• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.101-113
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• 2014

This paper examined the effects of private health insurance(PHI) on the health care utilization among the Korean. The used data was the three waves of Korea Health Panel (2008, 2009, 2010), and the number of subjects was 13,951 persons. Authors employed two-stage least square panel model where the instrument variables for controlling for endogeneity of PHI were number of insurance planner per 100,000 in resident area and whether subject worked on financial profession. The results showed that healthcare expenditure of outpatients who purchasing PHI was higher than that of outpatients without PHI, and there was no difference in admission between the two groups. This article recommended the Korean government to monitor the effects of PHI on the health care utilization in order to improve the efficiency of health care finance.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.22 no.10
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• pp.145-150
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• 2017

This study aims to analyze panel data using OECD Health data of 34 years to examine how significant the inequality of income is to the inequality of health. The data was from OECD's pooled Health data of 32 countries from 1980 to 2013. The process of determining analysis model was as follows; First, through the descriptive statistics, we examined averages and standard deviation of variables. Second, Lagrange multiplier test has done. Third, through the F-test, we compared Least squares method and Fixed effect model. Lastly, by Hausman test, we determined proper model and examined effective factor using the model. As a result, rather than Pooled OLS Model, Fixed Effect Model was shown as effective in order to consider the characteristics of individual in the panel. The results are as follows: First, as relative poverty rate(${\beta}=-19.264$, p<.01) grows, people's life expectancy decreases. Second, as the rate of smoking(${\beta}=-.125$, p<.05) and the rate of unemployment (${\beta}=-.081$, p<.01) grows, people's life expectancy decreases. Third, as health expenditure(${\beta}=.414$, p<.01) shares more amount of GDP and as the number of hospital beds(${\beta}=-.190$, p<.05) grows, people's life expectancy increases.

• Proceedings of the Technology Innovation Conference
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• 1999.12a
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• pp.216-239
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• 1999

Korean government has planned a large scale multidepartment-participated national R&D program to advance and improve her science and technology and the quality of life In the level of advanced(especially G-7) countries in the forthcoming 21st century. It is called as "Highly Advanced National projects" or "G7 projects", which was initiated in 1991 with 18 sub-programs to date. It has planned to be continued until 2001 with its total fund of 4, 591 billion Won, comprised of 2, 033 billion Won from the public sector and 2, 558 billion Won from the private sector. Evaluation activities, the country has carried out to date, for national R&D programs including HAN projects are focused mainly on the assessment of scientific and technological results to decide that a specific program should be continued, terminated, or modified. Thus, it is necessary for national R&D programs to be evaluated socioeconomically for the purpose of assessing the nationwide economic and social impact from the program. Socioeconomic evaluation would be told how and where the program contributed to the society, and what the socioeconomic impacts are resulted from the program. It would be useful for the means of (ⅰ) fulfillment of public accountability to legitimate the program and to reveal the expenditure of pubic fund, and (ⅱ) managemental and strategical learning to give information necessary to improve the making. program and policy decision making, The objectives of the study are to develop the methodology of modeling the socioeconomic evaluation, and build up the practical socioeconomic evaluation model of the HAN projects including scientific and technological effects. Since the HAN projects consists of 18 subprograms, it is difficult In evaluate all the subprograms simultaneously. Despite, each program is being performed under the category of HAN projects, so the common socioeconomic issues are existing, The followings are main results of the study. First, the hierarchical structure of the socioeconomic evaluation are constructed; Evaluation Perspective, Evaluation Bounds, and Evaluation Aspect. Second, based on the goals of the HAN projects, the evaluation perspectives are established as (ⅰ) the strengthening of industrial competitiveness, (ⅱ) the enhancement of national scientific and technological capability, (ⅲ) the improvement of quality of life. Third, the evaluation bounds for each evaluation objective are defined to specify the affected area. Finally, the evaluation aspects for each evaluation bounds are formulated containing essential elements describing the evaluation bounds.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.147-168
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• 2009

The purpose of this study is to research support systems of the community child care services for optimum work-family balance. For this purpose, the questionnaire to be completed combined four areas: the workplace, school, community and home. Then questions concerning demographic factors and community-related aspects were analysed for this article. After analyzing 197 questionnaires, supplementary questions were asked, by interview to 10 samples. Full-time working wives (eg. working from 9am to 6pm) who have 1 or more children under 10 years old, living in Seoul and Gyeonggi province were collected as samples. The results were as follows: First, child care from family and relatives, and community services was properly used during the week, but dual working parents took complete charge of child care on Saturdays. Second, emergency child care was usually provided by the family, while relatives and community child care services were used less. Third, parents spent 17% of their monthly income on total child care expenditure. Fourth, community child care services were not used often, but the level of satisfaction with them was very high. Finally, they used relatives' services for safety reasons and community services for location, and only based on informed decisions. Therefore, Saturday child care programmes need to be initiated to help physically and mentally tired parents, with more general provision of positive and diverse public support systems.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.29-37
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• 2016

Readmission which reflects capacity to manage patients and general level of medical services has been known for one of the causes of medical expenditure due to inefficient service. Compared to disease-specific readmission, hospital wide readmission (HWR) is relatively easy to understand, and has merit to get over limitation of collateral medical services assessment; therefore, a growing interest in development and usage of readmission indicator as quality of care indicator focusing on all-disease is detected. In this study, we investigate current state of risk standardized readmission rate indicator used in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada, and examine the considerations when using readmission rate as quality indicator in Korea. Differences in risk-adjustment methods were showed among countries. The United States do not control race not to hide socio-demographic factors on readmission. Canada shows differentiation compared to other countries about reflecting community factors. All three-countries utilize readmission rate as monitoring quality of care rather than incentives or penalty due to the fact that readmission rate could not represent the whole quality of hospital and has a limitation at controlling socio-economic factors. Therefore, for usage readmission rate as quality indicator in Korea, preparing readmission classification standard for Korean medical environment and additional methods for acquiring information by using discharge summary is need. Moreover, continued discussion with clinical specialists is needed for obtain clinical reliability and validity.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.59 no.2
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• pp.143-169
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• 2007

The major purpose of this study was to offer a comprehensive analysis of the changing trends and causes of poverty among urban wage earners' households from 1995 to 2005. In order to do that, this study used the micro data of "Income and Expenditure Survey of Urban Households" by the National Statistical Office(NSO) and GEE(Generalized estimating equation) regression model which is know as an appropriate method for the longitudinal and clustering data. The results show that (1) the numbers of poverty rate and poverty gap in recent years are even getting seriously worse than those in the IMF crisis. (2) Main characteristics of poor are female headed, old aged, low educated households, and having atypical working position. (3) Major determinants of poverty are also related to the variables as mentioned the above. (4) However, poverty reduction effect of public transfer increased preferably in recent years.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.421-425
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• 2012

Cancer can be a major cause of poverty. This may be due either to the costs of treating and managing the illness as well as its impact upon people's ability to work. This is a concern that particularly affects countries that lack comprehensive social health insurance systems and other types of social safety nets. The ACTION study is a longitudinal cohort study of 10,000 hospital patients with a first time diagnosis of cancer. It aims to assess the impact of cancer on the economic circumstances of patients and their households, patients' quality of life, costs of treatment and survival. Patients will be followed throughout the first year after their cancer diagnosis, with interviews conducted at baseline (after diagnosis), three and 12 months. A cross-section of public and private hospitals as well as cancer centers across eight member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will invite patients to participate. The primary outcome is incidence of financial catastrophe following treatment for cancer, defined as out-of-pocket health care expenditure at 12 months exceeding 30% of household income. Secondary outcomes include illness induced poverty, quality of life, psychological distress, economic hardship, survival and disease status. The findings can raise awareness of the extent of the cancer problem in South East Asia and its breadth in terms of its implications for households and the communities in which cancer patients live, identify priorities for further research and catalyze political action to put in place effective cancer control policies.

• The Southeast Asian review
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.173-218
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• 2018

This study focuses on the healthcare sector in Vietnam which is promoting universal health insurance for the achievement of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) under Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The purpose of this study is to examine the characteristics of the reform process of the health care system and the law on health insurance through the historical and cultural contexts and its implications from the perspective of development. Based on the three dimensions of UHC - extension of protection for population, provision of various medical services, and financial protection, the current status of the Vietnam healthcare sector is summarized respectively as follows. First, according to the revised Health Insurance law which came into effect in 2015, the mandatory health insurance premiums are calculated based on household units. Second, there is a medical network that can provide preventive and healthcare services centered on primary health care facilities, for example commune health stations (trạm y $t{\hat{e}}$ $X{\tilde{a}}$). Third, out-of-pocket expenditure is still a large proportion although public spending has increased and private spending has decreased since the enforcement of the health insurance law and various schemes. Vietnam is currently striving towards a universal health care system. The development of institutions and systems should be designed in a way that is appropriate for the members of the society rather than efficiency. This article findings shed light on the role of social values, family culture, and informal institutions.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.391-400
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• 2005

Objective : This study examined the socioeconomic differentials for the health and health related behaviors among South Korean middle school students. Methods : A nationwide cross-sectional interview survey of 3,449 middle school second-grade students and their parents was conducted using a stratified multi-stage cluster sampling method. The response rate was 93.3%. The socioeconomic position indicators were based on self-reported information from the students and their parents: parental education, father's occupational class, monthly family income, out-of-pocket expenditure for education, housing ownership, educational expectations, educational performance and the perceived economic hardships. The outcome variables that were measured were also based on the self-reported information from the students. The health measures included self-rated health conditions, psychological or mental problems, the feelings of loneliness at school, the overall satisfaction of life and the perceived level of stress. The health related behaviors included were smoking, alcohol drinking, sexual intercourse, violence, bullying and verbal and physical abuse by parents. Results : Socioeconomic differences for the health and health related behaviors were found among the eighth grade boys and girls of South Korea. However, the pattern varied with gender, the socioeconomic position indicators and the outcome measures. The prevalence rates of the overall dissatisfaction with life for both genders differed according to most of the eight socioeconomic position indicators. All the health measures were significantly different according to the perceived economic hardship. However, the socioeconomic differences in the self-rated health conditions and the psychosocial or mental problems were not clear. The students having higher socioeconomic position tended to be a perpetrator of bullying while those students with lower socioeconomic position were more likely to be a victim. Conclusions : The perceived economic hardships predicted the health status among the eighth graders of South Korea. The overall satisfaction of life was associated with the socioeconomic position indicators. Further research efforts are needed to explore the mechanisms on how and why the socioeconomic position affects the health and health related behaviors in this age group.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.256-266
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• 2017

Background: Primary health care (PHC) plays a major role to ensure the basic right and equal distribution of the essential health care services. This study presents comparative analyses of PHC in Korea and Uzbekistan, discusses the existing scenario and the challenges, and provides recommendations. Methods: This study reviewed secondary data from Korea's National Statistical Information Service and the State Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Statistic, regulatory legislation, research reports, and policy papers by research and international institutions. We focus on comparing input and outcome health data, PHC structure, and health expenditure. Results: Overall health status of the population in Korea is better than in Uzbekistan; both countries achieved more than 95% immunization coverage. The reforms implemented in both countries provide initial health care service delivery. However, there are several challenges such as the distribution of the staff between urban and rural areas and interest of the graduates on specialization rather than working in PHC system. Conclusion: PHC plays an important role in the provision of medical services to the population, addressing both health and social problems; it is the best tool for achieving universal coverage for basic health needs of the population. The community health practitioners in Korea and nurses in Uzbekistan plays main role in universal coverage through providing essential health care services. Continuous reform of the PHC system should be directed to strengthen the capacity of the PHC staff in health promotion knowledge and activities as well as to encourage population to improve their own health.