Validity of Resident Assessment Instrument-Minimum Data Set Home Care Version in Korea

Background : Health service needs for the elderly is rapidly increasing in Korea. Comprehensive functional status assessment is essential for effective and rational allocation of health service resources for the elderly. We assessed the validity of Korean version of Resident Assessment Instrument-Minimum Data Set Home Care Version(MDS-HC), which is comprehensive, client centered, and enabling the prediction of resources utilization.

The Occupational Health Status of the Small Scale Industries Participated in the 1997 Subsidiary Program on Health Care Management / 대한산업의학회지

The small scale industries in Korea are important in occupational health care management due to high accident rate and poor working condition. The authors surveyed the 4,811 small scale industries participated in the 1997 subsidiary program on health care management. The contents of survey were the general characteristics of the factory, the results of workers' general and occupational health examination, the results of workplace environmental monitoring, and the number of occupational accident and injured person at 1995 and 1996. We classified all industries by 67 groups. The prevalence of the general disease was higher in 'Manufacture of other fabricated metal productsj. rManufacture of textiles', 'Manufacture of basic metalsj. In occupational disease, that was higher in FManufacture of metal products', 'Manufacture of basic metals', so in environmental monitoring in 'Manufacture of textiles', 'Manufacture of other fabricated metal products' 'Printfrig' in occupational injuries in 'Manufacture of chemical products', 'Manufacture of basic metals'. However the factories of 'manufacture of motor vehicle', 'manufacture of machine and equipment', 'manufacture of electric product' in the program are large in magnitude, but less important in occupational health management. We observed that the prevalence of general disease, occupational disease, workplace environmental monitoring, occupational injuries of subsidized industries in 1996 were increased compared with those in 1995. and were larger than those of nationwide statistics. These phenomenon shows that the subsidiary health program for participated industries is important and to be urgent. We observed that the major groups in district were different and so the approaching method of each district must be various and different. And the health program manager should focus on the C grade in health examination and the action level in workplace monitoring more than the D grade and the permissible level.

Health Effects from Odor Pollution in Sihwa Industrial Complex / 예방의학회지

OBJECTIVES: In recent days, the problem of odor pollution in community near Sihwa Industrial complex, Kynuggi Province is becoming of significant public concern. We have investigated the health effects of the Sihwa residents from odor pollution comparing with other less polluted areas. METHODS: The Ansan and Kuri Cities were selected as control areas. The parents of the elementary and middle school students in these three areas were surveyed with structured questionnaire twice, Nov 1997 and June 1998 each. As a exposure index, the ambient air concentrations of five major air pollutants(particulates, O3, SO2, NO2, CO) and subjective odor perception were used. We have focused health outcomes such as the prevalence of nonspecific irritant symptoms, respiratory disease among family members and the score of quality of life(QOL). RESULTS: Although the mean concentrations of major air pollutants except particulates were similar or lower in Sihwa than other areas, the odor perception rate and the monthly odor perception days were significantly higher. It suggested that odor producing chemical compounds are the major source of environmental pollution problem. There were higher prevalence rates of nonspecific irritant symptoms and respiratory disease among family members in Sihwa than other control areas. The QOL score was also lower in Sihwa. The odor perception proved to be a most important factor in reporting adverse health effects and lowering the QOL score. CONCLUSION: The residents living near Sihwa industrial complex were suffering from more adverse health symptoms and poorer QOL status than control areas. And it may be due to environmental odor pollution from industrial complex. Therefore, further research will be needed for monitoring of the responsible chemicals emitted from industries.

Adoption and Its Determining Factors of Computerized Tomography in Korea / 예방의학회지

High price equipment is one of the major factors that increases national health expenditure in developed countries. Computerized Tomography(CT), one of the important high price equipment, has been concerns of health service researchers and policy makers in many countries. In Korea, CT, first introduced in 1984, have spreaded nationwide with rapid speed. Though the Committee for Approving Import of High Price Medical Equipment, founded in 1981, tried to regulate the introduction of high price medical equipment including CT, the effort resulted in failure. The exact situation of diffusion of the high price equipment, however, was not yet investigated. We aimed at the description of the diffusion of CT in Korea and analysis of influencing factors in hospitals for the adoption of CT. We mainly used the database of CT, made in 1996 by the National Federation of Medical Insurance for the purpose of insurance payment for CT. Also characteristics of hospitals were gathered from yearbooks published by the central and local governments and by the Korean Hospital Association. We calculated the cumulative number of the CT per one million population year by year. In turn, multiple linear logistic regression was done to fine out the contributing factors for the adoption of CT by each hospital. In the logistic regression model, it is regarded as dependent factor whether a hospital retained CT or not in 1988 and 1993. The major categories of the independent factors were hospital characteristics, environmental factors and competitive conditions of hospitals at the period of the adoption. The results are as follows : Numberof CT scanners per one million persons in Korea marked more higher level compared with those of most OECD countries. Major influencing factors on the adoption of CT scanners were hospital characteristics, such as hospital referral level, and competitive condition of hospitals, such as number of CT scanners per 10,000 persons in each district where the hospital was located. In Korea, CT diffused with rather rapid speed, comparable with those of the United States and Japan. The major factors contributing on the adoption of CT for hospitals were competitive condition and hospital characteristics rather than regional health care need for Ct. In conclusion, a kind of regulating mechanism would be necessary for the prevention of the indiscreet adoption and inefficient use of high price equipment including CT.