• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.37-82
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• 2009

Korea has gained the much more performances in the fields of pubic health laws and related policies on the basis of the substantial economic achievements. In 1977, the social medical insurance was established for companies with more than 500 employees, and in 1989, Korea successfully achieved the national medical insurance system covering the total population within only 12 years beginning with multiple insurers. There remained some problems, however, to be improved such as both the low level of contribution rates and benefit packages due to the inefficiency in utilizing limited medical resources. In 2000, all insurers were unified into a single insurer (National Health Insurance Corporation), and special independent Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service (HIRA) was also established. From the origin of medical insurance system in 1977, the Korean reimbursement system has been fee-for-service system, and after the establishment of HIRA, it has been providing objective and expert medical cost review services and health quality assessment services.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.49 no.sup1
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• pp.20-27
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• 2016

Background: This study analyzed the association between the volume of heart surgeries and treatment outcomes for hospitals in the last five years. Methods: Hospitals that perform heart surgeries were chosen throughout Korea as subjects using from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. The treatment outcome of the heart surgeries was defined as the mortality within 30 postoperative days, while the annual volume of the surgeries was categorized. Logistic regression was used as the statistical analysis method, and the impacts of the variables on the heart surgery treatment outcomes were then analyzed. Results: The chance of death of patients who received surgery in a hospital that performed 50 or more surgeries annually was noticeably lower than patients receiving operations from hospitals that performed fewer than 50 surgeries annually, indicating that the chance of death decreases as the annual volume of heart surgeries in the hospital increases. In particular, the mortality rate in hospitals that performed more than 200 surgeries annually was less than half of that in hospitals that performed 49 or fewer surgeries annually. Conclusion: These results indicate that accumulation of a certain level of heart surgery experience is critical in improving or maintaining the quality of heart surgeries. In order to improve the treatment outcomes of small hospitals, a support policy must be implemented that allows for cooperation with experienced professionals.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.78-86
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• 2020

Purposes: This study purposed to identify factors influencing the composite quality score from the quality assessment program for long-term care hospitals Methodology: The study variables was obtained from HIRA(Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service): the composite quality scores and hospital variables such as number of doctors, nurses, beds, medical technicians, medical equipments, administrative region, ownerships from 3rd (2010) to 7th (2018) quality assessment program. National Statistical Portal(www.kosis.go.kr) provided the number of senior citizens aged over 65 in city·county·district area. SAS 9.4 was used for the data processing and used to analyze the data. Findings: The results showed that composite quality score increased past 9 years. Hospital variables such as number of doctor, nurse, medical technicians, bed and public hospitals had significant positive relationship with the composite quality score. Administrative region(district) showed higher scores compare to that of city. Compare to the score of quality assessment year(2010), as the assessment year move to 2012, 2013, 2015, 2018, results showed higher significant positive coefficients. Practical Implication: Continuously improve the performance of long-term care hospitals, current quality assessment program are needed to update their system such as adopting indicators measuring the service process, or compensating the cost for quality assessment program. It will enable to provide more reasonable and accurate performance assessment scores.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.8-19
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• 2003

Background : There have been many studies and efforts about quality management in health services, but there were not founded quality assessment on social services. This study was designed for understood level of quality on social service, identified for correlation factors of quality assessment on social services in general and teaching hospitals in Korea. Methods : The subjects of this survey were 80 leaders of social service units. The survey data from each subjects were measured to evaluate level of quality that service provider perceived of sample hospitals. Social worker's attitude of quality assurance activities, perception of quality assurance system in that hospitals were measured. Under the method of one-way ANOVA, t-test and correlation, associated factors of quality assessment in social work service was analyzed. Results : The major findings were as following ; First, the level of quality perceived showed less score, especially the lowest was the score of quality of outcome. Second, social worker's attitude of quality assurance activities showed high score, but quality assurance system of hospitals showed less score. Third, the level of quality assurance system of hospitals, social worker's attitudes of quality assurance activities. Conclusion : The quality of social work service correlated positive hospitals's quality assurance system, social worker's attitudes of quality assurance activities. Therefore, to assure the proper level of quality, qualified for hospitals system of quality assurance, and needed to a educational program for enhanced social workers's attitudes in quality assurance activities.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.43-73
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• 2016

Purpose: The aims of this study were to assess the presence of core patient safety practices in Korean hospitals and assess the differences in reporting and learning systems of patient safety, infrastructure, and safe practices by hospital characteristics. Methods: The authors developed a questionnaire including 39 items of patient safety staffing, health information system, reporting system, and event-specific prevention practices. The survey was conducted online or e-mail with 407 tertiary, general and specialty hospitals. Results: About 90% of hospitals answered the self-reporting system of patient safety related events is established. More than 90% of hospitals applied incidence monitoring or root cause analysis on healthcare-associated infection, in-facility pressure ulcers and falls, but only 60% did on surgery/procedure related events. More than 50% of the hospitals did not adopted present on admission (POA) indicators. One hundred (80.0%) hospitals had a department of patient safety and/or quality and only 52.8% of hospitals had a patient safety officer (PSO). While 82.4% of hospitals used electronic medical records (EMRs), only 53% of these hospitals adopted clinical decision support function. Infrastructure for patient safety except EMRs was well established in training, high-level and large hospitals. Most hospitals implemented prevention practices of adverse drug events, in-facility pressure ulcers and falls (94.4-100.0%). But prevention practices of surgery/procedure related events had relatively low adoption rate (59.2-92.8%). Majority of prevention practices for patient safety events were also implemented with a relatively modest increase in resources allocated. Conclusion: The hospital-based reporting and learning system, EMRs, and core evidence-based prevention practices were implemented well in high-level and large hospitals. But POA indicator and PSO were not adopted in more than half of surveyed hospitals and implementation of prevention practices for specific event had low. To support and monitor progress in hospital's patient safety effort, national-level safety practices set is needed.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.235-244
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• 2010

Objectives: To examine the prophylactic antibiotic use in reducing surgical site infection. Methods: This was a retrospective study for patients aged 18 years and older who underwent gastrectomy, cholecystectomy, colectomy, cesarean section and hysterectomy. The data source was quality assessment data of the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service gathered from medical records of 302 national hospitals. Prophylactic antibiotic use was defined as: timely antibiotic administration or inappropriate antibiotic selection. We performed hierarchical logistic regression to examine the association between prophylactic antibiotic use and surgical site infection with adjustment for covariates. Results: The study population consisted of 16 348 patients (1588 gastrectomies, 2327 cholecystectomies, 1,384 colectomies, 3977 hysterectomies and 7072 cesarean sections) and surgical site infection was identified in 351 (2.1%) patients. The rates of timely antibiotic administration and inappropriate antibiotic selection varied according to procedures. Cholecystectomy patients who received timely prophylactic antibiotic had a significantly reduced risk of surgical site infection compared with those who did not receive a timely prophylactic antibiotics (OR 0.64, 95% CI=0.50-0.83), but no significant reduction was observed for other procedures. When inappropriate prophylactic antibiotics were given, the risk of surgical site infection significantly increased: 8.26-fold (95% CI=4.34-15.7) for gastrectomy, 4.73-fold (95% CI=2.09-10.7) for colectomy, 2.34-fold (95% CI=1.14-4.80) for cesarean section, 4.03-fold (95% CI=1.93-8.42) for hysterectomy. Conclusions: This study examines the association among timely antibiotic administration, inappropriate antibiotic selection and surgical site infection. Patients who received timely and appropriate antibiotics had a decreased risk of surgical site infection. Efforts to improve the timing of antibiotic administration and use of appropriate antibiotic are needed to lower the risk of surgical site infection.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.129-141
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• 2016

Objectives As awareness of the public about Korean medicine health care and the social demand about improvement for quality of health care service is constantly rising, the quality evaluation of Korean medicine health care service is needed to improve the quality. Through trial of Delphi method, we tried to set the priority in short, medium, long term among the disease which is the subject of quality assessment. Methods Carrying out the delphi survey to 50 experts of korean medicine who were recommended by the 41 member societies of Korean medicine and related organizations, we selected final candidates for quality assessment. It is composed with total 2 rounds, and we investigated the priority in three aspects; the importance of the matter, possibility quality assessment, potential about if there's any chance of improvement. Results By delphi method, we set the priority of quality assessment. Base on the result of the second round, we classified importance of the questions into above average, average, below average, and categorized items as short, medium, long term according on the final priority. We classified of musculoskeletal diseases and diseases of connective tissues and musculoskeletal injury as short term and cerebrovascular disease and disease of nerve system and malignant neoplasm as medium term, disease of digestive organs and diseases, symptoms and abnormal findings in clinical field or inspections which are not categorized as long term. Conclusions We set the subjects of quality assessment by delphi survey by experts, and classified into short, medium, long term. Further research is necessary for execution the Quality Assessment to each of the candidate. Also, we can send feedback to medical institution base on the result of Quality Assessment. then it would be able to induce the improvement in quality of medical institution by itself.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.565-573
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• 2014

Purpose: Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service (HIRA) launched an Acute Myocardial Infarction(AMI) assessment for the Payment For Performance(Quality Incentives) Pilot Project from July 2007. Assessment measures of AMI were composed of five process measures and one outcome measure, and each measure was incorporated into one composite quality score to Pay for Performance. Method: For calculation of composite quality score, we considered weighting for the measures using the Delphi method. The questionnaire was composed of three measure groups, 'Reperfusion rate'(Fibrolytic therapy received within 60 minutes of hospital arrival, Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention within 120 minutes of hospital arrival), 'Medication prescription rate'(Aspirin at arrival, Aspirin prescribed at discharge, Beta-blocker prescribed at discharge) and 'Survival Index'(30-day mortality rate). Result: A panel composed of 18 and completed a questionnaire by allocation of 10 scores to the three above mentioned measure groups. The Delphi was carried out until three rounds of surveys. In conclusion, each measure group was weighted differently and the 10 scores were allocated as 4.5 to 'Reperfusion rate', 2.5 to 'Medication prescription rate', and 3.0 to 'Survival Index'. Conclusion: The results of this study proposed the calculation method for weighting of Acute Myocardial Infarction quality indicators.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.245-256
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• 2010

Objectives: This study aims to compare quality indicators for the hemodialysis services between patients with health insurance and those with medical aid. Methods: This study used data from sampled hospitals that provided a hemodialysis service. A total of 2287 patients were selected, and the information for hemodialysis service has been granted from medical record reviews. A multi-level regression analysis was used to examine the differences in process and outcome indicators for hemodialysis between patients with health insurance and those with medical aid. Process indicators were defined as: frequency of hemodialysis, hemodialysis time, erythropoietin (EPO) use, measurement of hemodialysis dose at least once a month, measurement of phosphate at least once every three months, and measurement of albumin at least once every three months. Outcome indicators were defined as: hemodialysis adequacy, anemia management, blood pressure management, and calcium, phosphate and nutrition management. The total scores for outcome indicators ranged from 0 (worst) to 4 (best). Results: There was a significant difference in the measurement of hemodialysis dose at least once a month between patients with health insurance and those with medical aid (OR 0.66, 95% CI = 0.43 - 0.99). However, frequency of hemodialysis, hemodialysis time, EPO use, measurement of phosphate at least once every three months, measurement of albumin at least once every three months, hemodialysis adequacy management, Hb${\geq}$11 g/dL, blood pressure within the range of 100-140 /60-90 mmHg, calcium x phosphate${\leq}$55 $g^2/dL^2$ and albumin${\geq}$4 g/dL were not significantly different between the groups. Conclusions: There were no significant differences in outcome indicators for hemodialysis between the groups. Further studies are warranted into the mechanism that results in no differences in the outcome indicators for hemodialysis.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.248-254
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• 2023

Objectives: Measuring the quality of care is paramount to inform policies for healthcare services. Nevertheless, little is known about the quality of primary care and acute care provided in Korea. This study investigated trends in the quality of primary care and acute care. Methods: Case-fatality rates and avoidable hospitalization rates were used as performance indicators to assess the quality of primary care and acute care. Admission data for the period 2008 to 2020 were extracted from the National Health Insurance Claims Database. Case-fatality rates and avoidable hospitalization rates were standardized by age and sex to adjust for patients' characteristics over time, and significant changes in the rates were identified by joinpoint regression. Results: The average annual percent change in age-/sex-standardized case-fatality rates for acute myocardial infarction was -2.3% (95% confidence interval, -4.6 to 0.0). For hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke, the age-/sex-standardized case-fatality rates were 21.8% and 5.9%, respectively in 2020; these rates decreased since 2008 (27.1 and 8.7%, respectively). The average annual percent change in age-/sex-standardized avoidable hospitalization rates ranged from -9.4% to -3.0%, with statistically significant changes between 2008 and 2020. In 2020, the avoidable hospitalization rates decreased considerably compared with the 2019 rate because of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Conclusions: The avoidable hospitalization rates and case-fatality rates decreased overall during the past decade, but they were relatively high compared with other countries. Strengthening primary care is an essential requirement to improve patient health outcomes in the rapidly aging Korean population.