• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.15-26
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• 2011

This study assessed and compared the expectation levels of in- and out-patients at hospitals of different size in relation to patients' view of their rights. A survey of out-patients visiting university hospitals (204 patients) and small to mid size community hospitals (215 patients) in Seoul and Kyeongki Province was conducted, where the respondents reported their perceptions of patient rights. Based on the survey, their respective expectation levels for the medical services that they would receive was assessed and analyzed for exploring possible factors for their selecting small to mid sized hospitals over larger hospitals. The results showed difference in perceptions between patients visiting or staying in lager and smaller hospitals. Namely, for out-patients, those at university hospitals had higher perceptions only about their rights to privacy while in hospital, whereas in the case of in-patients, those at small to mid size hospitals had higher perceptions only about their rights to access to inspection information. With respect to the results from analysis of difference in the expectation level for medical services between university and non-university hospital patients, it was found that in-patients at university hospitals had higher perceptions about their rights to choose to see hospital visitors while in hospital and rights to access to religious facilities.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.4-16
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• 2024

Smart hospitals involve the use of recent ICT (information and communications technology) technologies to improve healthcare access, efficiency, and effectiveness. Standardization in smart hospital technologies is crucial for interoperability, scalability, policy formulation, quality control, and maintenance. This study reviewed relevant international standards for smart hospitals and the organizations that develop them. Specific attention was paid to robotics in smart hospitals and the potential for standardization in this area. The study used online resources and existing standards to analyze technologies, standards, and practices in smart hospitals. Key technologies of smart hospitals were identified. Relevant standards from ISO (International Organization for Standardization) and IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) were mapped to each core technology. Korea's leadership in smart hospital technology were highlighted. Approaches for standardizing smart hospitals were proposed. Finally, potential new international standard items for robotics in smart hospitals were identified and categorized by function: sampling, remote operation, delivery, disinfection, and movement tracking/contact tracing. Standardization in smart hospital technologies is crucial for ensuring interoperability, scalability, ethical use of artificial intelligence, and quality control. Implementing international standards in smart hospitals is expected to benefit individuals, healthcare institutions, nations, and industry by improving healthcare access, quality, and competitiveness.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.361-362
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• 2015

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.32-42
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• 2016

This study is conducted to estimate economic ripple effects of subsidiary services of hospitals. Using the Input/Output Analysis, this study analyzes production inducement effect, added value inducement effect, and labor inducement effect. Also, it assesses potential economic effects of the subsidiary services of which the scope is expanded as the government's proposed in 2014. Data regarding hospital subsidiary services and economic effects are obtained from the hospitals' financial statements on the National Tax Services and the Bank of Korea. The major results of this study are summarized as follows; subsidiary service profits of hospitals are 466 billion won and rent profits of hospitals are 152 billion won. Of these, the rate of subsidiary service profits in tertiary hospitals is about 66% of total subsidiary service profits. Producement inducement effect of subsidiary services of hospitals is higher than that of total industry, service industry and medical service industry. Added value inducement effect of subsidiary services of hospitals is higher than that of total industry, manufacturing industry, service industry and medical service industry. Job position inducement effect of subsidiary service in hospitals is higher than that of total industry, service industry and medical service industry. Also, employment inducement effect of subsidiary service in hospitals is higher than that of total industry and medical service industry. The results may suggest that subsidiary services revenue in medical institutions contribute to improving operating profits. Facing with intense market competition and pressures to control health care costs, hospitals may need to determine whether subsidiary services help boost their profitability and improve customer satisfaction.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.21-36
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• 1996

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the level of fixed assets management of the factors affecting its management level. The surveyed data were gathered from 105 general hospitals among 263 general hospitals nationwide. The level of fixed assets management was measured by 11 dimensions of assets management. The results were as follows : 1. According to general characteristics of hospitals, the management level of public hospitals and corporatized hospitals was better than that of private hospitals. The management level was better as increasing beds. 2. In the structural characteristics of assets management, the management level of the hospitals which had the responsible person for assets management was better than that of the hospitals which had not. 3. In the operating characteristics of assets management, the hospitals that conducted education for the job had better level of assets management that did not it. The hospital that the discard of assets was decided by engineering department or management department were better in management level than the hospitals that it was decided by user department. The management level of hospitals which were computerized for assets management was better. 4. In the full model, the most factors affecting the level of assets management were the factors that were characterized by operation pattern of assets management, and the operating characteristics of assets management were explained to 23.1% of total 45.7%. Conclusively, the level of assets management was mostly affected by the operating characteristics of assets management which were education for the job, discard decision not by user department, computerization for assets management. Therefore, hospitals perform education of the job, discard decision by engineering or management department, and computerization for better level of fixed assets management

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.55-66
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• 2019

Purpose: This study was done to assess development and postnatal care interventions in postnatal care intervention records for maternity ward nurses in tertiary hospitals and women's hospitals in South Korea. Methods: This mixed-method research was a Time-Motion (TM) study. Data were collected through external observation of 12 nurses in 4 wards over 24 hours. Mann-Whitney U test and independent t-test were employed for the analysis of frequency and provision time of direct/indirect care activity. $x^2$ (Fisher's exact test) was utilized to determine the difference in frequency between two groups. IBM SPSS 22.0 statistical program was employed for calculation. All statistical significance levels were at ${\alpha}=.05$. Results: According to the KPCS-1 (Korean Patient Classification System-1), women's hospitals are group 3 and tertiary hospitals, group 4. With respect to time difference in direct care, tertiary hospitals showed 791 minutes and women's hospitals, 399 a difference of 392 minutes. For time difference in indirect care, women's hospitals had 2,415 minutes while tertiary hospitals, 2,080, a difference of 335 minutes for women's hospitals. No difference was found in the average total care workload between the two institutions. Individual time also showed no difference (p>.05). Conclusion: High-risk maternal care strength in tertiary hospitals and breast-feeding strength in women's hospitals need to be benchmarked with each other.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.99-109
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• 2010

Purpose: This study was aimed to examine changes of hospital nurse staffing by hospital characteristics during 2008-2010. Methods: The study sample included 44 tertiary hospitals, 226 general hospitals, and 532 non-general hospitals that were operating during 2008-2010. Grade of nursing management fee was categorized from Grade 1(highest) to 6 (lowest) in tertiary hospitals, l or Grade 7 in general hospitals and non-general hospitals based on the nurse-to-bed ratio. For data analysis, ${\chi}^2$ and GEE were conducted. Results: For three years, the number of tertiary hospitals below Grade 2 were increased from 8 to 12, the number of those above Grade 4 were decreased from 15 to 6. The number of general hospitals above Grade 6 decreased from 123 to 86. Tertiary hospitals and general hospitals had more possibilities to improve nurse staffing grade than general hospital (OR 79.69, 95% CI 50.77~125.09, OR 11.25, 95% CI 8.15~15.53, respectively). Greater likelihood of improvement in grade of nursing management fee was found in university hospital or hospitals with 300 or more beds than other types of hospitals. Conclusion: Differentiating nurse staffing system by hospital type and increasing financial incentives according to the grades are needed to improve hospital nurse staffing.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.1-8
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• 2014

The purpose of this study is to analyze the performance difference between public and private hospitals. It is believed that private hospitals may have a better performance compared to public hospitals. The study support the hypothesis. By analyzing 425 acute-care hospitals in Korea, this research shows a less performance of public hospitals compared to private hospitals. Higher labor and administrative cost by public hospitals may account for the difference, and it means they are not effective at cost control. Managers in public hospitals, therefore, should pay attention on cost-reducing issues to regain managerial efficiency of organizations.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.35 no.8
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• pp.1493-1499
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• 2005

Background. Adequate staffing is necessary to meet patient care needs and provide safe, quality nursing care. In November 1999, the Korean government implemented a new staffing policy that differentiates nursing fees for inpatients based on nurse-to-bed ratios. The purpose was to prevent hospitals from delegating nursing care to family members of patients or paid caregivers, and ultimately deteriorating the quality of nursing care services. Purpose. To examine nurse staffing levels and related factors including hospital, nursing and medical staff, and financial characteristics. Methods. A cross-sectional design was employed using two administrative databases, Medical Care Institution Database and Medical Claims Data for May 1-31, 2002. Nurse staffing was graded from 1 to 6, based on grading criteria of nurse-to-bed ratios provided by the policy. The study sample consisted of 42 tertiary and 186 general acute care hospitals. Results. None of tertiary or general hospitals gained the highest nurse staffing of Grade 1 (i.e., less than 2 beds per nurse in tertiary hospitals; less than 2.5 beds per nurse in general hospitals). Two thirds of the general hospitals had the lowest staffing of Grade 6 (i.e., 4 or more beds per nurse in tertiary hospitals; 4.5 or more beds per nurse in general hospitals). Tertiary hospitals were better staffed than general hospitals, and private hospitals had higher staffing levels compared to public hospitals. Large-sized general hospitals located in metropolitan areas had higher staffing than other general hospitals. Occupancy rate was positively related to nurse staffing. A negative relationship between nursing assistant and nurse staffing was found in general hospitals. A greater number of physician specialists were associated with better nurse staffing. Conclusions. The staffing policy needs to be evaluated and modified to make it more effective in leading hospitals to increase nurse staffing.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.433-443
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• 2020

Objective: This study aimed to introduce the use of humidifier disinfectant (HD) in hospitals based on an on-site investigation. Methods: A preliminary survey and on-site investigation of HD use were conducted in 23 hospitals. Among them, one hospital without previous information on HD use was selected for a pilot investigation; 22 hospitals were selected based on previous documents and exposure statements from parliamentary investigation and exposure assessment regarding HD. Descriptive statistics were used to present distribution and characteristics of HD purchase and HD use in hospitals. Also, details on interviews from the on-site investigation were described. Results: Among the 23 hospitals, a total of ten were confirmed to have purchased and used an HD (nine hospitals) or HD-like product (one hospital). For the purchased HD products, four hospitals reported 'Aekyung Gaseupgi Mate', two hospitals reported 'Oxy Ssakssak New Gaseupgi Dangbun', and one hospital reported 'Homeplus Gaseupgi Chungjungje' (one hospital used three kinds of HD products). One hospital reported an HD-like product and four hospitals were 'Unknown'. For the number of HD products purchased, five hospitals reported '100 or less', two hospitals reported 'More than 100', and three hospitals were 'Unknown'. For each of the ten hospitals, we described detailed characteristics of HD purchase and its exposure status obtained through on-site investigation, including the purchase volume (i.e., number of products), exposure space (i.e., patient's room, staff space), and exposure period. Additionally, a comparison of on-site investigation and parliamentary investigation or exposure assessment regarding HD was reported. Conclusion: This study introduced detailed cases of HD purchase and HD use in hospitals based on an on-site investigation, and our findings revealed a possibility of a considerable volume of HD exposure in various multiuse facilities, including hospitals.