Costo del tratamiento en trabajadoras con enfermedad inflamatoria pelviana / Cost of treatment in workers with pelvic inflammatory disease

Se realizó una intervención terapéutica en 39 trabajadoras con inflamación pelviana, diagnosticadas y tratadas desde hacía 5 meses, pertenecientes al área de salud "La Caoba" del municipio de San Luís, en Santiago de Cuba, de enero a mayo del 2012, con vistas a comparar el costo del tratamiento medicamentoso con el del acupuntural. En la serie se obtuvo que 51,3 % de las féminas con medicación mejorara en 2 semanas y 23,1 % requirió más de 28 días de tratamiento, mientras que 90,0 % de las que recibieron acupuntura se recuperaron en 3 semanas. Esta terapéutica alternativa constituyó un ahorro para las pacientes, al disminuir sus pérdidas económicas por gastos en medicamentos y por certificados médicos; además de reducir la estadía hospitalaria y su costo. Desde el punto de vista social se logró que las trabajadoras afectadas se incorporaran a sus quehaceres laborales y domésticos más tempranament.

A therapeutic intervention was carried out in 39 workers with pelvic inflammation, diagnosed and treated for 5 months, belonging to the health area from "La Caoba" of San Luís municipality, in Santiago de Cuba, from January to May, 2012, with the aim of comparing the cost of drug treatment with that of the acupunctural treatment. In the series it was obtained that 51.3% of the female with medication improved in 2 weeks and 23.1% required more than 28 days of treatment, while 90.0% of those who received acupuncture recovered in 3 weeks. This alternative therapy constituted a saving for the patients, as they decreased their economic losses due to expenses in medications and to medical certificates; besides reducing the hospital stay and its cost. From the social point of view it was achieved that the affected workers incorporate to their jobs and domestic work even earlier.

A study on legal problems concerning issuance of false medical certificates

Today, medical certificates are widely used in society; for example, for school enrollment and employment, as well as for insurance purposes, and military service. In addition, they serve an important judicial function. Criminal and violent acts such as murder frequently occur, and traffic and industrial accidents that cause injury and intrude upon a person's life are increasing; therefore, the courts and the organizations required to deal with such cases are heavily dependent on medical certificates. Recently, a television program called 'Madam's Outgo', that describes the stay of execution of the wife of a company CEO, became a subject of public debate. The trial of the professor at a famous medical school, who received criticism for his major role in making a stay of execution possible for the wife of the CEO, evokes the importance and social function of such medical certificates. Criminal laws and medical laws institutionalize the important social function of medical certificates and establish regulations designed to prevent the writing of false medical certificates. This paper minimizes the use of legal terminology, concentrating on Supreme Court precedents, so that the main translation problems associated with such legal regulations can be utilized as data of doctors and non-jurists, and focuses its discussion on issues that can be practically discussed. On the basis of a theory of analysis of criminal guilt associated with false medical certificates, this paper suggests that to be guilty of issuing of false medical certificates, the following elements are required to be proved: who (subject), what document (object), how it should be written to be classified as a false medical certificate (behavior), and what subjective facts should be perceived to be guilty of issuing of false medical certificates (intent), besides examining the medical requirements associated with writing medical certificates. It therefore appears necessary for the Korean Medical Association to henceforth systematically review its "Guidelines for Writing Medical Certificates," written in February 2003, from a legal perspective.

Medical Certificates and Physicians' Legal Duty

Physicians in Korea are nowadays confronted with unprecedented difficulties in practicing medicine-at every point of patient care, they should be prepared against any possibilities of medical disputes, among which ones related to medical certificates are not infrequent. Physicians issue medical certificates based on comprehensive findings from physical examinations and laboratory tests to prove the health status of the patients. Although physicians prepare medical certificates as private documents, they take effect as official documents. Hence medical certificates should be prepared with understanding of relevant health care-related laws to avoid unnecessary and avoidable medical disputes.