence HRQOL(p>0.05). 87% of the liver transplant recipients were satisfied to get LT. Satisfaction of post LT showed significantly greater HRQOL(p<0.001). Conclusion : SF-36 is found reliable and valid. This study indicates thet Donor Type did not influence HRQOL after LT. The information gained from this study will help us to better define expectations and the clinical course after liver transplantation to patients and their families.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.33-49
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• 2017

Background: Health care utilizations and costs of the patients with degenerative lumbar spine disease in Korea increased dramatically. We analyzed whether hospital market competition is associated with charges and length of stay for patients with degenerative lumbar spine disease. Methods: We used Medical claims data of 2002 and 2010 from the nationwide representative sample of National Health Insurance Service of Korea. The study subjects were inpatients with degenerative lumbar spine disease (N=24,768) in 2002 and 2010. We employed a multilevel linear mixed model that included patient- and hospital-level variables in hierarchical data. Results: Higher hospital competition was associated with lower charges (${\beta}=57.5$, p<.0001 in 2002; ${\beta}=353.7$, p<.0001 in 2010) and shorter length of stay (${\beta}=0.3$, p<.0001 in 2002; ${\beta}=0.9$, p<.0001 in 2010) in both 2002 and 2010. Compared to 2002, the magnitude of such association became greater in 2010. However, subgroup analyses show that the influence of competition on charges and length of stay differed by hospital size. Conclusions: This study showed that hospital market structure (e.g., hospital competition) affects hospital efficiency (i.e., hospital charges and length of stay). It is necessary to continue to monitor how changing market structure influences hospital outcomes, including more detailed outcomes such as patient satisfaction.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.15-35
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• 2002

This study was conducted to provide basic data for policy of Oriental medicine by analyzing community resident's consciousness of taking herb medicine and its related factors. Data were collected from 1478 residents from March 2, 2001 to May 31, 2001. The results of this study are summarized as follows. 1) The rate of experience of taking herb medicine was 85.2%(88.2% of 'male'; 82.5% of 'female'). It appeared to be significantly higher in the groups of 'the married', 'housewife', and 'Buddhist'. As the age increased, so the rate of experience of taking herb medicine was significantly high. 2) In case of purpose of taking herb medicine, taking herb medicine as a restorative(66.8%) was much higher than taking it as a curative medicine. 3) 52.1% of the respondents satisfied with the effect of herb medicine. The groups of 'male', 'older age', 'residents in a big city', 'insurant in company', and 'the employed' showed significantly high rate in satisfying with herb medicine than the other groups. 4) According to the reason for preferring herb medicine, 36.7% of the respondents preferred herb medicine because the herb medicine was effective, while 27.8% preferred it because its side effect was low. 16.7% preferred it because persons around them recommended it. 5) 42.6% of the respondents did not want to take the herb medicine because the price of the herb medicine was high. Also 20.6% of the respondents did not want to take herb medicine because it is uneasy to take herb medicine. 15.8% did not want to take it because certain food should not be taken during the period of taking it. 9.4% did not want to take it because it tasted bitter. 6) In case of opinions on side effects of herb medicine, 40.8% of the respondents thinks that herb medicine is free from side effects, while 37.5% thinks that it causes side effects. There were significant difference in the opinions on side effects by sex, age, marital status, resident area, education level, occupation, and type of health insurance. 7) 60.7% of the respondents thinks the price of herb medicine is not resonable, while only 10.9% thinks it is resonable. 8) 45.2% of the respondents uses packs of decocted herbs although they think the packs of decocted herb are a little low effective because decocting herbs in home is bothersome. 45.2% uses packs of decocted herbs because they are convenient, being not related to the effect. 7.6% takes medicinal herbs after decocting them in a clay pot because they think the packs of decocted herbs have low effect. 51.9% does not know whether taking herb medicine in summer is effective or not because the effect is different according to their physical constitutions. 35.5% thinks that taking herb medicine is summer is effective because their physical stamina is weakened after sweated a lot, while 12.6% thinks that it is not effective because the effect of herb medicine disappears with sweat. 9) According to the level of satisfaction with Oriental medical care, the respondents marked $3.47{\pm}0.64$ points on the base of 5 points. It was significantly higher in the groups of 'male', 'the married, resident in a big city', 'highschool graduate', 'the unemployed', 'office clerk', 'growing up in a big city', 'insurant in region', and 'the middle class'. 10) According to the result of a regression analysis of factors influencing preference for herb medicine, the factors displayed significant difference by sex, age, education level, health status, and times of receiving Oriental medical care. As shown in the above results, the community residents satisfy with the effect of herb medicine. Therefore, the method of taking herb medicine without difficulty must be devised. The medicinal herbs in packages need to be included in health insurance coverage and resonable price of herb medicine must be set. Also, education program for community residents must be developed in order to provide right information in herb medicine. Therefore, related public authority, associations, and professionals must make efforts, forming organic cooperative system.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.24-48
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• 2003

It is important how the leader leads the organizational members with leadership appropriate to environment changes as the leader has great influence on the management of hospital organization. These data were collected from the questionnaire surveyed, from February 14 through February 28, 2003, to 218 people among those in the field of doctorship, management administration, nursing, technology, medical engineering, management engineering, and general affairs, working for three hospitals under S medical foundation in Pusan. The principal findings of this research are as below : 1. Type of leadership and job satisfaction had positive correlation in terms of both transformational and transactional leadership, with former having more relation than the latter. 2. Type of leadership and organizational commitment had positive correlation in terms of intellectual stimulus and situational rewards, having little relation statistically. 3. Type of leadership and turnover intentions had negative correlation only in individual consideration, situational rewards, and exceptional management, showing that transactional leadership had more relation than transformational leadership. 4. In terms of leadership and its effect on the organizational performance and turnover intentions, transformational leadership had more correlation than transactional leadership. But transactional leadership also turned out to have effect on organizational performance. When transformational leadership used, turnover intentions were lower than when transactional leadership used. However, both transformational and transactional leadership had negative correlation to turnover intentions. 5. Effect that type of leadership according to job classification, status, age, and academic career has on organizational performance and turnover intentions was differed by those factors; especially, in the occupation of doctor, both transformational and transactional leadership had positive correlation to turnover intentions. 6. Regression analysis on the factors of organizational performance and turnover intentions showed that higher age had positive correlation to the organizational performance in terms of socio-demographical features and that the more leadership was used for charismatic and situational rewards and the less leadership was used for intellectual stimuli, the higher organizational performance was likely. In short, hospital operators and managers should examine each manager's qualification, type, and style of leadership in the hospital organization, and they must develop lasting programs for effective education and training for developing characteristics of leadership are in needed to have managers with appropriate managerial mind to respective post and status. It should be kept in mind that manager's leadership especially has great effect on members' goal-setting, goal-achievement, organizational performance, and turnover intentions as it is a decisive factor of organizational members' attitude and motivation.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.465-471
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• 2010

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) have been the most common health problem covered by worker's accident compensation insurance for several years in Korea. Korean government has strengthened related regulations since 2003. People looked forward to decreasing the incidence and prevalence of WMSDs. At first, the expectation could be realized. However, we were bumped against to limit at present. The authors think it is due to the negligence of psychosocial factors for WMSDs. Many researchers reported that the various psychosocial factors were associated with WMSDs or symptoms. Job demand, social support, job satisfaction and decision latitude are the major risk factors in job stress aspect. Work pressure, lack of rest, qualified workload, workload variability and monotonous job are the significant risk factors in work context of work organization. Employment flexibility, downsizing, lean production, contingent work and pay for by the piece are also the risk factors in an organizational context. Furthermore, these risk factors are associated with each other across different dimensions of work organization. Suggestive possible pathways between these risks and WMSDs have been taken note of increasing muscle strain or ergonomic stress and of a cognitive aspect. The authors suggest these risk factors could explain the limitation of the regulation system for WMSDs. In conclusion, the strategy to manage psychosocial factors is the one of the essential approach to prevent WMSDs.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.57-76
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• 2023

Objectives This study aims to develop Korean Medicine Clinical Pathway (CP) based on Clinical Practice Guideline of carpal tunnel syndrome to improve quality of treatment and reduce medical cost to maximize the quality of patient management. Methods A draft version of CP for carpal tunnel syndrome is developed by expert agreement and a prospective case study was carried out based on the draft CP. Twenty experts working at various medical institution answered validity verification survey of developed CP. Fifteen patients enrolled in the prospective case study answered survey on demand and satisfaction. Qualification and adjustment process of the draft CP was conducted based on results of both surveys. Results Final version of CP for carpal tunnel syndrome is confirmed after qualification and adjustment on the draft version. Conclusions CP for carpal tunnel syndrome will provide patients with standardized, high-quality Korean medicine treatment and also reduce financial burden of health insurance by reducing medical cost.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.173-201
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• 2001

This study purports to examine the current management and information technology related strategy of Korean hospitals and suggest the effective management strategy in the 21st century when is digital era. Specifically the study tries to analyze the changing trends of strategic orientation and investigate the general management and information technology strategy of Korean hospitals. Self-administered Questionnaires were distributed to 721 hospitals nationwide and finally 98 Questionnaires were analyzed for the study. The results of the study are as follows : 1) Half of the respondent hospitals reported that they have an analyzer orientation in 2000, whereas 19.4% were prospectors, reactors 16.4%, and defenders 14.3%. However, the respondent hospitals intended to have a prospector orientation in the future (2002), while 29.6% planned on being analyzers, 17.3% reactors, and 3.1% defenders. 2) Hospital services for improving patient satisfaction were the most common. strategy for the respondent hospitals, followed by cost containment, organizational restructuring, employee education, purchasing system change, specialization of clinical services, quality improvement of medical care, strengthening the networking with the stakeholders, public relations and marketing strategy, diversification, and installing the information system. However, the strategies of annual salary system, retrenchment of unprofitable services, merit payment based on performance were still not popular for the respondent hospitals. 3) As for the strategies related with information technology, most hospitals have not implemented actively, except for the establishment of home-pages, order communication systems, and insurance claims through electronic data interchange system. 4) There were significant differences in the level of strategy implementation in terms of the ownership, bed size, financial performance, and the top managers I knowledge of information technology. The larger bed size, the higher financial performance, the better knowledge of information technology the top managers have, the more strategies the respondent hospitals implemented. The managerial and political implications for Korean hospitals in digital era were also discussed.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.86-97
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• 2017

Purpose: Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is very common among postoperative orthopedic surgical patients with patient-controlled analgesia (PCA), especially for narcotics. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of an evidence-based PONV management protocol on nursing and patient outcomes. Methods: A methodological study was conducted to develop PONV protocol and a quasi-experimental study to evaluate the effectiveness of protocol. The preliminary PONV protocol was drawn by conducting a systematic review and by reviewing clinical guidelines and best practice recommendations. Validation of the content was done by expert clinicians, and the clinical applicability was evaluated by staff nurses and patients. The effect was evaluated in clinical outcomes associated with PONV and nursing outcomes. Results: In the experimental group, the occurrence of vomiting (z= 2.147) was significantly decreased, the maintenance PCA (${\chi}^2=4.212$) and the satisfaction of patients (z= 5.007) were significantly higher. In the outcomes of nurses, the PONV knowledge of nursing care (z = 3.791), awareness (z = 2.982) and self-efficacy (z= 2.745) were higher in the experimental group. The attitude towards evidence-based nursing practice (z= 2.446) was significantly positive. Conclusion: The results show that an evidence-based approach to the implementation of PONV care is effective in improving patient clinical outcomes and quality of care.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.194-205
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• 2023

Objectives : This study investigated the current utilization status of thermotherapy devices in Korean medicine (KM) institutions and identified areas for improvement and further development, as perceived by KM doctors (KMDs). Methods : An online survey was conducted, targeting KMDs primarily engaged in clinical patient care. The questionnaire included items about respondents' clinical practices, the extent of thermotherapy device usage, their opinions on these devices, and perceived improvement needs. The collected data underwent quantitative analysis. Results : From the 1,025 respondents, data from 862 respondents who provided complete responses were analyzed. On average, respondents utilized thermotherapy treatments for 80% of their patients. Infrared (IR) phototherapy unit, electrical moxibustion apparatus, and heater-based thermotherapy devices were predominantly owned by respondents, with IR being the most frequently used. The average satisfaction score for current thermotherapy devices was 79. A significant concern raised was the necessity for improved health insurance coverage and efficacy evaluation. Conclusions : This research has confirmed that the extensive use of thermotherapy devices by KMDs in treating primarily musculoskeletal and gastrointestinal ailments - common conditions among patients in KM institutions. The main areas identified for improvement encompass safety, cost-effectiveness, and device efficacy. Future enhancements in thermotherapy devices should address these crucial aspects.