• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.113-132
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• 1999

Recently in Korea, application of the soil nailing is gradually extended to the sites of excavations and slopes having various ground conditions and field characteristics. Design of the soil nailing is generally carried out in two steps, The First step is to examine the minimum safety factor against a sliding of the reinforced nailed-soil mass based on the limit equilibrium approach, and the second step is to check the maximum displacement expected to occur at facing using the numerical analysis technique. However, design parameters related to the soil nailing system are so various that a reliable design method considering interrelationships between these design parameters is continuously necessary. Additionally, taking into account the anisotropic characteristics of in-situ grounds, disturbances in collecting the soil samples and errors in measurements, a systematic analysis of the field measurement data as well as a rational technique of the optimum design is required to improve with respect to economical efficiency. As a part of these purposes, in the present study, a procedure for the optimum design of a soil nailing excavation wall system is proposed. Focusing on a minimization of the expenses in construction, the optimum design procedure is formulated based on the genetic algorithm. Neural network theory is further adopted in predicting the maximum horizontal displacement at a shotcrete facing. Using the proposed procedure, various effects of relevant design parameters are also analyzed. Finally, an optimized design section is compared with the existing design section at the excavation site being constructed, in order to verify a validity of the proposed procedure.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.44-59
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• 1994

Medical consumers(patients) want evening-clinic because of busy work. For patient's convenience and improving service, hospital should accept it. Considering payment system and patient's demand, personnel expenses, hospital can not accept. The practice of shift system to accept patient's demand and hospital's economic aspect was made. To analysis the effect of the system and probability to alternative to evening clinic this study was done. This study was composed of basal study, intervention, evaluation of effect. The basal study were composed of studying demand on evening clinic, the number of beds, doctors employee, the time table of practice and work, and the number of patients at arrival time. The intervention composed of changing of practice time, changing of working time by the number of patients at arrival time, increasing of employee. The evaluation of effect were composed of evaluating the number of patient at time, the effect of shift system, the comparison of the number of in and out patients and questionnairing the practice of shift system. In the practice time at 2 shift system First team works 7-15 hours and Second team 12-20 hours. there are no lunch and supper time. At 18-20 hours the number of patients were 25-30. The number of patient a depart were 6-7. The number of out-patient increase in 13% and inpatient increase in 10% before the system. Doctors(100%), employee(94.6%), and patients(86.4%) approved this system. The advantage of this system were utilization of surplus time, lengthen the practice time, even distribution of patients and shortening of waiting time, rapid treatment of emergent patients. The disadvantage of this system were shortage of manpower, not all depart practice, continuity of practice, no lunch and supper time, irregular rounding. At present because of small Demanding on evening clinic, this shift system was economical. To succeed this study more effectively all depart in hospital participate. But because of economical reason it is impossible for hospital to do it. If the government assist the economic loss that all depart participate in this system it is very helpful for hospital to succeed in implementing this system more early.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.383-394
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• 1999

Objectives: This study was conducted to identify the factors influencing the mortality of Koreans over the age of 40 by a nested case-control study. Methods: The cohort consisted of the beneficiaries of Korea Medical Insurance Corporation for Government Employees & Private School Teachers and Staff(KMIC) who received health examinations of KMIC in 1992 and 1993 retrospectively. At that time, they were more than 40 years old. The cases were 19,258 cohort members who had died until December 31, 1997. The controls were 19,258 cohort members who were alive until December 31, 1997. Controls were matched with age and sex distribution of the cases. The data used in this study were the funeral expenses requesting files, and the files of health examinations and health questionnaires gathered in 1992 and 1993. To assess the putative risk factors of death, student t-test, chi-square test, multiple logistic regression analysis were used. Results : In multiple logistic regression analysis, independent risk factors of death were as follows; systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, blood glucose, AST, urine glucose, urine protein, alcohol drinking(frequency), cigarette smoking and perceived health status, intake of restoratives and blood transfusion showed positive associations with death; coffee consumption showed negative associations with death; and body mass index and serum total cholesterol showed J-shaped association with death. Conclusions: Regarding the direction of association, the result of analysis on the data restricted to '96-'97 was same as that of '93-'97. But in some variables such as obesity, serum cholesterol, the odds ratios of death in the data of '96-'97 were higer than those of '93-'94, which suggested that the data of '93-'94 was bearing effect-cause relationship. We concluded that it suggested further researches using long-term follow-up data to be needed in this area.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.53-59
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• 2007

A safety management rule of the diagnosis radiation system which opened a court 2006 February 10th was promulgated for safety of the radiation worker, patients and patients' family members. The purpose of this study is to minimize injury by radiation that can happen to patients and people around a sick ward when managing mobile X-ray system. This study analyzed sickroom environment of mobile X-ray examination and the statistical data of the Konkuk medical Information System(KIS) and the Picture Archiving Communication System(PACS). This study also investigated patient conditions, infection, relation information and related data, when the sickroom mobile X-ray examination is used. Through data analysis, many problems were expected such as restriction of space side, manpower and expense of business side, satisfaction degree decline of patient and protector of operation side. Therefore, we tried to restrict examination of multi bed sickroom, and to use treatment room in each ward to solve problem mentioned. As a result, the whole sickroom mobile X-ray examination rate decreased to near 50%, and mobile X-ray examination rate for inpatients decreased to more than 85%. This study shows that several attempts we did should be helpful for manpower, patients satisfaction and expenses. Also, they should protect patients in sickroom from unnecessary radiation exposure and could minimize inconvenience of patients and their family members from x-ray examination.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.66-94
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• 2004

The objective of this study is to examine how to maximize the efficiency of hospital management by minimizing the unit cost of hospital operation. For this purpose, this paper proposes to develop a model of the profit maximization based on the cost minimization dictum using the statistical tools of arriving at the maximum likelihood values. The preliminary survey data are collected from the annual statistics and their analyses published by Korea Health Industry Development Institute and Korean Hospital Association. The maximum likelihood value statistical analyses are conducted from the information on the cost (function) of each of 36 hospitals selected by the random stratified sampling method according to the size and location (urban or rural) of hospitals. We believe that, although the size of sample is relatively small, because of the sampling method used and the high response rate, the power of estimation of the results of the statistical analyses of the sample hospitals is acceptable. The conceptual framework of analyses is adopted from the various models of the determinants of hospital costs used by the previous studies. According to this framework, the study postulates that the unit cost of hospital operation is determined by the size, scope of service, technology (production function) as measured by capacity utilization, labor capital ratio and labor input-mix variables, and by exogeneous variables. The variables to represent the above cost determinants are selected by using the step-wise regression so that only the statistically significant variables may be utilized in analyzing how these variables impact on the hospital unit cost. The results of the analyses show that the models of hospital cost determinants adopted are well chosen. The various models analyzed have the (goodness of fit) overall determination (R2) which all turned out to be significant, regardless of the variables put in to represent the cost determinants. Specifically, the size and scope of service, no matter how it is measured, i. e., number of admissions per bed, number of ambulatory visits per bed, adjusted inpatient days and adjusted outpatients, have overall effects of reducing the hospital unit costs as measured by the cost per admission, per inpatient day, or office visit implying the existence of the economy of scale in the hospital operation. Thirdly, the technology used in operating a hospital has turned out to have its ramifications on the hospital unit cost similar to those postulated in the static theory of the firm. For example, the capacity utilization as represented by the inpatient days per employee tuned out to have statistically significant negative impacts on the unit cost of hospital operation, while payroll expenses per inpatient cost has a positive effect. The input-mix of hospital operation, as represented by the ratio of the number of doctor, nurse or medical staff per general employee, supports the known thesis that the specialized manpower costs more than the general employees. The labor/capital ratio as represented by the employees per 100 beds is shown to have a positive effect on the cost as expected. As for the exogeneous variable's impacts on the cost, when this variable is represented by the percent of urban 100 population at the location where the hospital is located, the regression analysis shows that the hospitals located in the urban area have a higher cost than those in the rural area. Finally, the case study of the sample hospitals offers a specific information to hospital administrators about how they share in terms of the cost they are incurring in comparison to other hospitals. For example, if his/her hospital is of small size and located in a city, he/she can compare the various costs of his/her hospital operation with those of other similar hospitals. Therefore, he/she may be able to find the reasons why the cost of his/her hospital operation has a higher or lower cost than other similar hospitals in what factors of the hospital cost determinants.

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.50-65
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• 1988

This study was conducted in order to grasp the condition of about the school nurse's service and to offer the basic materials of improving the school health service. The objects were comprised of 98 volunteered school nurses who take service in the elementary school. The material of this study was the questionaire suited to the purpose of this research which has been made through studying references and this questionaire has been corrected and revised three times. All the questionaire written by school-nurses. The results are as follows; 1. General features of the objects of study Average age was 35.9 and average career was 9.2 years. Except working as school-nurse, the past career was that average clinical-field was 3.4 years and health service was 4 months. Their educational level was as high as 72.4% of the objects were graduated from above 3 years college and 89.8% were married. 76.5% have religions and 94.8% were working at with national and public schools. 99.0% were doing only nursing service. 2. The conditions of the school health resources. The ratio of school-nurse to students was one to 2630. School-nurse to classes, one to 49.3, and school-nurse to teachers, one to 54. For total amount of a year budget of school health, from three hundred thousands to fifty nine hundred thousands won was most common. Expenses for purchasing medicine were used most. 58.2% of school-nurses hasn't known a year budget. There was an organization for school health in 74.2% of schools. 42.9% of nursing rooms were in the center of school and 88.8% were on first floor. Nursing room were used alone without being used by another purpose and the room size of 71.6% was below 10 pyong. 3. The conditions of school health service Average users of nursing room were 413 a month. The most of them had digestive trouble. Sending letters to home was 15.9 times a year. The most contents of letters was about health education. Object spent much time managing nursing room. 4. The degree of school health service When 2 points was given to "perform" and 1 point was to "not perform" the total average was 1.75, health education 1.89, environmental management 1.86, plan of project and evaluation 1.83, management of nursing room 1.82, health management 1.78, run of school health organization 1.32. 5. Correlation between the school health services and variables (1) The part of project plan and evaluation of school health service has relationship to existence or none-existence of school health organization (P<0.01), past health service career (P<0.05), number of classes (P<0.01), number of students (P<0.01), sending letters to home about health education (P<0.01) and number of users (P<0.05). (2) The part of nursing room management has relationship to ages (P<0.05) past clinical career (P<0.05), number of classes (P<0.05), number of students (P<0.05) and sending letters to home about health education (P<0.01). (3) The part of health education has relationship to existence or none-existence of school health organization (P<0.05), past clinical career (P<0.05), the ratio of health management to school nurse's all work (P<0.05) and the ratio of health education to school nurse's all work (P<0.01). (4) The part of environmental management to ages (P<0.01), career as a school-nurse (P<0.01), salary step(P<0.01), sending letters to home about health education (P<0.01), sending all letters to home (P<0.001), the ratio of health management to school nurse's all work (P<0.05), the ratio of health education to school nurse's all work (P<0.05) and area of school-nurse's room to be used. (5) The part of school health organization management to number of classes (P<0.05). (6) The part of health management to number of classes (P<0.05), sending letters to home about health education (P<0.001), sending all of letters to home (P<0.01) and the ratio of health management to school nurse's all work (P<0.05). (7) The part of school health service to ages (P<0.05), past clinical career (P<0.05), past health career (P<0.01), number of classes (P<0.05), number of student (P<0.05), sending letters to home about health education (P<0.05), sending all letters to home (P<0.05), the ratio of health management to school nurse's all work (P<0.05), the ratio of health education to school nurse's all work (P<0.01) and area of school - nurse's room to be used (P<0.05). ## Suggestion for further studies are as follows. 1. School-nurse should exert herself to advance a quality to take care of school population's health. 2. It is necessary that systematic support required to keep school population's health. 3. Home, school and community should make efforts cooperatively and the proper roles of students, teachers, health team members and parents must be achieved.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.18 no.11
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• pp.498-508
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• 2017

Purpose: The present study investigated nutrient supplement intake to examine the relationship between the health behaviors of nutrient supplement users and nonusers and nutrient supplement users and other drug users. The results provide baseline data to understand whether nutrient supplements actually perform as expected in view of the fact that healthy people that take nutritional supplements may become healthier, but may also develop nutritional supplement abuse problems. Among 7,006 household heads of 24,614 household members from the Korea Health Panel data in 2008, a total of 6,009 household heads were the respondents of the Korea Health Panel Survey (appendix) in 2009. Method: The subjects of the present study were targeted household heads. The respondents who reported that they had taken (planned to take) life/health promotion-related drugs (01. vitamins/nutritional supplements) for more than three months that were purchased at pharmacies during the past one year at the time of the survey were defined as nutritional supplement users. Those who took other drugs (05. hair-loss treatments, 06. obesity treatments, 10. others) were regarded as other drug users. A chi-squared test was performed to analyze the sociodemographic characteristics of the subjects and differences between groups. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to analyze health behaviors according to nutrient supplement intake. Result: Comparison of (A) nutritional supplement users and nonusers revealed that those who were women, 50 years or older, and spent more than average living expenses were more likely to take nutritional supplements, which was not significant in health behavior variables. Analysis of nutritional supplement users and other drug users (B) revealed that those who were high school graduates or above, had a spouse, were non-smokers, took drugs, ate regular meals, and were not stressed by economic or family conflicts were more likely to take nutritional supplements. Conclusion: The results of the present study indicated that people take nutritional supplements because of their psychological desire to be healthy, not because they are not healthy, have problems, or believe supplements will make them healthier.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.1-22
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• 2002

Health is a fundamental human right and a sine qua non for happiness of people and for national development. Government has a responsibility for the provision of health services for their people. Recent changes of disease pattern, i.e. decrease of Infectious diseases and increase of chronic and degenerative diseases Including cancer and cardiovascular diseases, together with universal coverage of health insurance and improved living standard have prompted medical care utilization and skyrocketed the national health expenses. The goal of national health policy is improving the quality of life through the betterment of health level. To achieve this goal it is necessary to establish a healthcare system for lifetime, to improve the efficiency of healthcare delivery system, and to strengthen the public health services for disease prevention and health promotion. The current public health service programs are Inefficient due to an inconsistent policy for health service program, lack of health information system, irrational health program planning and evaluation, and Inadequate training of health workers. Local government has a legal responsibility for health service program planning and promoting the competence of health workers. Thus, municipal and provincial health departments should expand their roles and strengthen their function. The strategies for developing public health service programs at local level are ${\circled}1$ stipulating the goals of health policy, ${\circled}2$ promoting the ability for health program planning and evaluation, ${\circled}3$ establishing health information and surveillance system, ${\circled}4$ training of health workers, ${\circled}5$ establishing an institution for health information management and training of health workers, and ${\circled}61$ collaboration with local universities.

• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.79-89
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• 2004

This study carried a comparative analysis of quality of living perceived by cancer and hospiece patients who received radiotheraphy, and influential factors in order to provide basic data for nursing goals and establishment of strategy. The subjects of the study were 50 cancer patients who were more than twenty years old and was receiving radiotheraphy in therapeutic radiology department of C university hospital, and fourteen hospiece patients who were in J hospital in Gwangju. They were conveniently sampled according to the selection standard, and researchers personally interviewed them using questionnaire and patient scripts to obtain necessary data. The results were presented as follows: 1. When cancer and hospiece patients were examined demographically, the number of 60 year-old patients were the most. The subjects whose marriage period was more than thirty-one years were the most. In medical expense, more than $70.0\%$ of the patients bore their expenses themselves. 2. When disease-related characteristics of the cancer and pospiece patients were exmained, more than $75\%$ of the patients had experience of being in hospital, and more than $60.0\%$ experienced operation. However, for prevalence period, $57.5\%$ of the cancer patients had less than six months, and $64.3\%$ of the hospiece patients had more than two years. 3. For physical symptoms of cancer patients, $77.5\%$ had fatigue, $60.0\%$ had loss of appetite, and $52.5\%$ had loss of weight while for the hospiece patients, $100\%$ had loss of weight, and $92.9\%$ had fatigue and loss of appetite. For the cancer patients, $0.0\%$ had swelling, and $7.5\%$ had bleeding, For the hospiece patients, $7.1\%$ had change in skin, and $14.3\%$ had diarrhea. 4. Mean score of the cancer subjects were as follows: family support, social support, emotional and spiritual support, physical symptoms, and periods were 3.87, 2.88, 3.10, 2.80, and 2.94 respectively. Those of the hospiece patients were 3.80, 1.96, 1.58, 2.64 and 3.24 respectively. 5. Mean score of family support of both patients were almost identical, but in character, a considerable difference was found: 3.10 and 1.58. In qualify of living, the mean score of hospiece patients was slightly lower.

• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.99-128
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• 2008

Nearly all Koreans are insured through National Health Insurance(NHI). While NHI coverage is nearly universal, it is not complete. Coverage is largely limited to minimal level of hospital and physician expenses, and copayments are required in each case. As a result, Korea's public insurance system covers roughly 50% of overall individual health expenditures, and the remaining 50% consists of copayments for basic services, spending on services that are either not covered or poorly covered by the public system. In response to these gaps in the public system, 64% of the Korean population has supplemental private health insurance. Expansion of private health insurance raises negative externality issue. Like public financing schemes in other countries, the Korean system imposes cost-sharing on patients as a strategy for controlling utilization. Because most insurance policies reimburse patients for their out-of-pocket payments, supplemental insurance is likely to negate the impact of the policy, raising both total and public sector health spending. So far, most empirical analysis of supplemental health insurance to date has focused on the US Medigap programme. It is found that those with supplements apparently consume more health care. Two reasons for higher health care consumption by those with supplements suggest themselves. One is the moral hazard effect: by eliminating copayments and deductibles, supplements reduce the marginal price of care and induce additional consumption. The other explanation is that supplements are purchased by those who anticipate high health expenditures - adverse effect. The main issue addressed has been the separation of the moral hazard effect from the adverse selection one. The general conclusion is that the evidence on adverse selection based on observable variables is mixed. This article investigates the extent to which private supplementary insurance affect use of health care services by public health insurance enrollees, using Korean administrative data and private supplements related data collected through all relevant private insurance companies. I applied a multivariate two-part model to analyze the effects of various types of supplements on the likelihood and level of public health insurance spending and estimated marginal effects of supplements. Separate models were estimated for inpatients and outpatients in public insurance spending. The first part of the model estimated the likelihood of positive spending using probit regression, and the second part estimated the log of spending for those with positive spending. Use of a detailed information of individuals' public health insurance from administration data and of private insurance status from insurance companies made it possible to control for health status, the types of supplemental insurance owned by theses individuals, and other factors that explain spending variations across supplemental insurance categories in isolating the effects of supplemental insurance. Data from 2004 to 2006 were used, and this study found that private insurance increased the probability of a physician visit by less than 1 percent and a hospital admission by about 1 percent. However, supplemental insurance was not found to be associated with a bigger health care service utilization. Two-part models of health care utilization and expenditures showed that those without supplemental insurance had higher inpatient and outpatient expenditures than those with supplements, even after controlling for observable differences.