• Health Policy and Management
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.120-125
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• 2020

Unmet healthcare needs lead to increased disease severity, increased likelihood of complications, and worse disease prognosis. To examine the latest status of unmet healthcare needs in South Korea, the four different data configured with nationally representative sample of South Korean population were used: the Korea Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNAHANES, 2007-2018), the Community Health Survey (CHS, 2008-2018), the Korea Health Panel Survey (KHP, 2011-2016), and the Korean Welfare Panel Study (KOWEPS, 2006-2018). The proportion of individuals reporting unmet healthcare needs were 7.8% (KNHANES, 2018), 8.8% (CHS), and 10.8% (KHP, 2016). Annual percentage change which characterizes trend for the follow-up period was -9.1%, -3.2%, and -6.8%, respectively. The proportion of individuals reporting unmet healthcare needs due to cost were 1.2% (KNAHANES, 2018), 1.2% (CHS, 2018), 2.5% (KHP, 2016), and 0.5% (KOWEPS, 2018). Annual percentage change which characterizes trend for the follow-up period was -10.3%, -12.0%, -11.3%, and -18.8, respectively. The low-income population and the elderly population were vulnerable groups reporting the highest rate of unmet health care needs. The rate of unmet healthcare needs has been declining since the past decade, still, the disparity between different income groups and age groups suggests that there are many challenges to address.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.26-36
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• 2020

Background: The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship between the regional characteristics and the age-adjusted cardio-cerebrovascular disease mortality rates (SCDMR) in 229 si·gun·gu administrative regions. Methods: SCDMR of man and woman was used as a dependent variable using the statistical data of death cause in 2017. As a representative index of regional characteristics, health behavior factors, socio-demographic and economic factors, physical environment factors, and health care factors were selected as independent variables. Ordinary least square (OLS) regression and geographically weighted regression (GWR) were performed to identify their relationship. Results: OLS analysis showed significant factors affecting the mortality rates of cardio-cerebrovascular disease as follows: high-risk drinking rates, the ratio of elderly living alone, financial independence, and walking practice rates. GWR analysis showed that the regression coefficients were varied by regions and the influence directions of the independent variables on the dependent variable were mixed. GWR showed higher adjusted R² and Akaike information criterion values than those of OLS. Conclusion: If there is a spatial heterogeneity problem as Korea, it is appropriate to use the GWR model to estimate the influence of regional characteristics. Therefore, results using the GWR model suggest that it needs to establish customized health policies and projects for each region considering the socio-economic characteristics of each region.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.60-78
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• 2005

The main objective of this study is to define the nature of the patient service quality of Health Centers, and based on that, to examine the causal relationship of Health Center visitor's perceived service quality with overall satisfaction, intention to revisit and intention to recommend. Data are collected on the basis of the second field survey of '3rd Regional Health Care Planning' operated by the Ministry of Health and Welfare(MOHW). In this study, the 24 patient satisfaction questions are used as outcome indicators. The samples are 3,091 patients who visited 68 Health Centers. The reliability and validity of patient service quality items was evaluated. Finally, the Structural Equation Modeling(SEM) analysis was conducted to find a causal relationship of service quality, patient satisfaction, intention to revisit and intention to recommend. This study shows firstly, the dimension of patient service quality was categorized into 3 dimensions, that is, facilities and environment, staff kindness, and convenience of utilization process. Secondly, the reliability and validity of patient service quality items was satisfied. Lastly, the total effect of convenience of utilization process factor on satisfaction(path coefficients=1.721), intention to revisit(0.843) and intention to recommend(0.696) is more higher than other variables. These findings imply that the quality of various services concerning convenience of utilization process at Health Centers should be improved to satisfy the health need of community people and improve the service quality of Health Centers.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.40-59
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• 2005

The objective of this paper is to examine what impact the newly introduced Purchasing Price Reimbursement System, where insurance drugs are reimbursed at the prices as they were purchased by medical care providers under the maximum allowable cap, has upon the health insurer's financing situation. The impact of the Purchasing Price Reimbursement System is considered to be confined mainly to the inpatient department among three drug reimbursement fields such as inpatient department, out-patient department and pharmacy. Hypothesis was set and tested in this study for each of three components of inpatient drug reimbursement in health insurance, i.e. average price level, composition of drugs and their overall volume. Drug price level calculated in this study from 403 selected reimbursement drugs according to the Laspayres methodology revealed faster decline under the new Purchasing Price Reimbursement System than previously by $1.53\%$ on the annual average basis. However, additional 1.4 percent financial burden in the ratio of the total inpatient reimbursement was owed by the health insurer. This was analysed to be a combined result of both 2.0-3.1 percent of reduced reimbursement due to drug price decline and 3.4-4.5 percent of additional reimbursement due to drug volume increase. These results suggest that recalling the Purchasing Price Reimbursement System would not have so much impact upon the health insurer's financial situation given that the current compulsory separation between doctor's prescribing and pharmacist's dispensing is irrevocable.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.54-69
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• 2001

This study was conducted to assess factors associated with the degree of performance of qualify improvement(QI) activities. A mailed questionnaire survey was conducted between September 15 and October 30, 2000, with the staffs being charge of QI at each of the hospitals with 400 beds or greater. Of the 108 hospitals eligible for inclusion in our study, 79 participated, yielding a response rate of 73.1%. After excluding 12 hospitals that did not perform any QI activities, 117 responses from 67 hospitals were used for the analysis. Using the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Criteria(MBNQAC), perceived performance of QI was measured in terms of the improvement of the quality of clinical practice, clinical supporting department, administrative procedure of receiving care, customer satisfaction, efficiency and standardization of work process. Factors evaluated for the association were the extent of QI implementation, compliance to 5 QI principles, participation of hospital CEOs, budget allocation, history of QI, and bed size. Path analysis was performed to assess the relationship between QI performance and these factors. Major findings of this study are as follows. Hospitals showing higher degree of QI implementation (path coefficient=0.5967, p<0.001)) and better compliance with the basic principes of QI(0.5736, p<0.05) tended to achieve better performance. Path analysis results showed that interest and participation of hospital CEOs(0.1954, p<0.05) and compliance with the basic principes of QI(0.4028, p<0.0001) indirectly affected the outcomes of QI by influencing the intermediate variable of the level of QI implementation. This study results suggest that having employees have a good orientation of the basic concept and principes of QI through relevant training be the most important requirement to achieve better outcomes from QI activities. In addition, to educate leaders of hospitals the need of active implementation of QI is important to encourage their participation and draw strong support for QI programs.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.15-40
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• 1999

To assess the university health service organization(UHSO) and its school health programs a questionnaire survey for all of 186 four-year colleges in Korea was conducted from December 1. 1998 to March 31. 1999. The response rate was 91.9 percent(171 universities). The UHSO was established in 116 universities(67.8%L The most common name of UHSO. used in 61 universities(52.6%). was school health center. Only 45(38.8%) of the 116 universities surveyed had a committee to support and run the UHSO. The percentage of universities that had committee was higher in national universities and those with a large number of students. The average number of staff working in the UHSO was 3.5; 4.6 in national universities; and 7.1 in universities with more than 15.000 students. There were 43 universities(37.1%) which had a part-time physician and 104 universities (89. 7%) had full-time nurses. Only 4 universities(3.4%) had a independent facility for the UHSO while most of UHSO were housed in other building. The UHSO had an independent budget in 86 universities(74.1%). The average budget per university was 46.890.000 won: private universities had more budget with 59.170.000 won on average than national universities with 36.990.000 won. The average budget allocated per student was 4.362 won. A regular physical examination was performed in 72 universities(62.1%). The percentage of university that performed regular physical examination was higher in private universities than in national universities. Health counseling was performed in 113 universities(97.4%) and vaccinations in 87 universities(75.0%). Medical care services were performed in 87 universities(75.0%). and the private universities and those with over 10.000 students provided the student with more services. Environmental sanitation was executed in 73 universities(62.9%) and health education was conducted in 68 universities(58.6%)' The school health management activities were promoted in 104 universities(89.7%) out of 116 universities with UHSO. Only 12 universities(10.3%) published reports on the achievements and performance of the UHSO. Only 29 universities(25.0%) had a continuing education for employees of the UHSO.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.64 no.4
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• pp.261-284
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• 2012

This article attempts to discuss the childcare regime through examining the way familialism is expressed in society. First of all, this study reconceptualizes familialism and familism. From this conceptualization, this paper argues that although familialism is partly related with the level of development in a welfare state, familialism determines the way of welfare provision. Especially, family policy models are classified into 6 different typologies based on four concepts: defamilialization, familialization, public, and private. According to this discussion, familialism in child care is not simply the result of underdeveloped welfare in Korea. Rather the familialism is deeply rooted in the current socioeconomic circumstance and traditional culture in Korea. This implies that despite of expanding the institutional infrastructure of public childcare, the characteristic of Korean childcare regime would not be the same as the Nordic childcare regime.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.75-88
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• 2019

This study focuses on changes in a father's role from one that is work-centered to a work-family balance, analyzing the type of father's work-family reconciliation and to compare the differences among the types. An online survey was conducted with 1,037 fathers of school-aged children. The survey subjects were assigned to a ratio of 1:2:1:1 for fathers who have a child in kindergarten, elementary school, middle school and high school. The fathers' work-family reconciliation type was a variable composed of three categories: work-centered, family-centered, and work-family centered. In the research model of this study, the fathers' work-family reconciliation type was influenced by family characteristics(the age of first child, the number of children, dual earner, and spouse support) and work characteristics(weekly working hours, work flexibility, and leaving work on time). We analyzed characteristics of work-family reconciliation through housework time, child care time, leisure time, family meals, and time spend talking with their children. The results showed that father's work-family reconciliation type was significantly different according to the characteristics such as first child age and spouse support, work characteristics such as weekly working hours and leaving work on time. The time distribution differed significantly depending on the father's work-family reconciliation type. Therefore, a fathers' work-family reconciliation can be considered typified by the interaction of family and work characteristics. This study suggests policy implications for supporting fathers' work-family reconciliation.

• Journal of the Korean Data and Information Science Society
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.1253-1261
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• 2010

We develope the predictive model for the incidence of the stomach cancer by utilizing the health screening data of the National Health Insurance in Korea. We also explore the characteristics for the stomach cancer. We perform the logistic regression analysis using the data mining methodology and use SAS Enterprise Miner 4.1. This study shows that there exists a higher rate of the stomach cancer for males than females. Our study confirms that the major influencing factors for the incidence of the stomach cancer are age, drinking and a family history of cancer, lack of exercise. For man, the age is the most important determinant of the stomach cancer incidence, whereas the drinking is the most important determinant of the stomach cancer incidence for women.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.12 no.10
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• pp.375-384
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• 2014

This study was carried out to investigate the mediating role of parental satisfaction on the relationship between work-mother role conflict and parenting stress of employed mothers. Participants were 515 mothers of children aged 2 to 5 recruited from companies in Gyeonggi Province, Korea. Survey was conducted from February 15 to March 20, 2013. Structural equation modeling was used to examine direct and indirect effects among study variables. As a result, work-mother role conflict and parental satisfaction directly influenced parenting stress. Work-mother role conflict directly influenced parental satisfaction. The indirect effect of work-mother role conflict, with parental satisfaction as a mediator was verified on parenting stress. Therefore, to relieve the parenting stress of employed mothers, diverse programs to improve parental satisfaction need to be utilized along with decreasing work-mother role conflict through the settlement of child care policy.