• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.795-807
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• 2009

Objectives : This study was to examine the satisfaction level of participants in a oral exercise program geared toward the improvement of oral function, their reuse intention of the program and their willingness of recommendation in an effort to facilitate the advancement of the program. Methods : The subjects in this study were 85 senior citizens who used senior welfare centers and nursing homes in Seoul. A oral exercise program was implemented 24 times from April to June 2009, twice a week, and the selected elderly people participated in the program 20 times or more. An interview survey was conducted by two trained dental hygienists, and the collected data were analyzed. Results : 1. As for satisfaction level with each part of the program, the elderly people investigated expressed the best satisfaction with the service supplier(a mean of 3.81), followed by the usefulness of the procedure of the program(3.77) and oral exercise(3.64). 2. The satisfaction level with oral exercise had a significant impact on their overall satisfaction with the program, reuse intention and willingness of recommendation, and the entire satisfaction level with the program was correlated to reuse intention and willingness of recommendation(p<0.001). 3. Out of the demographic characteristics, marital status and whether to live with their families or not made a significant difference to their satisfaction level with oral exercise(p<0.05). Conclusions : It took 20 minutes to get oral exercise, which consisted of warming-up, exercise for each part of oral and cooking-down, and they found it appropriate to spend that time and had no difficulties in repeating after the instructor.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.16 no.10
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• pp.939-947
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• 2010

With the rising numbers of elderly and disabled people, the demand for welfare services using a robotic system and not involving human effort is likewise increasing. This study deals with a mobile-robot system combined with a BWS (Body Weight Support) system for gait rehabilitation. The BWS system is designed via the kinematic analysis of the robot's body-lifting characteristics and of the walking guide system that controls the total rehabilitation system integrated in the mobile robot. This mobile platform is operated by utilizing the AGV (Autonomous Guided Vehicle) driving algorithm. Especially, the method that integrates geometric path tracking and obstacle avoidance for a nonholonomic mobile robot is applied so that the system can be operated in an area where the elderly users are expected to be situated, such as in a public hospital or a rehabilitation center. The mobile robot follows the path by moving through the turning radius supplied by the pure-pursuit method which is one of the existing geometric path-tracking methods. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified through the real experiments those are conducted for path tracking with static- and dynamic-obstacle avoidance. Finally, through the EMG (Electromyography) signal measurement of the subject, the performance of the proposed system in a real operation condition is evaluated.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.303-313
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• 2010

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the performance efficiency and productivity change of the regional public hospital in Korea. We use DEA(Data Envelopment Analysis) for CCR, BCC model, and MPI(Malmquist Productivity Index). DEA is a useful nonparametric technique for measurement of efficiency of a DMU(Decision Making Unit) and MPI is a evaluation method to measure DMU's productivity change. We utilize 34 regional public hospital's time-series data over 6 years from 2003 to 2008.The results of this study were as follows. First, technical efficiency(TE) shows that approximately 3.6% of inefficiency exists on the regional public hospitals and it reveals that the cause for technical inefficiency is due to scale inefficiency. Second, MPI's results show that regional public hospital made effort to improve total factor productivity change to raise technical efficiency. In order to raise efficiency, the regional public hospitals should deploy internal innovation and the government should support welfare policies.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.257-268
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• 2013

These days the aged have to live 30 or 40 years beyond the day they quit their day jobs. The quality of life for the elderly is a keen concern for the young people. We need to have a correct understanding of the age problem and the effort of a government or local government in order to bless the average life expectancy and not perceive it as a disaster. The number of the elderly living alone is increasing. Various types of support are needed to ensure that these people do not become socially isolated and are able to live alone. Supporting them includes activities to prevent social isolation that take their unique difficulties into consideration, which are different from the difficulties of supporting elderly people living with their families. In this research examined the current status of support activities for elderly people living alone and the unique difficulties involved in supporting them.

• Journal of the Society of Disaster Information
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.150-166
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• 2016

In the aftermath of a recent outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), legal matters on the spread of epidemics have emerged as major social issues in Korea, with the awareness that rampant contagious diseases are disasters in society. Problems arose over damages arising from patients who contract infectious diseases, compensation for people under quarantine and for a partial, or entire, shutdown of hospitals, and information disclosure on infectious diseases. As epidemic-linked problems have never been socially disputed in Korea, the relevant legal issues appear to be studied comparatively less than other areas. As interests are heightened over legal issues on infectious illnesses amid the MERS scare, in-depth, further research on such legal issues should be conducted in an utmost effort to prevent and make preparations for epidemics which potentially become a social disaster, such as new Hong Kong flu, Ebola virus and Zika virus.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.1-30
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• 2009

Korean medical fee contract system between the insurer and healthproviders was introduced in 2000. However, a continuous discord among contracting parties concerned and an irrational operation of an arbitration committee of Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs (MIHWAF) have made it difficult for them to reach to an agreement over last 8 years. The purpose of this study is to observe the current problems of contract system from the view of health insurance law and actual examples. Furthermore, I examined the of breakdown of negotiation by analyzing the eligibility of contracting parties, rationality of Resource Based Relative Value System (RBRVS) and contracting method and fairness of arbitration method in case of negotiation rupture. The results were as follows: First, since the introduction of medical fee contract system, there has been a problem in that both the president of National Health Insurance Corporation (NHIC) and health care provider association have not held strong negotiation power. Second, the frequent changes and notifications of Relative Value Units (RVUs) without any mutual consent between the insurer and provider association negatively have influenced the conversion factors and finally hindered the agreement of contract. Third, a current process that the conversion factors are mediated and determined at the arbitration committee of MIHWAF in the case of contract breakdown between contracting parties has some flaw in that the irrational composition of committee provoked the lack of fairness and objectivity of mediation. Fourth, we can not prospect a satisfactory outcome of arbitration committee because the mediation always has failed to proceed smoothly due to boycott of both committee members from insurer and providers over last 8 years. As a result, we have to make an every effort to resolve problems mentioned above and then dream of an advanced national health insurance system.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.397-403
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• 2007

Objectives: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome has recently increased, Payments from the Korea Labor Welfare Corporation for compensation for mortality in workers caused by cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases have also increased in Korea in recent years. The association of metabolic syndrome and cardiocerebrovascular disease has been investigated by several researchers in recent studies, This study was conducted in an attempt to characterize the relationship between metabolic syndrome and Korean cardiocerebrovascular disease risk assessment, and to provide basic data to group health practices for the prevention of cardiocerebrovascular disease. Methods: Health examinations were previously conducted for 1526 male researchers at a private laboratory. The prevalence by age and the odds ratio of metabolic syndrome scores into the "cardiocerebrovascular risk group" (sum of low, intermediate, and high risk groups) of the Korean cardiocerebrovascular disease risk assessment were assessed, in an effort to elucidate the associations between metabolic syndrome and cardiocere brovascular disease risk assessment. Results: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome and inclusion in the cardiocerebrovascular risk group was 11,7% and 22.1% respectively. The severity of metabolic syndrome and cardiocerebrovascular risk assessment showed that individuals in their 40's and 50's were at higher risk than those in their 30's (p<0,001). The age-adjusted odds ratio of metabolic syndrome to cardiocere brovascular risk group inclusion was 5.6. Conclusions: An active prevention program for cardiocerebrovascular disease needs to begin in the 40's, as the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and the risk group of cardiocerebrovascular risk assessment peak in the 40's age group. The odds ratio between metabolic syndrome and the cardiocerebrovascular risk group was high, which indicates that metabolic syndrome scores should be utilized as guidelines during the consultation and behavioral modification program for the workplace prevention of cardiocerebrovascular diseases in group health practices.

• Journal of Technologic Dentistry
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.315-325
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• 2016

Purpose: This study investigated perception and plan of dental technologists regarding the old age and retirement for them to enjoy stable old age. Methods: Dental technologists working in Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggido were asked to fill out a self-administered questionnaire, and a total of 200 copies were used for analysis. The collected data were statistically analyzed by using SPSS 22.0(Statistical Package for Social Sciences. Chicago, IL, USA) (a=0.05). In order to compare perception toward old age preparation among the subjects, a Chi-square test was performed, and, to investigate the level of preparedness for old age according to general characteristics, t-test was performed. Results: In the analysis of the old age preparedness by age, there was a significant difference in financial preparation, Asset identification, use of retiring allowance, information gathering, senior town home, and stability (p<0.05). To the questions regarding perception toward retirement, the majority of the subjects (60.5%) answered they had thought about retirement, and many (23.9%) of them attributed the reason to job stress (23.9%). Regarding old age preparedness according to workplace, there was a significant difference in use of retirement allowance and education for old age preparedness between general dental laboratories and general hospitals (p<0.05). Conclusion: It is believed that, for preparation of dental technologists for stable old age, in addition to their personal effort, it is important to provide social support and practical measures to ensure welfare and retirement.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.79-105
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• 2011

In-depth interview research and qualitative methodology were used to find changes in the experiences of family volunteer activities through the use of the Health Family Support Center. Ultimately, 143 items as sub-concepts, 42 items as sub-categories, and 10 items as subjects were found. I will also suggest alternative basic and primary data. First, using 10 subjects, the following points were evaluated in detail. I looked at what kind of changes in the volunteer activities these subjects experienced after working at the Health Family Support Center, and what the specific underlying reasons were for the changes in their family volunteer experience. These included 'community solidarity', 'family community', 'leisure and culture for the family', 'communication', 'personal relations', 'coping skills', 'growth', 'sympathy', 'positive thinking', 'future plans'. Second, families experienced a feeling of belonging as community members and the family realized the importance of their life, learned communication methods and coping skills. Third, families came to have new opportunities to grow as humans and learned a feeling of sympathy for others. Fourth, families found new paradigms to think positively about their daily life and to establish future plans. We will need more effort to empower family experiences of family volunteer activities that use the Health Family Support Center as well as supporting its staff. The following specific factors were the main mediating factors for using such a facility: family volunteer education, family volunteer service agency consulting, program planning, and managing family volunteers and other services.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.522-537
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to analyze the level of the cognitive function and activities of daily living of the beneficiary older adults at home based on Korean Long-term Care Insurance System. A cross-sectional descriptive survey was conducted from November 2010 to May 2011, the final respondents were 1,026 beneficiary older adults taking home visit care covered in Korean long-term care insurance system. The questionnaire included general characteristics of subjects, cognitive function, ADL(Activity of daily living). The data was analyzed using the SPSS 20.0 version. There was significant difference in cognitive function and ADL between 1st Grade, 2nd Grade and 3rd Grade of long-term care classification. The correlated factors of cognitive function were ADL, long-term care grade, disability of arm and leg, limitation of joint, bed sore and tube feeding. The correlated factors of ADL were cognitive function, long-term care grade, disability of arm and leg, bed sore and tube feeding. This study suggests that cognitive functions have to be mainly considered in long-term care grade. It is necessary to make an effort to develop long-term care grade in Korean long-term care insurance system an cognitive function improvement program for the beneficiary older adults. Above all things government will be seriously contemplating of revise contents for long-term care grade to provide quality of care for the older adults.