• Health Policy and Management
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.1-30
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• 1995

This study was conducted to investigate the distribution of private medical practitioners' income from the medical insurance and its determinants. Total amount of the medical service fee paid by the medical insurance to 1,268 private clinics(767 in Taegu and 510 in Kyungpook that had been in practice at least for one year) in 1993 was compared by the characteristics of practitioner, clinic, patient and population. The practitioners in 40-49 years of age and 6-10 years inpractice had the highest income. Total income of a clinic was increased with the number of physicians, employees and equipments. The largest income differentials were observed among obstetrics and gynecology clinics and the least differentials were among pediatrics clinics. The characteristics of practitioner, clinic and population accounted for 41.7% of the total variance of income. The important determinants of income were specialty of the clinic, age of the practitioner and number of the employee and equipments. The large income differentials among clinics imply a skewed distribution of patients and thus long waiting time, inefficient utilization of manpower and inadequate quality of care. Effective measures to reduce the income differentials need to be developed.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.149-189
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• 1996

The aims of this study were to find out present situation of self-medication, and to explicate the factors affecting self-medication propensity. To explicate empirically the factors affecting self-medication propensity, a model containing five groups of determining factors such as attitudinal, behavioral, knowled해, and need of health care factors, and demographic factors were developed. Data were collected from 647 residents in Pusan and Kyungnam using the self-administered questionnaire. The major reslts obtained were as follows: First, self-medication was 32% of all utilization of pharmacy. The drugs used for self-medication most commonly were analgesics(16.2%), followed by antacids and stomachics(14.2%), dermatologic preparations(13.1%), tonics and drinks (12.6%). Second, the sources from which people obtained drug information at self-medication were label of the container(50.8%), pharmacist(32.4%), self-decision or lay person(16.8%). The experience of side effect was 10.6% of all self-medication and how people cope with was withdrawal(59.0%), consultation by pharmacist or doctor(35.9%). Third, the results of ANOVA showed a statistically significant relationship between self-medication propensity and 3 demograpic factors, such as sex(p<0.10), age(p<0.10) and job(p<0.05). Forth, the results of multiple regression analysis showed a statistically significant positive relationship betwee self-medication propensity and satisfaction of previous self-medication, knowledge of drug, drug dependency, the frequency of doctor visiting, confidence in drug advertisement, tendency toward self-treatment of the family, and job. And it showed negative relationship between self-medication propensity and confidence in the medical profession, and health behavior. The model explained 29.5% of the variance in self-medication(p<0.001).

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.26-45
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• 2005

The purposes of this study were to Identify the .level of measurement on quality Indicators and evaluate the existing indicators in order to determine the priority of quality indicators' application in Korean general hospitals. A survey was conducted using a questionnaire. The subjects were quality managers working at general hospital having over 300 beds. The criteria were relevance, reliability, precision, impact, application, and preference to evaluate quality indicators. According to these six criteria, each indicator was evaluated on a five point scale(5: excellent, 1: poor). The response rate was $40.4\%$. The hospitals have monitored the average of 3.8 indicators(median 4). The indicators such as return to operating room, unplanned readmission, cancellation of booked operations, death, hospital infection, cesarean section rate, volume per disease or procedure, readmission, re-operation, blood transfusion, and post-procedural complications were frequently measured. The top ten quality indicators in the evaluation by its relevance, validity, reliability, impact, preference and application were decubitus ulcer, clean wound infection, fall, unplanned return to operation room, transfusion reactions, foreign body left In during procedure, unplanned readmission, wound infection after contaminated surgery, postoperative hemorrhage/hematoma, and cesarean section rate in order. The high priority quality indicators frequently measured could be used as primary national indicators. Standardized guidelines about monitoring indicators and the utilization will preliminarily be needed to compare and reuse the data for various purposes and improve the quality of care continuously.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.62-80
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to examine the factors influencing the attitude toward the increasing role of private health insurance(PHI). In the Korea Welfare Panel Data 2007, a sample of 1,675 (adjusted by weight value: 1,607) respondents on an opinion on promoting PHI was used in the study. With independent variables including socio-demographic characteristics, health status, health-related behavior, and opinions on welfare service, ordered-probit model was used to analyze the attitude toward PHI. Negative opinion on the increasing role of PHI were responded by 54.6%(n=877) of the respondents, whereas 22.2%(n=373) were positive and 23.2%(n=357) were neutral. Old people, the better off, those with worse self-assessed health status, and those having an experience of health examination tend to have the positive attitude toward the increasing role of PHI. Women, those with chronic diseases or disorders and those who do not agree that comprehensive welfare benefits reduce work incentive showed negative attitude toward PHI. When comparing the needs for PHI before and after medical utilization, ex-ante need tends to strengthen the tendency to support private health insurance. This study will contribute to the discussion on the optimal mix of public and private health insurance in Korea by a better recognition of attitude toward PHI and health care system.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.343-348
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• 2013

Background: Price control alone may not successfully restrain growth in health expenditures. This study aimed to propose fee adjustment model suitable for Korea reflecting health service volume and to clarify applicability of the model by comparing actual conversion factor with estimated conversion factor from simulation of this model. Methods: Fee adjustment model was developed based on Alberta's fee adjustment formula in Canada and 7 alternatives were assessed according to diversely applied parameters of the model. Results: Estimated conversion factors of the tertiary care hospital and the hospital were lower than actual conversion factors, since the utilization of heath service has been increased. However, there was no big difference between estimated conversion factors and actual conversion factors of the general hospital and the clinic. Eventually this fee adjustment model could estimate proper conversion factor reflecting health service volume. Conclusion: This model may be applicable to the mechanism as determining conversion factor between insurer and provider via negotiation and controling growth in health expenditures.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.303-313
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• 2013

During last 65 years, Korea has achieved very rapid economic growth and social reformation including healthcare system. Many foreigners have praised that Korea healthcare system is very good in the respect of ease accessibility to healthcare under the lowest cost among the industrialized countries. Whole population are covered by the National Health Insurance. Also utilizations of healthcare among different income classes are even. However Korea healthcare system faced with several challenges, in terms of the an aging population and a rise in chronic disease problem, new threats of communicable disease due to globalization, the rapid increase of healthcare expenditure and high financial burden of patients even though they are insured. To cope with these challenges, we need reconsider the healthcare system as followings; to set up ideology of healthcare as normative public goods, to rebuild paradigm of healthcare for 21 century, to reform public health for strengthening health promotion, to develop new method for healthcare management including quality improvement and consumer responsiveness, to build new governance for health and to view new perspective on healthcare as a kind of industry.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.565-584
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• 2011

Objective: This study is examined the factors affecting forms of untreated experiences in persons with physical disability. Method: The data collected from 461 persons with physical disability in community. Based on the Behavioral Model of Andersen, predisposing, enabling, and need factors are hypothesized to affect persons with physical disability's untreated experiences. The data were analyzed by statistical methods such as frequency and multiple logistic regression analysis. Result: Participation rates of untreated experiences were 26.7%. The significant factors of persons with physical disability's untreated experiences are predisposing factors (gender, partner, and religion), enabling factors (income, private insurance, information of assistive device, disability discrimination, and subjective discrimination), and need factors(subjective health status health screening and chronic disease). Also untreated experiences related to gender, subjective health status, health screening, and chronic disease factors using multiple logistic regression analysis. Conclusion: Implications of the findings were discussed and the recommendations for the improvement of health care utilization, subjective health statue. Especially, development of health education and program should be needed persons with physical disability.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.94-113
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• 2005

The purpose of this study was to determine the level of appropriateness in hospital stays and factors influencing inappropriate hospital stays. The study was conducted at fifteen general care units in a tertiary university hospital. Appropriateness of hospital stay was assessed using Appropriateness Evaluation Protocol by trained head nurses. The total of 447 patient records were reviewed. Among them, 352 patient data were included in the final data set. A unit of observation was patient day. A rate of appropriate hospital stay was calculated per patient as a unit of analysis. Multiple regression analysis was performed to determine the factors affecting inappropriate hospital stay. The eighty-three percent (2030/2651) of hospital stays were evaluated as appropriate. There were significant differences in appropriateness of hospital stay according to patient's age, type of health insurance, medical specialty, and length of stay(p<0.05). In the multiple regression analysis, medical speciality was the most significant factor to predict the inappropriate hospital stay. The study showed a substantial proportion of hospital stay was found to inappropriate. Level of appropriateness was significantly different from medical specialty. Interdepartmental approach should be required to coordinate and improve appropriate resource utilization.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.148-173
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• 2000

This thesis is a kind of case report on the managerial difficulties and strategies to overcome them for the rural hospitals in Korea. We examined environmental situations and SWOT(Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, Threat) of the hospitals, and suggested some strategies to improve the hospital business through analysing secondary data and brief survey to staffs and patients at 3 case hospitals. Among the strategies were included establishment of their identity as community hospitals, positioning towards high-touch services rather than high-tech services to improve their competence. For this positioning, patient satisfaction should be emphasized to make rapport with the residents in the community, and a few service areas should be selected and strengthened. Emergency care and geriatric health services are recommended to be covered strongly, because rural hospitals are usually the one and only hospital in the region and rural communities have aged population structure. In addition to these, networking is necessary among rural hospitals nationwide and with local clinics and tertiary hospitals near urban areas. And also, complementary role division with community health post should be developed to lessen the competitive relationship between public and private sectors. To support these strategies, fresh organizational culture should be built up to make hospital staff creative and enthusiastic on their job. Finally, inducement of governmental assistance will be necessary to make the environment advantageous to the rural hospitals.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.87-119
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• 1999

The main purpose of this research is to measure and analyze how productive the health centers are and how much inputs(or outputs) in the inefficient health centers should be decreased(or increased) for efficiency. The evaluation of the performance of health centers gives a strong incentive to improve resource allocation in regional health planning. It has been, however, implemented very rarely until now. In this regard, this paper measures the performance of the health centers with a single indicator for multiple-outputs in terms of productivity(technical efficiency), based on Data Envelopment method. The 20 Kyungnam health centers which provide clinic services and specific primary health care services were analyzed. The results show that 50.0% of 20 health centers were productive with respective to overall technical efficiency, 65.0% were productive for pure technical efficiency, and 50.0% for scale efficiency. The inefficient group includes Geoje, Mahsan, Miryang, Sahchun, Tongyoung, Gosung, Nahmhae, Euryang, Hahmahn, Hahbchun health centers. The worst case was identified as Tongyoung health center which represented a 47.5% efficiency, compared with productive health centers. The empirical results for input-output analysis indicates that the low-productive health centers have excessive manpower in administration department, producing low outputs in clinical services and vaccination program. These findings imply that a systemic evaluation of the performance of the Korean health centers and the subsequent structural reform are strongly required.