• Health Policy and Management
• /
• v.24 no.3
• /
• pp.254-260
• /
• 2014

Background: The purpose of this study is to assume appropriate outpatient consultation time for each clinical department on the basis of measured outpatient consultation time and satisfaction of outpatient. Methods: We surveyed the feeling and satisfactory outpatient consultation time, satisfaction, revisiting intention and recommendation to others to 1,105 patients of single general hospital in Gyeonggi-do and measured their real outpatient consultation time from October 28 to November 27 in 2013. On the basis of satisfaction, we estimated appropriate outpatient consultation time through area under the receiver operating characteristic curve in logistic regression model. Results: Feeling outpatient consultation time was 5.1 minutess, satisfactory outpatient consultation time which was suggested by patient was 6.3 minutes, and real outpatient consultation time was 4.2 minutes. Department which had longest real outpatient consultation time was infection (7 minutes) and department which had longest satisfactory outpatient consultation time was neurology (9.4 minutes). From the univariate and the multiple linear regression analysis, real outpatient consultation time was longer in pulmonology patient, new patient and afternoon patient, satisfactory outpatient consultation time was longer in infection, neurology, neuropsychiatry, neurosurgery, and rehabilitation patient. Appropriate real outpatient consultation time was suggested as 5.6 minutes which differentiated high and low satisfied patient group. However, we could not assume appropriate outpatient consultation time for each clinical department because the number of patient who had bad satisfaction was too low. Conclusion: To improve patient's satisfaction, we hope outpatient reservation system is operated as each patient's outpatient consultation time is at least 5.6 minutes.

• Health Policy and Management
• /
• v.28 no.4
• /
• pp.339-351
• /
• 2018

Background: The purpose of this study is to estimate empirically whether there is a difference in medical use among income groups, and if so, how much. This study applies econometric model to the most recent year of Korean Medical Panel, 2015. The model consists of outpatient service and inpatient service models. Methods: The probit model is applied to the model which indicate whether or not the medical care has been used. Two step estimation method using maximum likelihood estimation is applied to the models of outpatient visits, hospital days, and outpatient and inpatient out-of-pocket cost models, with disconnected selection problems. Results: The results show that there was the inequality favorable to the low income group in medical care use. However, after controlling basic medical needs, there were no inequities among income groups in the outpatient visit model and the model of probability of inpatient service use. However, there were inequities favorable to the upper income groups in the models of probability of outpatient service use and outpatient out-of-pocket cost and the models of the number of length of stay and inpatient out-of-pocket cost. In particular, it shows clearly how the difference in outpatient service and inpatient service utilizations by income groups when basic medical needs are controlled. Conclusion: This means that the income contributes significantly to the degree of inequality in outpatient and inpatient care services. Therefore, the existence of medical care use difference under the same medical needs among income groups is a problem in terms of equity of medical care use, so great efforts should be made to establish policies to improve equity among income groups.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
• /
• v.23 no.2
• /
• pp.97-102
• /
• 1993

Hospital pharmacy services are divided into dispensing affairs for inpatients and outpatients, pharmaceutical service, stock control, intravenous admixture service, drug information service, pharmacokinetic consultation service, education and research work, etc. But among those affairs, dispensing affair for outpatient is perceived as the most important work in Korea, because it is linked directly with hospital service for patients. Therefore, total computer system for dispensing area was adopted from opening point of hospital in 1989 in Asan Medical Center. Utilization of computer system for outpatient dispensing area is as follows; 1) Order communication system of prescription by Total Hospital Information System, 2) Automatic print-out system of direction for use by sticker connected with on-line net work, 3) Use of automatic tablet counting and packaging machines connected with on-line net work. Those computer system resulted in curtailment of pharmacy manpower and shortening of waiting-time for outpatient.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
• /
• v.18 no.7
• /
• pp.299-306
• /
• 2020

The purpose of this study is to find out specific measures that can help the management strategy of patient-centered medical institutions by conducting research on patient experience surveys of convergence outpatient medical services using data mining techniques according to changes in patient-centered medical culture. Using the raw data of the 2018 Medical Service Experience Survey, 8,843 people over the age of 15 who had patient experience in outpatient medical services were analyzed. Decision tree analysis was performed. The determinants of satisfaction with outpatient medical services patient experience were the doctor's area and patient's rights protection area, and the determinants of intention to recommend outpatient medical services were the doctor's area and facilities comfort. Women evaluated the experience positively in overall satisfaction as compared to men, and those over the age of 60 positively evaluated the overall satisfaction and intention to recommend. It is significant that the outpatient experience decision-making model is presented, and that the doctor's area, patient's rights protection area, and facility comfort are important factors. Long-term research on the 'Medical Service Experience Survey' is needed, and research on the inpatient medical service experience is needed.

• Korean Parent-Child Health Journal
• /
• v.13 no.1
• /
• pp.35-43
• /
• 2010

Purpose: This study was a descriptive research to provide fundamental data in ensuring a high quality of nursing service needed by children's parent according to perception of uncertainty and care satisfaction of them between pediatric outpatient department and emergency room. Methods: For this study, 192 children's parents were questioned in a general hospital located in Busan from August 1 to 31. 2009. The collected data were scored by use of frequencies, $x^2$ test, t-test, AONVA, Pearson's correlation coefficient via SPSS/WIN 17.0. Results: With the compare of characteristics related to children's parents visiting emergency room and pediatric outpatient department, there were statistically significant difference in relation and age of parent, main caregiver, cause of arrival, and waiting time from arrival to procedure. The perception of uncertainty for parent in the emergency room showed significant difference to outpatient department. In nursing service, the highest score was category of professional skill and technic. In addition, overall parents' perceptions on providing information showed lower than any other nursing service. Last but not least, a significant correlation indicated between the perception of uncertainty and satisfaction of nursing service. Conclusion: Efforts to improve parent satisfaction for nursing service are needed to decrease their perception of uncertainty. Providing information and communication by nurses are necessary to improve quality of nursing service.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
• /
• v.13 no.5
• /
• pp.342-353
• /
• 2013

Objectives: It attempted to analyze influencing factors on the utilization of outpatient services which were adopted to predisposing, enabling, and need factors in Anderson model. Methods: The current study analyzed "2007 Korean National Health Nutrition Survey" data, which selected 3,335 people nationwide by proportional systematic sampling. This study analyzed data of persons who used outpatient services in two weeks. It adopted Anderson Model to control contextual factors including socioeconomic factors. The study compared means and fitted logistic regression models and multilevel model. Results: The logistic regression model showed that persons purchased private medical insurance were less likely to use outpatient services than the persons did not purchase private medical insurance. Persons with hypertension and diabetes mellitus, overweight, and problem drinkers were more likely to use outpatient services. Persons with high school graduates or higher in education level and experience of accidents or intoxications were more likely to use outpatient services according to the multilevel analysis of mixed model which treated region as random effect. Conclusion: Higher level of perceived stress increased the probability to use outpatient service than lower level of perceived stress. As number of days a person had exercised increased, the probability to use outpatient service decreased. Overweight and problem alcohol drinking increased the probability of outpatient service use. Further research should be conducted to find more factors influencing outpatient service use.

• International Journal of Quality Innovation
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.77-87
• /
• 2009

The main aim of the paper is to provide an empirical analysis on patient satisfaction as an indicator of service quality in Malaysian public hospitals. Self-administered questionnaires were administered to patients by convenience sampling. Two sets of questionnaires were used, one for inpatient and another one set for outpatient. Selection of hospitals was made according to states in Peninsular Malaysia. 23 hospitals covering all state level hospitals, the National Referral Centre and selected district hospitals were chosen as respondent hospitals. Two dimensions of service quality emerged, namely clinical and physical dimension of service. Both outpatient and inpatient were found to be more satisfied with clinical dimension of service than physical dimension. For outpatient satisfaction, there was positive correlation between waiting time and patient satisfaction. Patient satisfaction was also found to be higher in the smaller district hospitals than in the larger state hospitals. For clinical dimension of service, patients were satisfied with the services of doctors and nurses, while for physical dimension of service, patients were satisfied with the cleanliness of the facilities. The ability of the research to be conducted by random sampling was inhibited by the reluctance of patients to cooperate, which led to the use of convenience sampling. Studies have also shown that patients are reluctant to express their feelings on services provided by their caregivers. The study provides primary data for a nationwide study on patient satisfaction in Malaysian public hospitals, for both inpatient and outpatient.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
• /
• v.62 no.3
• /
• pp.83-108
• /
• 2010

This study aims to estimate the trajectory of outpatient medical service use and examine what factors are associated with the trajectory among older adults 60 and over with specific focuses on age variations. Using the first three waves of the Korean Welfare Panel Study data, the trajectory and predictors were examined through the Latent Growth Curve Modeling and age variations were examined through the Multi-group Comparison Analyses. The research model was developed based on the Anderson Model. The results showed that study participants tend to increase outpatient medical service use with years. Individuals 75 or younger presented a much faster increasing rate of medical service use than those 75 and over. Similar to the findings of the previous studies, most predisposing factors, resource factors, and needs factors were found to be associated with the trajectory of outpatient medical service use. Needs factors were more closely associated with the medical service use trajectory than resource factors. With regard to age variations in predictors, few significant age variations were found. Based on the finding of the study, implications and future research directions were discussed.

• Health Policy and Management
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.21-42
• /
• 2008

This study investigates economies of scale, cost complementarity and economies of scope for healthcare organizations using econometric approaches. The economies of scale appear to exist in each service provided by a hospital such as inpatient treatment services, outpatient treatment services, and other patient treatment services, respectively. When we test all services in aggregate level, it also indicates that the healthcare industry on average exhibits the economies of scale of 6 percent, which implies that scaling up hospital sizes will bring substantial cost savings to them Evidence shows that cost complementarity exists between outpatient services and other services for patients and, i.e., these other services for patients experience the reduction in marginal costs as the outputs of the outpatient services increase. For the economies of scope, they are present in most service areas; aggregate level services, outpatient services, and other services for patients, respectively. Inpatient treatment services, however, do not show any evidence of the economies of scope. Results show that the economies of scope are achieved by the general hospital type that provides all service areas such as inpatient treatments, outpatient treatments, and other services for patients. The existence of the economies of scope provides the rationale for extending the existing line of business in a hospital into more diverse areas of services where its benefit comes in the form of cost savings. In sum, it overall provides evidence that the M&As in this industry are encouraged to achieve cost reductions from the economies of scale and scope by changing the size and the output mix.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
• /
• v.19 no.3
• /
• pp.57-66
• /
• 2015

Objective : Private health insurance coverage in Korean medicine has been reduced since October 2009 for preventing unnecessary utilization. The aim of this study is to identify how private health insurance coverage reduction affects on the Korean medicine utilization. Method : We analyzed the Korea Health Panel data from 2008 to 2012. Panel negative binominal regression model was used to analyze the relationship between private health insurance coverage reduction and utilization of outpatient service. Panel tobit regression analysis was used to identify the relationship between private health insurance coverage reduction and health expenditure of outpatient service. Results : Private health insurance coverage reduction significantly dropped both utilization and health expenditure of outpatient service by 9%, 9.22% respectively. In addition, therapeutic utilization significantly decreased up to 10%. Conclusion : Private health insurance coverage reduction seems to have an effect to reduce both utilization and the health expenditure of Korean medicine outpatient service. This effect was more noticeable in the therapeutic utilization. Thus, more elaborate policy will be needed to prevent unnecessary utilization of Korean medicine.