• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.41-69
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• 2012

First introduced in 1977, Korean health care system reached to national coverage in short period of time never seen before in any other countries, and rated as successful system protecting the health of the public at relatively low price. However, despite those positive evaluations, some of fraudulent medical organizations or pharmacies are hindering the sound development of the national health care system with meticulous false billing exaggerating the number of patients or the days of their treatment. To prevent aforementioned nursing home fraud and false billing, the misconduct should be punished as subject to the criminal law and severally punished for fines and payments which far exceed the expected amount of illicit gains as it is basically violation of criminal fraud, other than the forced return of illicit gains based on civil laws. Furthermore, the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service should strengthen and complement the fraud investigators, the review process, and the professional training to raise the detection rates. It might also want to review ways to implement whistleblower rewarding system and rewards for evidences of healthcare fraud to overcome the limits of external review.

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.84-91
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• 2022

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the problems and improvement areas by reviewing the laws related to kindergarden healthcare workers. Methods: The laws were searched at the Korean law information center (https://www.law.go.kr/). We reviewed the 「Early Childhood Education Act」, 「School Health Act」, 「Medical Service Act」, 「Elementary and Secondary Education Act」and their enforcement decrees and rules. Results: The legal role of health teachers as school healthcare professionals was comprehensively specified by the 「School Health Act. However, the qualifications for and roles of health teachers were not fully described in 「Early Childhood Education Act], indicating a unclear legal basis for the qualifications for and roles of kindergarten health teachers. To support healthcare workers in kindergartens, it is necessary to amend the 「Early Childhood Education Act」 that provides the guidelines for qualifications for kindergarten health teachers in elementary, secondary, and special schools who have completed necessary continuing education. A health hub kindergarten could be a step-by-step option for all kindergartens to have healthcare workers. Conclusion: This review demonstrated the importance of amending the laws on kindergarten health teachers and health hub kindergartens for child health and safety. These findings could be used to support policies related to kindergarten healthcare workers.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.507-511
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• 2022

Law enforcement officers (LEOs) often encounter rapidly changing and uncontrolled situations that expose them to various hazards. A law enforcement agency requested an evaluation by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) when multiple LEOs reported illness after executing a search warrant and taking a suspect into custody. NIOSH investigators interviewed LEOs and reviewed medical records, forensic laboratory results for collected evidence, and environmental testing results of samples taken after the operation. Two-thirds (25 of 38) of LEOs who participated in the operation reported ≥1 symptom. Eleven LEOs met a case definition for influenza-like illness (ILI). Members of one unit were more likely to have ILI than non-members (prevalence ratio (PR), 4.1; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.3-13.0; p = 0.01). Influenza vaccination was associated with a lower prevalence of ILI (PR, 0.2; 95% CI, 0.1-0.9; p = 0.02). Preventing employees from working while ill and annual influenza vaccination might prevent similar occurrences.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.91 no.6
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• pp.583-589
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• 2024

Accurately predicting the strength of concrete is vital for ensuring the safety and durability of structures, thereby contributing to time and cost savings throughout the design and construction phases. The compressive strength of concrete is determined by various material factors, including the type of cement, composition ratios of concrete mixtures, curing time, and environmental conditions. While mix design establishes the proportions of each material for concrete, predicting strength before experimental measurement remains a challenging task. In this study, Abrams's law was chosen as a representative investigative approach to estimating concrete compressive strength. Abrams asserted that concrete compressive strength depends solely on the water-cement ratio and proposed a logarithmic linear relationship. However, Abrams's law is only applicable to concrete using cement as the sole binding material and may not be suitable for modern concrete mixtures. Therefore, this research aims to predict concrete compressive strength by applying various conventional regression analyses and machine learning methods. Six models were selected based on performance experiment data collected from various literature sources on different concrete mixtures. The models were assessed using Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) and coefficient of determination (R²) to identify the optimal model.

• THE INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE & LAW REVIEW
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• v.45
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• pp.191-238
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• 2010

The purpose of this paper is to make research on the trend of the worldwide medical device market, the trend of the medical device market in the major foreign countries, the present status of the medical device industry in Korea and Gangwon area, the present status of export competitive power and the SWOT analysis of competitive power of the medical device industry in Gangwon area, and the strengthening methods of export competitive power of the medical device industry in Gangwon area. As the research method, the questionaire for the strengthening of export competitive power of the medical device industry in Gangwon area was carried out from August 13 to Otober 22, 2009. The worldwide medical device market in 2008 is estimated at USD 210.2 billion, with the United States being the largest market, followed closely by Japan and Western Europe. In 2006, the worldwide export amount of medical devices recorded USD 121.1 billion and the worldwide import amount of medical devices recorded USD 126.3 billion. As of the end of 2008, the number of Korea's medical device manufacturers expanded to 1,726. The production amount of Korea's medical device industry in 2008 recorded 2,525 billion won, and the domestic market volume of medical devices in 2008 recorded 3,618 billion won. Korea's export amount of medical devices in 2008 recorded USD 1,132 million and recorded a 9.67% growth compared to the previous year, and the import amount of medical devices recorded USD 2,123 million and recorded a 1.43% reduction compared to the previous year. As of the end of 2008, the number of Gangwon area's medical device manufacturers expanded to 81. The production amount of Gangwon area's medical industry in 2008 recorded 380 billion won, and Gangwon area's export amount of medical devices recorded USD 269 million and recorded a 0.25% reduction compared to the previous year, and the import amount of medical devices recorded USD 3 million and recorded a 39.63% reduction compared to the previous year. According to the result analysis of the questionaire for the strengthening of export competitive power of medical device industry in Gangwon area(August 13~October 22, 2009), the competing country of the export medical device is the United States being the highest ranking. Comparing to the collective competitive power level 100 of the competing country, the collective competitive level of the export medical device is 60 below and 70-80 below being the highest ranking. Comparing to the quality level 100 of the United States, EU and Japan, the quality level of the export medical device is 80-90 below being the highest ranking. Comparing to the design level 100 of the United States, EU and Japan, the design level of the export medical device is 90-100 below being the highest ranking. Comparing to the technology level 100 of the United States, EU and Japan, the technology level of the export medical device is 80-90 below being the highest ranking. According to the SWOT analysis of competitive power of medical device industry in Gangwon area, the strength is the abundant expert manpower of the medical device in Wonju area. The weakness is the fragility of the brand recognition of the medical device industry. The opportunity is the demand increase of the new medical device owing to the advanced age of population. The threat is the difficulty of entry into overseas market owing to the request of the new specification certification of the medical device. In order to strengthen the export competitive power of the medical device industry in Gangwon area, the following measures should be taken by the government, local self-government body, related organization and medical device industry : the development of new technology and design, the enhancement of brand recognition. the acquisition of the foreign specification certification, the building of overseas distribution channel and after sales service channel, the positive participation in overseas medical device exhibition and opening of medical device exhibition, the training of expert manpower, the strengthening of overseas marketing, and the application of FTA and the establishment of counter measures against FTA. In conclusion, the medical device industry in Gangwon area has the difficulty in the entry into the overseas market owing to the shortage of overseas marketing capability. Therefore, the government and local self-government body should make the intensive and systematical support for overseas marketing of the medical device industry. For the support of overseas marketing, the government and local self-government body should provide positively the support of expenses for the acquisition of foreign specification certification, the support of participation in the overseas medical device exhibition, the despatch of market development mission, the increase of the support amount for R&D investment fund, and the training of expert manpower of medical devices.

• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.99-131
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• 2011

To strengthen the protection of human research subjects and human materials, the Korean Ministry of Health and welfare proposed the amendment bill of Bioethics and Safety Law(2010) to the Congress. It includes so many meaningful clauses. According to the bill, the scope that this act shall apply will be expended to the research involving human subjects and human materials. In the bill, there are the principles of this act; the protection of the life, health, and dignity of the human subjects, the obtaining of the adequate informed consent, the protection of the human subject's information confidentiality and the human subject's privacy, the assessment and minimizing of the risks involved and the guarantee of the safety for the human subjects, the preparation of the special protection program for the vulnerable human subjects, and so on. According to the bill, Institutional Bioethics Review Board(the same as Institutional Review Board) will be responsible for the auditing and monitoring on the research that was approved by IBRB, conducting the education program for the researchers, IBRB members and administrative staffs, preparing of the special protection program for the vulnerable human subjects, and forming the guidelines for the researchers as well as the review of the research protocols. And the State and local governments shall take necessary measures to support the expending of the social infrastructure. In addition to, IBRB will have to be assessed and to be gained the accreditation by the Korean Ministry of Health and welfare. So, if Bioethics and Safety Law is amended, it will contribute enormously to enhance the level of the human research subjects protection. Also, if this Law is amended, IBRB will play a major role for the conduct of the ethically, scientifically, and legally proper research. But now, as a matter of fact, the capability of IBRB members and IBRB office members is not enough to charge of this role because some people and some organizations does not know the importance of IBRB exactly. In spite of, IBRB shall be able to this role to protect the human subjects and to develop the level of the research On the international level. Therefore, the State, local governments and the Organization shall back up the administrative and financial terms of the IRB and IRB Office.

• Korean Medical Education Review
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.103-111
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• 2018

In the ever-changing medical environment, the social participation of medical doctors is becoming more necessary. Currently, there is not enough participation or action by doctors within our society due to reasons such as a lack of educational curriculum in this area. This study aimed to investigate medical students' opinions and attitudes about social participation and action. A total of 438 medical students were surveyed about their attitudes toward doctors' relations with the public, social participation, social action, and medical education for social participation or action. Regarding doctors' relations with the public, participants responded that the government (73.5%) and the media (82.0%) were causing social distrust of doctors, and more than 70% of the respondents answered that doctors were passive when it comes to social participation. When asked about social participation and social action, 76.7% of the students surveyed had experienced social participation, and 28.3% had experienced taking social action. A total of 73.4% of the students answered that medical education needs to be changed, and it is necessary to introduce subjects such as sociology and law to improve social participation and action. The results are significant in that they show medical students' thoughts on social participation and social action as doctors in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. We believe that a change of medical curriculum to promote active and collaborative social participation by doctors is necessary.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.23-34
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• 2020

Purpose: This qualitative study was conducted to examine the current status and problems concerning the collection of present on admission (POA) indicators and determine how to use these indicators for evaluating the quality of care and degree of patient safety. Methods: A total of 11 health information managers were divided into two groups according to the size of their hospitals. Two focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted, one for each group, which followed a pre-developed semi-structured guideline. The verbatim transcriptions of the FGDs were analyzed. Results: The majority of participants were concerned about entering POA flags honestly because they did not know how future POA indicators would be used. In particular, for some participants, POA N was a burden that could imply a signal of mismanagement within the medical institution. In addition, the lack of awareness and indifference of physicians regarding POA indicators were some of the difficulties for POA flag entry. Although medical institutions are making efforts to improve the accuracy of POA flagging, many participants mentioned the need to develop real case-oriented POA entry guidelines to improve the accuracy of POA flagging. Conclusion: To increase the validity of POA indicators, it is necessary to increase the level of awareness of POA indicators in physicians and other medical professionals. Furthermore, efforts related to POA indicators by individual medical institutions need to be reflected in the process evaluation.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.761-770
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• 2021

In order to establish an independent relationship between occupations in accordance with the abuse of doctor's orders and employment, the position of each physician and medical technician group, and the education system and laws of Japan, the United States, and England To promote the improvement of public health. The main differences in positions among related interest groups were analyzed, and the proposals and precedents of the National Assembly laws that were initiated after 1963 were analyzed and compared with the laws of developed countries. Among the OECD member countries, 26 countries except Korea have enacted a single law for medical technicians, and the meaning of instructions and supervision differs from country to country. The Medical Technician Act, etc., is inappropriate to apply the current and situation of the times as the laws of the 20th century to represent all the laws of the eight medical technicians. It is thought that a change in the word of direction and supervision under the control of the company is inevitable from a future-oriented horizontal perspective.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.106-125
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• 2013

Medical litigation, as a method of resolving medical disputes, has been a huge burden on both the patient and medical institution as it is both costly and time-consuming. The Korea Medical Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Agency has created a dispute mediation process as a method of alternative dispute resolution(ADR). Being in its early stage of implementation, there are still areas requiring improvement as some functions overlap with the Korea Consumer Agency's damage redress and mediation process. This study examines the problems of existing practices in medical litigation while reviewing the mediation process of the two agencies from legal/administrative aspects, and provides an in-depth analysis of the situation through case studies and interviews. While the Korea Medical Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Agency offers many advantages in resolving medical disputes, there must be a distinct division of roles and mutual cooperation with the Korea Consumer Agency. Considering the increasing amount of compensation in medical disputes, medical professionals are being requested to carry medical malpractice insurance. However, this has yet to become a general trend in the medical field despite the growing social demand. As such, the coverage of medical malpractice insurance should be expanded to prevent medical accidents from escalating into medical disputes, thus acting as a social safety net. This study seeks to examine the methods of medical dispute resolution and to allow institutional provisions to reduce the social costs arising from such disputes.