• Health Policy and Management
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.70-103
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• 1995

The aim of this study sets out to discover a desirable form of public centers among the alternative ones and make a health center model. Especially, this study attempts; (i) to investigate factors that affect the performance of health centers; (ii) carry out cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) for the various type of health centers; (iii) identify innovative strategies to increase the use of health center. Cost-effectiveness analysis is used to compare the performance of all the centers. The following is taken to create the index. Wi = Ti x Mi x Eij (Wi: weight for service item I, Ti : time spent for service I, Mi ; number of health personnel involved in service I, Eij : years of schooling for personnel j in providing service I). As a result of these analyses, policy options as follows are recommended; (i) proper manpower, especially public health physician (oriental medical doctor), should be enough to provide health care adequately; (ii) facilities ad equipments in the health center should be provided sufficiently. (iii) the utilization of health centers should be raised by active operation of mobil service, community participation and health education program. Ultimately health centers in public sector are to be fostered for the promotion of health care by enhancing the financial and quality, continuity and efficiency of health services.

• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.74-85
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• 1989

Ascertaining the actual growth rate of the population is an issue that has generated a lot of arguments amongst various scholars in the process of determining the actual census count. As such, this has had a pronounced effect in the determination of the actual growth rates for different urban populations in the country. But the effect centres much when it comes to accurately determining the major components or the factors contributing to the rapid growth of urban populations. The problem of rapid population growth centres much on its effects on the available basic social services and amenities provided for the people in these areas. Factors such as levels of medical knowledge and services, nutrition, quantity and quality of housing etc. to some extent influence the quality and duration of lives of the people. As such, their importance cannot be overemphasized when dealing with the issue of population growth. The study aims to examine the rate of population growth in the Federal Capital City, Abuja with respect to the available public provision of basic social services among other objectives. The findings from the data obtained from the Population Survey conducted in the city in 1985 show that the health care facilities available in the capital city are grossly inadequate to serve the entire inhabitants of the city. Moreso, the volume of in-migration into the city also compounds the health problems facing the city. The conclusion is that there is need for more resources to be allocated to the health sector to guarantee adequate and functional health care services in the city.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.27-35
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• 2020

Purpose: A solid system in the process of establishing guidelines can increase social acceptance and utilization. The paper aims to comparatively analyze the system in which guidelines for health care facilities in the US, Australia, and the UK and suggest implications for Korea. Method: It conducted literature analysis of the system in the framework of composition, governance, and procedure for the Facility Guidelines Institute's Guideline for US, Australia's Australasian Health Facility Guidelines for Australia, and Health Building Notes for UK. Results and Implications: First, in terms of composition, the guidelines for health care facilities can be divided into composition by space and composition by issue. It is proposed to establish a system that space and issues are clearly separated, such as Australia's AusHGF, and complete it step by step. Second, in terms of governance, despite the fact that the medical supply is privately oriented, the medical system is controlled by the government in Korea. Therefore, it is suggested to form a separate organization in the public sector that establishes, researches, and revises the guideline that will serve as a focal point for experts in various fields to participate. Third, in terms of procedure, it is suggested to establish a guideline that reflects the experiences and demands of consumers by clearly organizing procedures including collecting opinions.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.59-65
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• 2015

Objectives: Health screening in Korea is very active in both the public and private sector. However, primary prevention for health promotion has not been activated yet. Quaternary prevention is the prevention of unnecessary medical interventions or the prevention of overmedicalization. Methods: Data was collected after a search of the literature focusing on keyword. The curriculum guidelines for family medicine residents were collected from the homepage of the American Academy of Family Physicians. Results: This quaternary prevention is just beginning. The first step to enhance the health promotion services in the community is to identify the barriers pertaining to the delivering of health promotion activities. These barriers are related to the patient, the physician, attitudes, health promotion programs and the healthcare system. The second step is to establish new changes, such as expansion of insurance coverage, improvement of medical payment system, provision of consumer-oriented services, connection and integration of providers, and the service provider education and training. Conclusions: In order to enhance the health promotion services in the community we need to identify the barriers and to establish several changes to overcome them.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2002

The proportion and role of public sector in health care industry is very small in Korea. Asymmetric distribution of health care resources is one of the major health care concerns. This issue is so important that it raises a question of accessibility, availability, continuity of care and equity of rural area people's health care utilization. To solve these problems and to satisfy the basic demand of oriental medical service in rural areas, the oriental public health doctors were placed in rural health centers since 1998. The main objectives of this study are twofold: to measure the cognition and attitude of health center directors on the strategies for utilizing oriental public health doctors and to provide basic data for improving the health manpower management program. Data have been collected by way of the self-administrative questionnaires. Developing the questionnaire, the literature review on the previous studies and delphi method were carried out. The response rate was 38.7%. The results of this study are summarized as follows; 1. community people respond positively on the oriental medical service activity in health center. 2. In regard to workloads of oriental public health doctor, 'appropriate' was 81.1% and 'burdensome' was 18.2%, respectively. 3. The 94.0% of respondents thought that the oriental medical service will be continued. 4. To activate oriental medical service in health center, the sufficient budget and provision of aid workers is a necessity. 5. The 75.5% of health center directors respond positively on the allocation of oriental public health doctor to health sub-centers. 6. Health center directors agreed that oriental public health doctor should perform the clinical service as well as prevention and health promotion activity. These results recommend that oriental medical service in health center should be continued gradually, and oriental public health doctors working at health center perform their work efficiently. Undoubtedly, their activity should be more focused on health promotion and disease prevention than daily patient care. For achieving this objective, more support of governmental policy is essential for utilizing oriental public health doctor and better health of the rural area community people.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2015

Time-loss injuries are still a major occurrence in Canada, injuring thousands of Canadian workers each year. With obesity rates on the rise across the country, as well as around the world, it is important that the possible effects of obesity in the workplace be fully understood, especially those effects linked to lost-time injuries. The aim of this paper was to evaluate predictors of workplace lost-time injuries and how they may be related to obesity or high body mass index by examining factors associated with lost-time injuries in the health care sector, a well-studied industry with the highest number of reported time loss injuries in Canada. A literature review focusing on lost-time injuries in Registered Nurses (RNs) was conducted using the keywords and terms: lost time injury, workers' compensation, occupational injury, workplace injury, injury, injuries, work, workplace, occupational, nurse, registered nurse, RN, health care, predictors, risk factors, risk, risks, cause, causes, obese, obesity, and body mass index. Data on predictors or factors associated with lost-time injuries in RNs were gathered and organized using Loisel's Work Disability Prevention Management Model and extrapolated upon using existing literature surrounding obesity in the Canadian workplace.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.253-262
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• 2020

Background: The public health care system of a country is shaped and driven by its historical background as well as social, economic, and cultural structures. This study sheds light on the unique features, strengths, and weaknesses of the health insurance systems of South Korea (Korea) and Peru. Methods: The capacity mapping tool was used to explore the Korean and Peruvian population and geographical structures; health insurance laws, regulations, and policies; payment systems; eligibility and contribution collection; and long-term care insurance. Results: The study found that the Korean government took the lead in integrating multiple insurers into a single-payer system in an effort to reinforce and stabilize its health insurance system in 2000. Peru has been developed mixed model such based on taxes and contributions, to address a gap between different social classes. Peruvian government developed a two-axis system, one for low-income earners, financed by taxes, and another financed by contributions paid by workers and government officials in the formal sector. Peru has introduced many variations to its fee payment and insurer systems, target population, and coverage scope, and maintains its health insurance system accordingly to this day. Conclusion: The current study provides observation of the Health Insurance System in two different countries and helps to understand possible ways to improve the health insurance system in both countries. Based on this study, Peru will be able to see how its system differs from Korea's and benefit from the related policy implications.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.50-58
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• 2023

Background: Occupational health services are not available for more than 80% of the global workforce. This pertains especially to informal workers, workers in agriculture and in small enterprises, and self-employed. Many are working in hazardous conditions. The World Health Organization, the International Labor Organization, the International Commission on Occupational Health, and the World Organization of Family Doctors promote as part of a solution, basic occupational health services (BOHS) integrated in primary or community health care. Quality information on this topic is difficult to find. The objective of this study is to develop an open access bibliography, a repository, referring to publications on BOHS and similar innovations, to support progress and research. Methods: The database design and sustaining literature searches (PubMed, Google Scholar, SciELO) are described. For each publication selected, basic bibliographic data, a brief content description considering copyright restrictions, and a hyperlink are included. Results: Searches resulted in a database containing 189 references to publications on BOHS such as articles in scientific journals, reports, policy documents, and abstracts of lectures. A global perspective is applied in 43 publications, a national or regional perspective is applied in 146 publications. Operational and evaluative research material is still scarce. Examples of references to publications are shown. Conclusion: The repository can inspire pioneers by showing practices in different countries and can be used for reviews and in-depth analyses. Missing publications such as from China, Russia, Japan, Republic of Korea, and Spanish/Portuguese speaking countries, can be added in the future, and translated. Search functions can be developed. International collaboration for the promotion of occupational health coverage for all workers must be intensified.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.340-346
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• 2016

Background: safety and healthy working environment has received numerous research attention over the years. Majority of these researches seem to have been conducted in the construction industry, with little attention in the health sector. Nonetheless, there are couple of studies conducted in Africa that suggest pressure in hospitals. Therefore the aim of the study was to examine how pressure influence safety behavior in the hospitals. With reference to the relevance of safety behavior in primary health care delivery, there was the need for the study. Method: Data was obtained from 422 public hospital employees. Respondents were assured that all information would be kept confidential to increase the response rate and acquire more accurate information. Collection of questionnaires from participants took four weeks (20 working days), after which the data was analyzed. Results: The result of the study showed that work pressure correlated negatively with safety behavior. General safety climate significantly correlated positively with safety behavior and negatively with work pressure, although the effect size for the latter was smaller. Hierarchical regression analysis showed management commitment to safety to moderate the relationship between work pressure and safety behavior. Conclusion: When employees perceive safety communication, safety systems and training to be positive, they seem to comply with safety rules and procedures than voluntarily participate in safety activities.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.112-130
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• 1992

Patient care services are provided to individual patients in response to their health needs produced by illnesses or injuries. The services are often addressed to very serious conditions, and also they constitute the most expensive component of health care services. Therefore, the importance of quality is emphasized, but there are many indications that patient care quality is far from a satisfactory state in most of the countries. Based upon this observation, it is attempted to examine obstacles and approaches to quality improvement in patient care services. In doing so, following Taguchi's(1986) definition of product quality, quality of patient care services is conceived of as better when the less is the sociental loss attributalbe to variability of intended function and harmful side effects they emhibit after being delivered. Some distinguishing features of medical care sector pose difficulties in implementing effective quality improvement programs in patient care services. Nevertheless, newly proposed method of quality management, based on industrial quality management approach, seems to have a great deal of potential to effectively cope with such difficulties. This method, unlike the traditional approach to quality assurance, focuses on total organisational processes, not individuals, as the obproach to quality assurance, focuses on total organizational processes, not individuals, as the objects of quality improvement; variation, not comparison with standards, in quality measurement; and continuous improvement, not removing only bad quality care, as an ideal. Prerequisite to a successful use of any quality mangement method is motivating providers to improve quality. Conceivable approaches for such motivation are self-regulation, external controls and promotion of competition. Since these approaches are not mutually exclusive, they may be employed in an appropriate combination. In Korea, medical care providers are now functioning under the circumstances where they have little reason for making efforts to improve quality of their services. Once these circumstantial conditions are changed to exert pressures on providers to improve quality, the use of adequate quality management method becomes an issue. In this connection, much attention shoould be directed to the newly proposed method described above. In all these efforts for improving quality of patient care services, health insurance would be able to play a pivotal role. Poviders of medical care, buth indiciduals and organizations, are usually very responsive to the measures that affect their financing, and thus health insurance can be a strong instrument for motivationg providers to improve quality. Also, the insurance continuously acquires data on patient care, which could be processed to produce information required to effective quality control.