• Journal of Korean Clinical Health Science
• /
• v.4 no.3
• /
• pp.603-614
• /
• 2016

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to provide basic data regarding the intention to use community care service based on special grading for dementia in the South Korean Society. Methods. A survey was conducted using a questionnaire adapted on the basis of literature review regarding the first to fourth grade under the long-term care insurance system for the aged from May 1 to 30, 2015 and a total of 272 questionnaires were statistically processed using SPSS 21.0. Frequency analysis, descriptive statistics, and cross-tabulation analysis were performed. The non-parametric type of test, ${\chi}^2$ test, was used for statistical testing. Results. This study obtained the following results: First, caregivers had greater intention to ask recipients to use daytime and nighttime care service. Second, there were statistically significant differences in caregivers' education, occupation, monthly average income, co-residence status, intimacy, and care-giving burden (emotional, financial, and social) and recipients' activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living, mental health status, dementia status, and intention to use community care service based on special grading for dementia. Conclusions. There are very few statistical data and academic materials regarding special grading for dementia, which has recently been established. The results of this study are therefore expected to help make a systematic analysis of the intention to use community care service by caregivers based on special grading for dementia.

• Journal of Korean Society of Rural Planning
• /
• v.21 no.4
• /
• pp.187-196
• /
• 2015

Among the factors of living environment, the one that is the most closely related with our living is the building. It is one of the biggest reasons for energy consumption as it forms 36% of the total energy consumption. Technologies equipped with excellent energy performance can hardly be applied to rural areas that are relatively poorer. Still, 89.8% rural residents are living in detached houses, and backward houses increase their financial burden and result in reduced insulation performance. Accordingly, this study is going to review the latest research written after 2000 dealing with rural houses and their insulation. The purpose of this study is to analyze the factors of insulation and how to improve insulation performance, conduct field research to find out how to apply low energy technologies applicable to houses with the subjects of experimental houses, the passive houses located in Jecheon City, Hongcheon Saldun zero energy houses, and energy independence villages, and find out how to perform follow-up research on insulation for rural houses. According to the findings, the latest research on insulation for rural houses is mostly focused on walls as well as windows and doors. Also, as ways to improve insulation performance, it suggests us to use high performance insulators, introduce new regeneration energy technology, and secure hermeticity. In addition, through field research, this author could find out low energy technologies applicable to houses such as solar energy facilities and heat recovery systems. Advanced research on insulation for rural houses has been focused on how to use materials or new regeneration energy, so follow-up research will have to consider the types of farming area or the residents' mode of living.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
• /
• v.8 no.2
• /
• pp.29-45
• /
• 1985

Computed Tomography Scanner (CT) is highly expensive in operation as well as purchasing. That reason may cause not only to increase the burden of patients but also to waste the capital resources leading to financial difficulties. However the numbers of CT installed throughout the country is increasing, because of efficiency in medical care, patient's concern, competitions among the hospitals within the same area. In the non-Metropolitan area the scanners were expected to be less utilized and less profitable. Nine hospitals equipped with the CT were studied on the utilization of that equipment during the period from November 1984 to February 1985 in non-Metropolitan area and break-even point in one hospital was analyzed for estimating profitabilities. The results were as follows ; 1. Among those nine hospitals, four hospitals had less than 400 beds, which is one of the restrictive minimum standards on the installation of Whole-body Computed Tomography Scanner. 2. The operating time during the normal operation period was longer than those of any other studies, but the accumulated down time was also longer than those of any other studies. The average number of scanning per week for each CT was 45, while the estimated number of for the break-even point was 56.7 cases. 3. When the downtime was excluded in calculating the average operation would be much closer to the cases for the break-even point. Therefore the break-down of the equipment was to be a main cause of the low profitability. 4. The average scanning rate for head area was 33.6%, however three of the nine hospitals showed about 20%. 5. If scanning ratio for the body parts excepting head was increased, the number of scanning for the break-even point would be diminished. 6. The small size hospital especially located near the Metropolitan area showed largest loss in the CT operation. In purchasing the highly expensive equipments in hospitals, demand should be taken into account and planning is recommended.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.362-372
• /
• 2016

Purpose: This study intended to grasp real context of Cardiovascular disease (CVD)-related factors of Korean blue-collar workers, especially CVD-related knowledge, perception, beliefs, benefits and barriers of behaviors according to the health belief model. Methods: We interviewed twenty two workers working in two small-sized companies and performed two series of focus group interviews. Data were analyzed by deductive content analysis approach based on Elo & $Kyng{\ddot{a}}s$. Results: Excepting participants who have CVD risk factors, most participants had lower level of CVD risk perception. The level of CVD knowledge was low but there was difference by gender. CVD-related beliefs were 'fatal disease', 'caused by lifestyle' and 'difficult to prevent by themselves'. The risk reduction behaviors were motivated by current or family history of hypertension. But there were barriers to interfere practice of preventive behaviors such as poor quality of food provided by cafeteria in the workplace, frequent overtime, victim mentality as one of vulnerable social group, housework and financial burden, lack of facilities for rest and physical activity in the workplace. Conclusion: To develop intervention for reducing CVD risks in Korean blue-collar workers, we need to focus on improving CVD knowledge and perception and modifying work-related environments such as low quality of food and lack of facilities for rest and physical activity in the workplace.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.15 no.13
• /
• pp.5265-5270
• /
• 2014

Background: In Korea, the National Health Insurance program has initiated various copayment policies over a decade in order to alleviate patient financial burden. This study investigated healthcare spending and utilization in the last 12 months of life among patients who died with lung cancer by various copayment policy windows. Materials and Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study using nationwide lung cancer health insurance claims data from 2002 to 2012. We used descriptive and multivariate methods to compare spending measured by total costs, payer costs, copayments, and utilization (measured by length of stay or outpatient days). Using 1,4417,380 individual health insurance claims (inpatients: 673,122, outpatients: 744,258), we obtained aggregated healthcare spending and utilization of 155,273 individual patient (131,494 inpatient and 103,855 outpatient) records. Results: National spending and utilization is growing, with a significant portion of inpatient healthcare spending and utilization occurring during the end-of-life period. Specifically, inpatients were more likely to have more spending and utilization as they got close to death. As coverage expanded, copayments decreased, but overall costs increased due to increased utilization. The trends were the same in both inpatient and outpatient services. Multivariate analysis confirmed the associations. Conclusions: We found evidence of the higher end of life healthcare spending and utilizations in lung cancer patients occurring as coverage expanded. The practice pattern within a hospital might be influenced by coverage policies. Health policy makers should consider initiating various health policies since these influence the long-term outcomes of service performance and overall healthcare spending and utilization.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.17 no.7
• /
• pp.3173-3177
• /
• 2016

Background: The Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) in Lebanon provides cancer drugs free of charge for uninsured patients who account for more than half the total case-load. Other categories of cancer care are subsidized under more stringent eligibility criteria. MOPH's large database offers an excellent opportunity to analyze the cost of cancer treatment in Lebanon. Materials and Methods: Using utilization and spending data accumulated at MOPH during 2008-2013, the cost to the public budget of cancer drugs was assessed per case and per drug type. Results: The average annual cost of cancer drugs was 6,475$ per patient. Total cancer drug costs were highest for breast cancer, followed by chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), colorectal cancer, lung cancer, and Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), which together represented 74% of total MOPH cancer drug expenditure. The annual average cancer drug cost per case was highest for CML ($31,037), followed by NHL ($11,566). Trastuzumab represented 26% and Imatinib 15% of total MOPH cancer drug expenditure over six years. Conclusions: Sustained increase in cancer drug cost threatens the sustainability of MOPH coverage, so crucial for socially vulnerable citizens. To enhance the bargaining position with pharmaceutical firms for drug cost containment in a small market like Lebanon, drug price comparisons with neighboring countries which have already obtained lower prices may succeed in lowering drug costs.

• Korean Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
• /
• v.12 no.3
• /
• pp.140-149
• /
• 2011

The government introduced private infrastructure projects in order to reduce its financial burden by introducing private sectors efficiency and creativity and by utilizing their funds. Through revision, the act on the private investment of the infrastructure, many changes were made in the private investment system. The evaluation task to assess the project proposer's capability and to select a promoter is regarded as the most important process for fairness and transparency of the project. In this study, the improvement of project plan evaluation task of current private infrastructure projects is proposed based on the standard guideline for evaluation procedure of private infrastructure projects provided by Korea Development Institute. In addition, software program for evaluation procedure is made to improve the efficiency and enableconvenient evaluation task.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
• /
• v.11 no.11
• /
• pp.137-144
• /
• 2011

This study explored the risk sharing mechanism in the US TV drama industry. The hollywood system of TV production and distribution can be understood to be the result of the efforts to reduce the uncertainty and the risk of investment. Since the 1990s, the vertical integration of major studios and networks has been one of the core strategies for risk sharing. In the strategy, the most important role of networks is to schedule new series that the affiliated studios produce. Networks also provide the new series their brand value. On the other hand, the most important role of studios in the vertical integrated environment is to provide the affiliated networks the infrastructures for production and distribution, financial management, and product management. In addition, networks keep the right on the series in the secondary markets, and attempt to increase the aggressive investment on new series on the base of the rights. However, such a risky investment can be the potential burden and risk for the networks in the future. This paper shows the importance of the reasonable risk sharing in the television drama industry to the Korean TV drama industry that has experienced the conflict between networks and independent production companies.

• The Journal of Korean Medical History
• /
• v.19 no.2
• /
• pp.29-47
• /
• 2006

Because the size of population was directly related to the power of the nation in the Chosun Dynasty, various efforts were exerted to maintain the size stable and the keys to the efforts were a high birth rate and a low death rate. However, in addition to wars, epidemic diseases had an enormous effect on the death rate. Particularly during the mid Chosun Dynasty, epidemic diseases were more prevalent than ever due to the abnormal climate called the little ice age. To cope with them, the government executed several medical relief policies and published medical books. In Chinese epidemiology, infectious diseases mean sicknesses caused by hot weather, but in Korean epidemiology, they indicate large-scale infectious sicknesses caused by both hot and cold weather. Therefore, as treatment methods for diseases from the cold were not applicable to the pathology of epidemic diseases, China developed separate epidemiology. In Korea, however, the main concern was how to prevent epidemic diseases, whether from hot or cold weather, that drove many lives into death. The characteristics of Korean epidemiology are as follows. First, whenever epidemic diseases were prevalent, in order to cope with them, translated medical books were promptly published including Ganibyeokonbang, Bunmunonyeokihaebang, Sinchanbyeokonbang, Byeokyeoksinbang and Byeokonsinbang. Second, those books were annotated in Korean so that people could read easily and accurately. Third, as an extension of the Hyangyak movement from the late Koryo Dynasty, Danbang was used a lot to treat and prevent epidemic diseases with less financial burden, and things obtainable easily according to individuals' situation were mentioned for anybody to overcome the emergent situation of epidemic diseases. Fourth, methods for praying to God were suggested for practitioners to work with sincere spirit and to keep themselves from epidemic diseases.

• Health Policy and Management
• /
• v.24 no.3
• /
• pp.228-241
• /
• 2014

Background: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of health insurance coverage expansion for cancer patients on equity in health care utilization and catastrophic expenditure. Methods: To analyze the causal relationship between the policy to expand benefit coverage and the change in health care utilization and out-of-pocket payments of cancer patients, this study employed a difference-in-differences (DID) method. In the DID model, the change in health care utilization, such as health care expenditure, visit days and length of stay, of cancer patients was compared with that of liver disease patients, using Korea Health Panel Data in 2009 and 2010. Results: The policy of reducing cost sharing from 10% to 5% for cancer patients did not have significant effects on equity in health care utilization. The results of this study were different from those of the previous study that showed that the reduction of cost sharing from 20% to 10% significantly improved the equity in health care utilization of cancer patients. In addition, the result of catastrophic expenditures analysis showed the policy did not change the probability of catastrophic expenditures. Conclusion: The results of this study imply that payment for non-covered services account for high out-of-pocket payments, and the reduction in cost sharing for covered services alone may have a limited effect on total financial burden on patients.