Evaluation on Management of Unified Health Subcenters

통합보건지소 운영 평가

Objectives: This study is designed to suggest the health service goals necessary for providing the more efficient services relevant to the requests of the community, through the evaluation on the operating status of the unified health subcenters. Methods: We visited total 5 unified health subcenters comprising 3 ones located in Gyeongsangbuk-do and 2 ones located in Gyeongsangnam-do from December 2000 to January 2001, and interviewed about the pre- and post-unified status related to manpower, facilities, equipment, medical service and health service quality, and the problems and improvement plans of the unified management. Results: According to the evaluation on the manpower before and after the unification of the health subcenters, the total employees increased by 2.8 persons on average from 6.8 to 9.6 persons in the investigated subjects. The numbers of doctors, dentists and nurses were almost the same as before. There were no clinical pathologic technician and radiological technician before but they were appointed to duty in 3 unified health subcenters later. The unification of the health subcenters has produced slight increases in the frequency of the medical service and dental treatment and considerable increases in that of the physical therapy and laboratory tests. In relating to the changes of the health service, the cases of visiting health care and ambulatory medical service, and the total number of health education participants were greatly increased after the unification. The number of cases undergoing the vaccination and cervical cancer screening was similar to that of the pre-unification while the patient number of the registration to hypertension or diabetes showed a tendency to increase a little. Since the unification of the health subcenters, the frequency of laboratory tests has been increased, but the quality of health service has not been improved yet. Nevertheless, the unification seems to be positive according to the result of the great improvement in visiting health care, ambulatory medical service and health education service. The problems of the unification of the health subcenters were indicated in indefiniteness of the service details between the workers; excessively large building hard to be effectively managed; insufficient medical instruments, inappropriation of working expenses, lack of professional training for the health education, etc. Conclusions: For further active functions of the unified health subcenters, the minimal allocation basis to appoint doctors, nurses and administrative workers to do the duty should be differentiated from the basis for a health subcenter, and the fundamental instruments needs to be expanded to improve the quality of the medical service and visiting health care service. Moreover, the unified health subcenter needs to have definite service details between the workers, and should improve the working efficiency through the development of service-related guidelines.

통합보건지소의 운영실태를 조사하고 이를 평가함으로써 지역주민에게 더욱 효율적이고 지역주민의 요구에 부합하는 서비스를 제공하는데 필요한 사업방향을 제시하는 것이 연구의 목적이다. 경상북도의 통합보건지소 3개소와 경상남도의 통합보건지소 2개소, 총 5개소의 통합보건지소를 2000년 12월 부터 2001년 1월까지 방문하여 보건지소 통합 전후의 인력, 시설, 장비, 진료 및 보건사업의 내용과 통합운영의 문제점 및 개선방안에 대한 면담을 실시하였다. 조사 대상 통합보건지소의 통합 전후 인력변화는 전체 인력은 6.8명에서 9.6명으로 2.8명 증가하였으며, 근무자 수는 통합보건지소는 6-14명으로 변이가 컸다. 통합 전후의 인력은 의사와 치과의사, 간호인력은 비슷하였고, 임상병리사와 방사선사는 한 명도 근무하지 않다가 3개 통합보건지소에 배치되었다. 보건지소 통합 후 일반진료와 치과진료는 약간 증가하였고, 방사선검사와 물리치료, 임상병리검사는 크게 증가하였다. 보건사업의 변화는 방문보건사업 건수와 이동진료 건수, 보건교육 연인원은 통합 전에 비하여 통합 후에 크게 증가하였으며, 예방접종과 자궁경부암 검진은 비슷하였다. 고혈압과 당뇨병 등록 환자수는 약간 증가하였다. 보건지소 통합 이후에 검사건수가 증가하였으나 서비스의 질은 높아졌다고 보기 어려우나, 방문보건, 이동진료, 보건교육사업은 크게 증가하여 긍정적인 현상으로 보인다. 보건지소 통합의 문제점은 인력간 업무의 내용의 불명확성, 과다하게 넓은 건물의 관리의 어려움, 보강되지 않은 장비, 운영비의 미책정, 보건교육을 위한 전문교육의 부족 등이었다. 향후 통합보건지소 기능 활성화를 위하여 의사, 간호인력 및 행정직을 배치하기 위한 최소배치 기준을 보건지소의 기준과는 별도로 설정하여야 할 것이며, 진료 및 방문서비스의 질을 향상시킬 수 있는 기본장비를 확충하는 것이 필요하다. 또한 인력간 업무의 분장을 명확히 하고, 업무관련 가이드라인을 개발하여 제공함으로써 업무의 효율성을 증대시켜야 한다.