• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
• /
• v.13 no.4
• /
• pp.170-186
• /
• 2013

As the population is getting older, medical expenses amount of the whole is keep increasing. So, the pressure of the finances, Health Insurance, Medical Care Assistance Act and etc, is getting higher. The share of healthcare-expense is increasing due to elderly illness. And it became a social problem; we analysed present state of senior healthcare in South Korea-looked into current laws and policies, and found problems. We tried to suggest improvements that drew from the current state of foreign country senior healthcare of those problems. For the result, we found the problem in relevant-law system of senior healthcare guarantee. In this study, we proposed the ways to qualitatively upgrade of medical standard that considered on elderly' features: the strengthened guarantee for healthcare, financial secure for long-term convalescence benefit, linking and functional reinforcement for elderly welfare and long-term convalescence insurance, the solution for overlapped laws about convalescence in long-term convalescence insurance and elderly welfare, a betterment of grading, and a home service consolidation. We need to secure right amount of emergency medical service budget, and effective management system for the improved level of senior severely emergency medical service. Furthermore, we suggested that South Korea needs to legislate [The Law for Senior Medical Secure] to respond to rapidly increasing senior healthcare fee.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.45 no.6
• /
• pp.646-657
• /
• 2019

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to suggest methods to investigate continuous monitoring of concentration levels and assess the exposure of individuals considering the actual time activity of residents for formaldehyde and particulate matter (PM₁₀, PM_2.5) in the indoor and outdoor air of a house, assess the health risks of children and adults based on the results of the exposure assessment, and provide basic data on studies for assessing exposure and health risks in Korea in the future. Methods: The concentration levels of formaldehyde and particulate matter were measured in a family home in Gyeonggi-do Province from April 25 to July 31, 2019, using electrochemical sensors (formaldehyde) and light scattering sensors (PM₁₀, PM_2.5). Risk assessment by the duration of exposure by time activity was performed by dividing between weekdays and weekends, and indoors and outdoors. Results: The greatest level of carcinogenic risk from inhaling formaldehyde was indoors during the weekdays for both children and adults. For children, the risk was at 7.5 per approximately 10,000 people, and for adults, the risk was at 4.1 per approximately 10,000 people. PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 also showed the greatest values indoors during the weekdays, with children at 1.7 people and 1.4 per approximately 100 people, respectively, and adults at 8.2 per approximately 1,000 and 1.8 per approximately 100 people, respectively. Conclusions: The risks of formaldehyde, PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 were shown to be high indoors. Therefore, consideration of exposure assesment for each indoor pollutant and management of indoor air quality is necessary.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
• /
• v.11 no.8
• /
• pp.251-263
• /
• 2013

To explore the device to allow the marriage immigrants' family to take jobs in our country, the social and economic environments that they face are investigated and analyzed through literature survey and field inquiry. The principal motive of the marriage to Korean is economic problem. But their actual economic conditions are inferior, and other legal problems, such as getting jobs and remitting money to their home country, drive them to unstable status. The present hiring policy is applied only to foreign workers with no domestic relations(E-9), hence the marriage immigrants are excluded from the domestic employment. To make institutional devices for giving them the employment opportunity, the modification of the existing laws are proposed. For examples, the 'Act on employment of foreign workers' can be revised to permit immigrant's relatives to get jobs, and 'Immigration control law' can be amended to guarantee legal qualification for taking jobs. It is desirable that the overall control be made by the Prime Minister's Office, and operation as well as surveillance be performed by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family (MGEF) and the Ministry of Employment and Labor (MEL).

• Health Policy and Management
• /
• v.7 no.1
• /
• pp.55-72
• /
• 1997

The purpose of this study is to analyze the consumers' demand pattern and the feature of the market for nursing homes, the number of which is tending upwards. The survey data were obtained from the interview of 500 elderly people living in Seoul and Kyung-Ki provincial area. All respondents were 60 years of age and above. The main findings were summarized as follows: 1. The respondents who are less aged, highly educated comparatively, and living with spouse show positive response for the use of nursing homes. The aged living independently and the aged living with unmarried children show higher demand for this facility. Also, the respondents who prefer independent living away from their childrenn, urban areas as their residence and flat-type housing show more interest for the facility. The respondents who are self- supportive, who has no financial supporter, no caretaker, and no domestic helper demonstrate strong inclination to the use of the facility. The respondents who are interested in this kind of facility, acknowledge the necessity of it show strong intention of moving into it. 2. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to understand factors related to the intention of moving into the nursing homes. The group who wish to live separated from their children in the future give 1.78 times more favorable response than the opposite. The group who have an interest in the facility for elderly has 2.02 times higher intention of moving than the opposite. The group who have an intention of using the facility for elderly it is 7.34 times more likely to move into it. 3. The respondents who are the potential consumers for nursing homes can be subdivided. Within the positive group, it could be divided into the group of living independently with the preference of flat-type housing, the group living independently with the preference of separate housing, and the group wishing to live with their children. Within the negative group, the factor of the division is their concern to the facility. Following this study, it can be said that old age people, who have been regarded as one homogeneous group so far, should be recognized as one characteristic individual. This study also shows that the demand aspect yet in its initial stage shold be researched in anticipation of rapid increase. The understanding of diciding factors, the segmentation of potential market will help work out proper strategy, which will contribute to providers' benefit.

• Health Policy and Management
• /
• v.22 no.2
• /
• pp.163-182
• /
• 2012

This study was performed to identify the difference of the area-based deprivation and the educational level on the cerebrovascular mortality in Korea. Data used in this study was obtained from the Death Certificate Data 2000 and the 2000 Census produced by Korean National Statistics(NSO). We classified the whole country into 246 areas based on the administrative districts. Then, the Standardized Mortality Ratio (SMR) in cerebrovascular disease was calculated according to the sex, education level and 246 areas. Its Predicted SMR was calculated by the Empirical Bayes Methods to reduce the variation of the SMR values. The area-based deprivation of 246 areas were measured using the modified Carstairs index in which the 5 indicators consisted of overcrowding, the unemployment ratio of men, the percentage of households classified low social class, the percentage of non home owners, and finally those houses lacking basic amenities. The correlation between the area-based deprivation and the SMR of the whole country and the correlation between the area-based deprivation and the SMR of each metropolitan cities or provinces was analyzed by the Pearson correlation analysis method. After classifying the deprivation of 246 areas into 5 levels, we performed the random intercept Poisson regression analysis after adjusting education level and age using Empirical Bayes Method to investigate the relationship between the 5 deprivation levels and the cerebrovascular mortality. The SMR was increased in lower education level. Each 246 areas had different values in SMR, Predicted SMR and area-based deprivation. The area-based deprivation and the SMR of the whole country was not correlated in both sexes. The education level of an individual was associated the risk of cerebrovascular mortality in men. The risk of cerebrovascular mortality increased with age compared to the reference(<30). The area-based deprivation was not associated with the risk of cerebrovascular in both sexes. The findings of this study suggest that the SMR had positive and negative correlations with area-based deprivation depending on the metropolitan cities or province. It also suggests that the individual education level and age were related with mortality and finally that the area-based deprivation was not associated to the cerebrovascular mortality in Korea.

• The Journal of Korean society of community based occupational therapy
• /
• v.8 no.3
• /
• pp.1-12
• /
• 2018

Objective : This study conducted a preliminary study to develop a occupational therapy model focused on improving living functions within the community care system. Methods : From June to July, 2018, the literature on community care was researched, focusing on cases of Japan's Management Tool for Daily Life Performance (MTDLP), Sweden, United Kingdom, Germany and domestic S Elderly Care Centers and I Health Centers. Based on this information, a group of experts developed a occupational therapy model within the community care system. Results : Assessment tools such as occupation-based health promotional table, interest checklist, occupational goals for improving living functions, sheet for evaluation of living functions, survey of daily life time (weekday and weekend), and sheet for transition of living functions were developed to conduct evaluation for occupational therapy. The improving living functions program, analysis of activities based on ICF model, lifestyle redesign program, cognitive exercise therapy, the Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT), hospice, and home modification were also organized interventions already in place by occupational therapists. Conclusion : This study showed specific measures and models for the implementation of occupational therapy within community care systems. Occupational therapy is positioned as a specialized area that is essential to the client, and we look forward to the use of this model.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
• /
• v.18 no.10
• /
• pp.547-555
• /
• 2020

To investigate the effects of self-management programs for chronic low back pain (LBP), 63 subjects were assigned to three groups; self-exercise group (SEG), hot pack and low-frequency electrical stimulation group (HEG), and thermo-massage group (TMG). Parameters were the pain numeric rating scale (PNRS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ) and Relapse frequency (RF). PNRS, ODI and RMDQ of SEG and TMG sustained effectiveness, however, PNRS, which improved after treatment in HEG, worsened in 6 month. Between the groups, all parameters were better in SEG and TMG compare to HEG. Exercise and thermo-massage can be considered as useful self-management performed at home to prevent the relapse of chronic LBP.

• Journal of Internet of Things and Convergence
• /
• v.9 no.1
• /
• pp.33-39
• /
• 2023

As the number of people with chronic diseases increases due to an aging society, it is urgent to prevent and manage their diseases. Although biometric authentication methods and Telemedicine Systems have been introduced to solve these problems, it is difficult to solve the security problem of medical information and personal authentication. Since smart healthcare includes personal medical information of subjects, the security of personal information is the most important field. Therefore, in this paper, we tried to propose a Telemedicine System using a smart wearable device ECG in the form of a wristband and face personal authentication in a private blockchain environment. This system targets various medical personnel and patients with chronic diseases in all regions, and uses a private blockchain that can increase data integrity and transparency, ECG and face authentication that are difficult to forge and alter and have high personal identification to provide a system with high security and reliability. composed. Through this, it is intended to contribute to increasing the efficiency of chronic disease management by focusing on disease prevention and health management for patients with chronic diseases at home.

• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
• /
• v.17 no.1
• /
• pp.209-279
• /
• 2016

The Korean Mental Health Act was amended 2016 overall. This paper examines and evaluates the old Korean Mental Health Act since 1995 and the new Korean Mental Health Promotion Act 2016 from the Perspective of Human Rights and Inclusion of Persons with Psychosocial Disabilities. The persons with mental disabilities was separated and ruled out from society by the enactment of the Mental Health Act in 1995 and five times amendment. That has been justified and institutionally supported by medical viewpoint. The medical approach which reconsider the persons with mental disabilities as patients conceal that the aims of the involuntary admission in Mental Hospital are protection of society and the relief of the family member's duty of support for person with mental disabilities. This is institutionally supported in the 1995 Korean Mental Health Act by involuntary admission through the consent of family members as protectors. According to the old Act, the family members as protectors are authorized to consent to involuntary admission of persons with mental disabilities. Also, the psychiatrist that diagnoses the person with mental disabilities and evaluates the need for treatment by admission is not impartial in this decision. Family members as protectors may want to lighten their burden of support for the person with mental disabilities in their home by admitting them into a mental hospital, and the psychiatrist in the mental hospital can be improperly influenced by demand of hospital management. Additionally, Article 24 of the Korean Mental Health Act for the Involuntary Admission by the Consent of Family Members as Protector might violate personal liberty, as guaranteed in the Korean Constitution. The Mental Health Promotion Law was amended to reduce the scope of the persons with mental illness which are subject to forced hospitalization and to demand that a second diagnosis is made by another psychiatrist and screening by the committee concerning the legitimacy of admission in the process of the involuntary admission by the consent of family members as a method of protection. The amended Mental Health Promotion Law will contribute to reducing the number of the involuntary admissions and the inclusion of persons with mental disabilities. But if persons with mental disabilities are not providing some kind of service to the community, the amended Mental Health Promotion Law does not work for Inclusion of them.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.46 no.5
• /
• pp.576-587
• /
• 2020

Objectives: This study calculated local residents exposures to VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) released into the atmosphere using the CalTOX model and carried out uncertainty analysis and sensitivity analysis. The model validity was analyzed by comparing the predicted and the actual atmospheric concentrations. Methods: Uncertainty was parsed by conducting a Monte Carlo simulation. Sensitivity was dissected with the regression (coefficients) method. The model validity was analyzed by applying r² (coefficient of determination), RMSE (root mean square error), and the Nash-Sutcliffe EI (efficiency index) formula. Results: Among the concentrations in the atmosphere in this study, benzene was the highest and the lifetime average daily dose of benzene and the average daily dose of xylene were high. In terms of the sensitivity analysis outcome, the source term to air, exposure time, indoors resting (ETri), exposure time, outdoors at home (ETao), yearly average wind speed (v_w), contaminated area in ㎡ (Area), active breathing rate (BRa), resting breathing rate (BRr), exposure time, and active indoors (ETai) were elicited as input variables having great influence upon this model. In consequence of inspecting the validity of the model, r² appeared to be a value close to 1 and RMSE appeared to be a value close to 0, but EI indicated unacceptable model efficiency. To supplement this value, the regression formula was derived for benzene with y=0.002+15.48x, ethylbenzene with y ≡ 0.001+57.240x, styrene with y=0.000+42.249x, toluene with y=0.004+91.588x, and xylene with y=0.000+0.007x. Conclusions: In consequence of inspecting the validity of the model, r² appeared to be a value close to 1 and RMSE appeared to be a value close to 0, but EI indicated unacceptable model efficiency. This will be able to be used as base data for securing the accuracy and reliability of the model.