• Health Policy and Management
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.52-58
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• 2013

This study was conducted to investigate the responsiveness and its related factors of public health center for novel influenza A (H1N1) epidemic. The data was collected through a web-based survey conducted during February to April 2011. The 182 respondents were team leaders or persons who were responsible for H1N1-related work at public health centers during the H1N1 prevalence. The related factors affecting the responsiveness were different by urban or rural area. In the level of gu (urban) area, cooperation with the public organizations, preparing its own response plan were the significant factors. But, in the level of si or gun (rural) area, cooperation with private organizations (clinic or pharmacy), physical (facilities, equipments, and medicines), and human infrastructures (public health professions, education and knowledge, and motivation) were more important factors. Therefore, how to cope with H1N1 prevalence in the future should be different by local characteristics. As a result, there are several challenges that public health centers should prepare for the further emerging infectious diseases. First, it is needed to make standard manuals which could strengthen education and training in order to respond appropriately, as well as to prepare enough physical infrastructures for the crisis. Next, the public health center should prepare correct media response and cooperation system with public and private organizations.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.295-306
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• 2015

This study aims to examine the performance of public municipal hospitals through the analysis of data envelopment analysis, efficiency, profitability, and publicness by using panel data during period from 2006 to 2010. The main findings of the study are as follows. First, as a result of efficiency analysis during the period from 2006 to 2010, it was revealed that the number of staff by each job category, labor cost ratio, the number of operating beds need to be decreased. Second, the performance data represented by the indicators of efficiency, profitability and publicness were complementary and showed a tendency of being increased or decreased in same direction. Third, from the result of panel analysis, the efficiency was mainly influenced by the structural factors, while the profitability was influenced by managerial factors, and the publicness by medical environment. In conclusion, in order to enhance the performance of public municipal hospitals in Korea, it is important to harmonize the effort for efficiency, financial and policy support by central and local government, and the continuous participation of community residents.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.81-99
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• 1993

The purpose of this research is to assess the geographical distribution of physicians and dentists and the degree of maldistribution of the physician. Data were obtained form the Korean Medical Association's report on physicians registry and census for 1990. To assess the degree of disparity in the rural-urban distribution of physician manpower and to identify changes in the distribution pattern, the Gini index of concentration was used. Major findings are as follows; 1. Urban-rural disparity in the distribution of physician manpower exists in all categories of manpower, i.e. physician, dentist, oriental medical doctor, general practitioner, medical specialist, practitioner, public health physician and public health dentist. Urban area which had 74.4% of nation's population, accounted for over 90% of all physician manpower. 2. In terms of the ration of physician manpower per 10, 000 population, in urban area, they were 8.2 physicians, 2.7 general practitioners, 5.5 specialists, 3.0 practitioners, 1.8 dentists and 1.3 oriental medical doctors. In rural area, the ratios were 1.4 physicians, 0.6 general practitioners, 0.9 specialists, 1.0 practitioners, 0.4 dentists and 0.4 oriental medical doctors. 3. Gini indicies computed to measure inequality of physician manpower distribution were 0. 3675 for physicians, 0.3372 for general practitioners, 0.3338 for specialists, 0.2263 for practitioners, 0.3132 for dentists and 0.3293 for oriental medical doctors. 4. Inspite of increase in the number of physician manpower, urban concentration of physician manpower intensified from 1980 to 1990. However, the Gini index for all physician manpower fell by 18.3~36.7% from 1980 to 1990, indicating more even distribution. 5. In rural area, the public health physicians and dentists had increased the ratios of physicians, general practitioners, practitioners and dentists per 10, 000 population remarkebly, and had decreased the Gini indicies of physicians, general practitioners, practitioners and dentists. Thus, public health physicians and dentists contributed to improve the distribution of physician manpower in rural area. Based on the results of this study, long-term and rational manpower policies should be developed to solve the problem of geographical maldistribution of physician manpower as well as short-term policy for inducing physicians to the rural areas.

• 대한예방의학회:학술대회논문집
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• 1998.10b
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• pp.64-65
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• 1998

• 대한예방의학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2000.10a
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• pp.173-174
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• 2000

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.22 no.1 s.25
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• pp.1-7
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• 1989

This paper examines the failure to promote adequate preventive health care in the U.S. It focuses specifically on the preventive health services of screening, counseling, and immunization. It explores evidence on their effectiveness, as well as coverage under current private and public health insurance plans. It concludes with a proposal to expand health insurance coverage for preventive services and to reimburse physicians directly for preventive health services provided to patients.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.343-348
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• 2013

Background: Price control alone may not successfully restrain growth in health expenditures. This study aimed to propose fee adjustment model suitable for Korea reflecting health service volume and to clarify applicability of the model by comparing actual conversion factor with estimated conversion factor from simulation of this model. Methods: Fee adjustment model was developed based on Alberta's fee adjustment formula in Canada and 7 alternatives were assessed according to diversely applied parameters of the model. Results: Estimated conversion factors of the tertiary care hospital and the hospital were lower than actual conversion factors, since the utilization of heath service has been increased. However, there was no big difference between estimated conversion factors and actual conversion factors of the general hospital and the clinic. Eventually this fee adjustment model could estimate proper conversion factor reflecting health service volume. Conclusion: This model may be applicable to the mechanism as determining conversion factor between insurer and provider via negotiation and controling growth in health expenditures.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.376-385
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• 2020

Background: The purpose of this study is to investigate the factors affecting the healthy living practice rate such as non-smoking, moderate drinking, walking, and low-salt diet by elementary municipality (so called, 'si-gun-hu'). Methods: The 2016 Korean Community Health Survey was used for the analysis. The theoretical model is founded upon the Anderson model, and both the multiple linear regression analysis and the beta regression analysis was performed for estimation. Results: As a result of the beta regression analysis, healthy living practice rate was found to be significantly higher in the areas with a less number of cigarette retailers, participating in healthy city projects, a low proportion of people who perceive their body type as obesity, a higher proportion of women, and a lower proportion of spouses. Conclusion: In order to improve healthy living practices, the regulations on health risk businesses, the spread of Healthy City project, and policy efforts awaring obesity are recommended.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.187-203
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• 1999

This paper will discuss about how we can foster educational support mechanisms to facilitate health promotion programs at the local level. Health promotion in Korea is in the early developmental stage; it has only been since the Health Promotion Act was legislated in 1995, the health promotion programs have been planned and implemented. In the context of the recent decentralization process, local health departments have a major responsibility for developing and implementing health promotion programs at the local level. The short history of health promotion in Korea has meant that local public health departments have limited experience and organizational capacity for health promotion planning ＆ practice. The results of one survey for investigating the progress of health promotion at the local level are instructive. The survey demonstrated that the public health workers recognized that the lack of personnels, insufficient budget, the lack of policy ＆ the organizational support, the lack of skill ＆ knowledge to be effective health promotors, the lack of guidance for health promotion practice were major barriers to implementing health promotion programs at the local level. The object of this paper is to suggest some ways of overcoming barriers to implementing health promotion programs at the local level This paper emphasizes on the importance of educational supports as well as environmental supports - legislative, policy, organizational, economical - in building the organizational capacity and infrastructure of local health department for health promotion. It suggests some ways of providing educational supports to the public health workers at the local level. and supports the positions that educational opportunities for training in health promotion can be better provided to the public health workers at the provincial level rather than at the national level. It argues that the educational ＆ training programs should be developed and based on the educational need assessment; that the application of the main educational principles ＆ theoretical models for health promotion be used to develop educational programs for the public health workers; and that professional health organizations should make plans to provide more educational programs at their annual conferences or at other convenient times. These kinds of educational supports facilitate the ability of public health workers to improve their capacity for health promotion practice at the local level and help to alleviate some of the pressure on state resources.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.349-364
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• 2011

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between new-building of rural public health centers and the outpatient medical utilization. Methods : The study subjects were 141 public health centers in rural area. The data were collected from 1995 to 2001, medical utilization and local population, healthcare resources, and economic characteristics were included. In order to evaluate new-building effects, we performed paired t-tests and multivariate regression analyses. Results : The following variables are significant affecting the medical utilization of rural public health centers: urban side location of public health centers(p<0.05), pre- and post-IMF economic crisis(p<0.001), number of medical aid recipients(p<0.01), number of private clinics(p<0.05), workers of public health centers(p<0.001), financial independent level of local governments(p<0.001). In contrast, the existence of new-building and number of the aged 65 and over were not significant variables. Conclusions : We could not find out the positive relationship between the existence of new-building and the volume of medical utilization in rural public health centers. In particular the medical utilization of rural public health centers is significantly affected by IMF economic recession and number of the poor strata, the economically depressed area.