• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.29-42
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• 2017

Background : Efforts towards increasing insurance coverage for traditional Korean medicine (TKM) are being continued. However, various difficulties are faced in generating evidence for TKM due to limited financial support and the low quality of research methodology. Objectives : The objectives of this study were to review the Swiss evaluation program for complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and assess the expansion in public health insurance coverage of complementary medicine as approved by referendum in Switzerland. Methods : The regulations of CAM in the European Union were assessed. Research articles, reports, government publications and websites which deal with the 'Programm Evaluation $Komplement{\ddot{a}}rmedizin$ (PEK)' and the referendum in Switzerland were searched for and analyzed. Results : The PEK was conducted from 1998 to 2005. The PEK evaluated the efficacy, utilization and cost-effectiveness of anthroposophical medicine, homeopathy, neural therapy, phytotherapy and traditional Chinese medicine. However, clear conclusions could not be drawn from the evaluation according to the PEK Report. Later, a referendum was implemented in which 5 therapies would be added to the Switzerland Constitution with the support of the public. The coverage of CAM was approved by Swiss a plebiscite with an approval rate of 67.0%. Conclusions : The reason for the successful referendum is suggested to be public support and the solidarity with CAM experts and politicians. It may be surmised that recognition of the political efforts and scientific aspects required to expand insurance coverage of TKM, and towards obtaining public support, is necessary.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2018

Objectives : This study aimed to analyze the characteristics of uninsured herbal medicine(UHM) users and the economic and social barriers of UHM utilization. Methods : We used the Korea Health Panel Data, representative national survey on medical utilization and cost, provided by National Health Insurance Service and Korea Institiute of Health and Social Affairs. The frequency analysis was used to identify the characteristics of the respondents, and the cross-analysis (${\chi}^2-test$) was used to verify the relationship between their characteristics and the usage of UHM. In order to analyze the determinants of using the UHM considering the individual's characteristics, logistic regression analysis and multiple regression analysis were conducted for those who used the Korean medicine (KM) outpatient service in 2015. Results : The usage of UHM was significantly lower for those (1) who's age of 20 to 65; (2) who have the university or higher education degree; (3) who live in Jeju province, and (4) who bought the herbal medicine for other health related purposes. On the other hand, the usage of UHM for those (1) who have the first quintile of household income; (2) who have the chronic respiratory disease; (3) who have been taking the medicine for health promotion purpose for more than 3 months and (4) who have purchased the food which has health promotion function was significantly higher than others. The patients who have chronic musculoskeletal diseases accounted the most among the UHM users. Conclusions : There was the considerable inequality in the usage of UHM among household income groups, which provides policy rationale for UHM to be covered by national health insurance. To facilitate the coverage expansion, restrictive covering model can be considered for children and adolescents, or for patients with muskuloskeletal diseases who have the high demand for UHM.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.285-290
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• 2010

How to appropriately apply the theories of oriental diet therapy in terms of direction and development are pressing concerns. To address these concerns, this study was performed to provide basic ideas to further the understanding oriental medicinal cuisine(Yack-Sun) and aid its application. Presently, basic data on the nutritional composition and oriental diet therapy area approach of Reajerksodo-tang was acquired to predict the usefulness of Reajerksodo-tang as an edema-related diuretic to promotes urination, drains heat and leaches out dampness. Reajerksodo-tang energy was 67.3 kcal per 100 g, crude protein was 77.2 g, crude fat was 5.7 g, crude ash was 0.6 g and carbohydrate was 16.5 g per 100 g. This basic data could help guide the application of oriental medicinal resources into other foods and serve as a stepping-stone for use of Reajerksodo-tang in the burgeoning field of function foods. Lastly, the scientific effects of oriental medicinal foods developed according to oriental medicinal theory. It is believed to be essential for government policy development concerning validation of medicinal effects and assessment, with the aim of fostering systematic development and providing guidance to food development in the interest of national health.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.69-78
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• 2017

Objectives : This study aims to analyze the public investment for Korean Medicine R&D to facilitate the future strategic planning. Methods : All government supported research projects for Korean Medicine that were invested in 2009, 2012, 2015 were searched in the NTIS (National Science & Technology Information Service) Database. Research budgets were analyzed by government departments, R&D agents, R&D steps, and research fields. CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) was derived from each Korean Medicine research field. Differences of research budgets among research fields were tested using Chi square analysis. Results : A total of 891 projects supported in 2009, 2012, and 2015 was analyzed. The amount of research budgets has increased, from 49,839 million won in 2009 to 106,536 million won in 2015 showing 13.5% of CAGR. Ministry of Science, ICT, and Future Planning, and Ministry of Health and Welfare were the biggest sponsors in Korean Medicine R&D. Chi square analysis showed that, in this period, there were statistically significant differences of research budgets in Korean Medicine technology equipment field and infrastructure field. Conclusions : To diversify the Korean Medicine R&D, unequal research funding among government departments should be relieved, and virtuous cycle of Industry-University-Institute Collaboration in Korean Medicine need to be built.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.28 no.3 s.71
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• pp.244-260
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• 2007

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to provide lawmakers with basic data for the purpose of establishing a policy on health insurance for packed herbal medicine. Methods : To properly execute an insurance system for packed herbal medicine, we surveyed the following questions from May 1st to June 15th, 2006: (1)the way to pay the insurance benefits (2)specific impression (disease) names as related to insurance (3)the range of insurance coverage. We obtained answers from 304 Korea traditional doctors. Results : 89.4% respondents were agreed on execution of health insurance for packed herbal medicine. 93.86% respondents answered that the way to pay insurance benefits and the range of insurance coverage have to be changed properly. Most respondents answered that the coverage should be based on a specific disease being treated, not the current symptoms method which relates to the prescription. The execution of health insurance for packed herbal medicine is expected to increase the number of patients and make the Korean medical system more popular. Conclusion : The findings are expected to make it easier for the general public to get treatment by providing basic data with policy makers that will cover packed herbal medicine in insurance. Also, a proper Korea traditional health insurance program should be set up as soon as possible to widen the choice of medicine for the general public.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.1-18
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• 2013

Objectives: Korea has a dual medical system where traditional Korean Medicine (KM) and Western Medicine (WM) exist au equal terms with exclusive practice boundaries. The aim of this study was to identify complementary and substitute relationships between KM and WM in Korea. Methods: The data of 19,413 respondents were collected from the 2009 Korea Health Panel dataset. General characteristics and the medical utilization of respondents were analyzed descriptively. the Univariable Analysis was used to compare the factors that affected KM and WM utilization, and the Multivariable Analysis was applied to identify complementary or substitute relationships between the respondents' choices for KM and WM. The data were analyzed by the seven disease groups; diseases of nervous system, circulatory system, respiratory system, digestive system, skin and subcutaneous tissue, musculoskeletal system, and connective tissue, injury, poisoning and others. Results: 13.6% and 76.9% of respondents used KM and WM respectively last 12 mouths. 12.7% used both, and 0.9% used KM only. In overall, respondents who visited KM institutions used also WM. However, according to the analysis of choices of medical institutions, non-pharmacological KM treatment and WM has been used as a substitute for another in the diseases of the skin and subcutaneous tissue, diseases of the musculoskeletal system, and connective tissue, injury, poisoning and others. Conclusions: Despite some exceptional disease areas, Korean people use KM complementarily to WM, and this result can rationalize the recent Korean government policies encouraging the cooperation of KM and WM. This study can he used for the future policies development for KM service delivery.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.80-89
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• 2015

Background: This study aims to identify the monthly average medical expenses of public pension recipients, and analyze the determinants of total health and medical expenses and Western and Oriental medicine expenses, medical service expenses, and medical supplies expenses. Methods: This study used the fifth year data of 2013 out of the raw data of the Korean Retirement and Income Study collected by the National Pension Research Institute. This study conducted t-test, analysis of variance, and linear regression to verify publicly the relevance between pension recipients' general characteristics and health and medical expenses status using IBM SPSS ver. 21.0 for data analysis. Results: It was analyzed that there is a difference in the spending of expenditure and health care costs according to public pension recipients. Medical expenses of the national pensioners was higher compared to the special corporate pensioners. The national pensioner is related expenditure size, education level, family members living together, residential areas, status of spouse, number of chronic illness, and status of limitation in daily life with psychological health status. Conclusion: Therefore, fairness does not occur fire to the medical use between the special corporate pensioners and national pensioners, aggressive of government such as health policy and financial support for the retiree pension policy that reflects the reality intervention would be required.

• Korean Journal of Oriental Medicine
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.67-75
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• 2010

Objectives : In order to study the standardization of Qi-gong, and the important spread of education in Qi-gong, we investigated to the cognition of Qi-gong. Method : The descriptive investigation was accomplished to examine the level about the standardization of Qi-gong and the propensity with the Qi-gong training specialist, Qi-gong experience people and non-experience people on a national scale. The data of 572 question papers (140 specialists, 132 Qi-gong experience people, 300 non experience people) were analyzed. The period of the data collection was from Jun, 1, 2009 to Jun, 30, 2009. Result : The motives of Qi-gong participation were Qi-gong training and the individual health. The merit of Qi-gong was beneficial to health. The difficulties of Qi-gong training were the serial motion and doing training alone. And in order to popularize Qi-gong, the motion must simple and the spread of Qi-gong need. The reason of non-participation was the deficiency of the contact opportunity and the reason of participation was beneficial to health. In the future, the national policy for the activation of Qi-gong was the spread of the national exercise through the standardization of Qi-gong. Qi-gong was used in the side of the prevention and the principle of Qi-gong need the modern reinterpretation. And the effect of Qi-gong was more effective in musculoskeletal disease and the valuable part of Qi-gong was the health-longevity. Conclusion : With this, in order to develop the value of Qi-gong, the national support policy will be necessary. And the standardization of Qi-gong motion and program, the development of easy exercise, the educational prevalance, and publicity campaign will be necessary.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.43-51
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• 2019

Objectives : This study aimed to analyze price variance by year, region and company of raw herbal medicines to draw payment system for herbal medicine insurances in the National Health Insurance. Methods : To analyse price variance, we used 2015-2017 data of 'Quality test results of imported herbal medicines' provided by Korea Pharmaceutical Traders Association and 'Price data of 56 raw herbal medicines' that was surveyed by the Association of Korean Medicine. We analysed gap of highest price and lowest price those were compared with average price and coefficient of variation(CV) of prices by year, region and company of raw herbal medicines. Results : In analysing 3 years data, the highest price was 23.2% higher, and the lowest price was 19.1% lower than the average price. As of 2018, the average price of domestic produced herbal medicines was 1,8 times higher than that of imported herbal medicines. By companies, the highest price was 117.5% higher, and the lowest price was 57.3% lower than the average price. Conclusions : The price of herbal medicines varied by production year, region and company. This results suggest that comprehensive payment model needs to be considered in modeling the health insurance coverage for herbal medicine decoctions.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.103-114
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• 2013

Objectives : This study aimed to analyze the management efficiency of Korean Medicine hospitals for recent 10 years(2001~2010) using the Data Envelop Analysis(DEA) model. Methods : We collected the management data of 23 Korean Medicine hospitals for DEA model from the Korean Oriental Medicine Hospitals' Association (KOMHA). Input variables of DEA model are numbers of beds, numbers of doctors, numbers of nurses and numbers of other staffs of each Korean Medicine hospitals. Output variables are numbers of inpatients and numbers of outpatients of each Korean Medicine hospitals. Based on the DEA model, we calculated the efficiency score of each Korean Medicine hospital and compared it by hospital's ownership, location, and size. Results : Average DEA efficiency scores of Korean Medicine hospitals by year ranged from 0.86 to 0.92. Private owned hospitals showed higher efficiency scores than the university affiliated hospitals with statistical significance (p=0.001). And Korean Medicine hospitals located in capital region of Korea(Seoul City, Incheon City, Gyeonggi-do) and the rest Korean Medicine hospitals did not show statistical difference (p=0.516). Lastly, Korean Medicine hospitals with different size did not show statistical difference in management efficiency (p=0.499). Conclusion : We have found that Korean Medicine hospitals management efficiency have not changed throughout 10 years, and that different ownership forms of Korean Medicine hospital show statistical difference in management efficiency while location, and size do not.