This study was designed to investigate whether recruitment of physicians and dentists has been restricted to a social network, such as familial or kinship groups. The data was collected through a self-administered questionnaire survey distributed to a sampling of general physicians, specialists (internists, surgeons, other specialists), and dentists in August 1990. The major findings are as follows: 1) Total number of respondents was 405; of these, general physicians made up 48.9%, internists 10.4%, surgeons 15.8%, other specialists 4.9%, and dentists 20.0%. 2) 38.5% of the respondents had physicians or dentists in their immediate family or were related in some way to one. Those from urban areas, whose parents were highly educated, and whose father was a professional had more physicians or dentists in their family or kinship. 3) Parents of 7.1% of the respondents, brothers or sisters of 10.1%, grand parents of 1.7%, uncles or aunts of 7.9%, and cousins of 22.0% were physicians or dentists. 4) The majority of physicians or dentists in familial or kinship network specialized in surgery, 32.3%, followed by internal medicine ; current worksites were noted as clinics by 30.8%, followed by general hospital, university hospital, and so on. The respondent's major discipline tended to follow familial or kinship example. Consequently, it was concluded that physicians and dentists have been recruited within restricted familial or kinship network.
Surveys and Questionnaires ; Dentists* ; Fathers ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Internal Medicine ; Parents ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Siblings ; Specialization ; Workplace

No abstract available.

For developing the Group Health care system, health managers' job structure were analysed in the aspects of content, amount, and process. As a trial research, data were collected by a standardized job analysis table to 6 doctors, 40 nurses, and 11 industrial hygienists of Group Health Care System. Health care managers were performing complex and intellectual jobs such as health education for workers, managing health care, conference as well as more simple jobs like as filling diary. Especially, job was consisted of general job and health care management job in the proportion of 1:2.18. The major general job were data management related with the health statistics, and major health care management jobs were managing health care, health counselling, environmental management of working sites. Each specific jobs were required differentiated intellectual capacity, creativity, autonomy, psychic stress, and physical work; most respondents perceived that health care management jobs should require more inputs than general jobs Additionally job satisfaction and perceived need on specific job items were analysed. Results of this research, suggested through the field experiences in working sites, should be considered for improving the Group Health Care System.
Creativity ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Delivery of Health Care* ; Health Education ; Job Satisfaction

Island regions suffer from a shortage of health care in part because they are less developed, they cover a widespread area relative to the population, and due to transportation barriers. The purpose of this study was to assess the level of illness and the magnitude of medical care utilization, and to investigate the determinants of utilization in these area. The data were collected by means of a household survey conducted from February 16 to 25, 1987 on 5 islands which were selected in consideration of the size of the population, the distance from the main land, and the distribution of health care facilities. The household response rate was 89.1% (491 of 551 households), and 1971 persons were surveyed. The major findings of this study are as follows: 1) The morbidity rate of the island inhabitants was 27.7% during the two weeks, and 25.5 chronic illnesses and 9.1 acute illnesses per 100 persons, were noted. Differences in the magnitude of illness were statistically significant by sex, age, education, and family size. 2) The magnitude of total ambulatory care utilization was 16.8 visits per 100 persons during the two weeks, which was less than that of other regions; and differences in the magnitude of total ambulatory care were statistically significant by sex, age, education, occupation, and family size. 3) Unmet needs were classified as 56.0% in chronic illnesses and 19.6% in acute illnesses; and differences in unmet needs were statistically significant by sex, age, education, occupation, income, and family size. 4) Statistically significant determinants in medical care utilization included the frequency of acute illness and chronic illness, and income in total utilization; the frequency of chronic illness and acute illness, and medical care insurance in physician visits. 5) According to the results of the path analysis, need factors had the greatest effect on utilization, and predisposing factors had more indirect effects through enabling or need factors than direct effects.
Ambulatory Care ; Causality ; Chronic Disease ; Delivery of Health Care* ; Education ; Family Characteristics ; Humans ; Insurance ; Islands ; Occupations ; Transportation

The purpose of this study was to compare the difference of two survey methods for health services research. Data were collected by means of two types of household survey conducted from March 11 to September 19, 1985. A probability sample of 30,613 persons was taken from 180 Enumerated Districts designated by the Economic Planning Board. The sample was divided into two groups systematically. One group was surveyed by the self-administered questionnaire and the other group was interviewed. Response rates were 81.4% and 90.6% respectively. The data were analyzed by the ratio of the results of the self-administered survey to those of the interview survey. No difference was observed in sex, age, residence, or occupation between the two groups. However the respondents' characteristics were statistically different between the two groups. The major findings of this study are as follows : 1. The morbidity rate was 142.5 per 1,000 persons during the two week period by the self-administered questionnaire survey and 74.3 per 1,000 persons with the interview survey method. The ratio of the morbidity rate by the self-administered questionnaire to that by the interview was 1.92, and the difference between the two rates were due to the personal characteristics. 2. The out-patient utilization rate was 10.2 visits per person per year by the self-administered questionnaire survey and 5.4 by the interview survey, and the ratio was 1.89; the admission rate was 3.2 times per 100 persons per year by the self-administered questionnaire survey and 1.9 times by the interview survey, and the ratio was 1.68. Differences due to the sociodemographic characteristics were greater in the out-patient utilization rates than in the admission rates. 3. Percentages of effective medical care demand were 90.2% in the self-administered survey and 92.3% in the interview survey; the ratio was 0.98 which was less than that of the morbidity rate and medical care utilization. But, differences of effective medical care demand occurred in persons with no occupation, and aged or low educated respondents. 4. Respiratory illness had the highest frequency in the two survey methods. But there was a slight difference between the two survey methods in morbidity composition. 5. It was concluded that data collected by the interview survey were inclined to be underestimated and this problem can be corrected by a modified self-administered survey.
Surveys and Questionnaires* ; Family Characteristics ; Health Services Research* ; Health Services* ; Humans ; Occupations ; Outpatients ; Surveys and Questionnaires* ; Sampling Studies

This study was performed in a rural community, Kanghwa county which was introduced to a regional medical insurance pilot program in 1982. The purposes of this study were, firstly, to observe the changes in ambulatory care utilization in the three years 1982, 1983 and 1987 ; secondly, to analyse factors which convert perceived medical care needs to effective medical care demand. During the three periods, a serial interview survey was performed to determine the changes in medical utilization before and after the regional medical insurance program implementation. The number of subjects was 3,356 persons in the year 1982, 3,705 in 1983 and 2,745 in 1987. The results of the study were as follows : 1. Total ambulatory care utilization rates per 100 persons during a 2-week period were 23.6 in the year 1982, 21.8 in 1983, and 29.3 in 1987 ; and physician visit rates were 6.1 in 1982, 11.7 in 1983, and 14.9 in 1987. Thus, compared to the total utilization rate there was a definite increase in physician visit, and during the study periods there was a decrease in drug stores visits whereas an increase in hospital or clinic visits was noticed. 2. The rates of effective demand for medical care need were 70.7% in 1982, 70.5% in 1983 and 75.9% in 1987 ; and the rates of patients who visited physicians were 20.2% in 1982, 42.8% in 1983 and 35.6% in 1987. Thus, physician visits increased sharply by introducing the medical insurance program, but after the latent medical care demands were fulfilled, there was a slight decrease in the physician visits. 3. The number of acute symptoms and the number of chronic symptoms were common determinants of total ambulatory care utilization and physician visits. Besides the medical care need factors, age in 1982, sex and accessibility in 1983, and accessibility in 1987 were statistically significant determinants of the total utilization ; sex and accessibility in 1983, and education in 1987 were also statistically significant determinants of the physician visit. 4. For persons with perceived acute symptoms during the 2-week periods, accessibility in total utilization and age in physician visits were common discriminating factors of ambulatory care utilization in the three years, and education and income were also statistically significant variables For persons with perceived chronic symptoms, occupation and income were statistically significant discriminating variables commonly observed in total utilization and physician visits.
Age Factors ; Ambulatory Care* ; Education ; Humans ; Insurance* ; Occupations ; Rural Population*

No abstract available.

Hospitals are confronting in the transforming or reforming period to cope with the rapid social and environmental changes worldwide. By the researches in the history of Korean health, we could understand the context of the introduction of Western medicine and institutions to Korea. However there have been few studies on the historical review of hospitals in relations to their roles in the modern medicineThis article is to review the issues around the rise of modern hospitals in Korean history of health affairs. The introduction of Western medicine to Korea was on the road with the establishment of Kwanghyewon, the Royal Hospital, which was possible due to favorable conditions under the Korean socio-political background for the emerging and accepting the entirely new medical system. And also the emergence of modern hospitals had transformed the Korean traditional health system from the fundamentals through the corruption of the old dynasty to nowadays. Most national health affairs including medical services, prevention of diseases, health promotion, and the training of health personnels have performed along with the development of modern hospitals, which have the roots in the period after the end of 19th century. Thus the Korean history of health care around the end of 19th century and the beginning of 20th century could be defined as the period of the emergence of modern hospitals. The hospitals also have played core roles in establishing the Korean modern health system and culture. Compared to the cases of Western countries, Korean modern hospitals were emerged with the exogenous factors in the turbulence of political and cultural changes in the world system. In sum, Korean modern hospitals in the period of late Chosun have the great meaning in that they are the beginning point to shape the current Korean health care system and the driving forces or carriers of this new system.
English Abstract ; History of Medicine, 19th Cent. ; History of Medicine, 20th Cent. ; History of Medicine, 21st Cent. ; Hospitals/*history ; Korea ; *Medicine ; Western World/*history

With the rapid aging of the population, Korea introduced public long-term care insurance for older people in 2008. The long-term care insurance was designed as a separate scheme from the national health insurance, with eligibility qualifications and the certification process based on functional disability, benefits and coverage of community-based and institutional care, and a financing structure through multi-party contributions. Delivering appropriate health services to long-term care beneficiaries who manifest a high prevalence of comorbid chronic conditions with rising healthcare costs, however, presents a particular challenge. The lack of coordination between the health and long-term care sectors, limited consideration of physicians' assessments in the certification process, inadequate provision of health services in long-term care facilities, and overlapping and inefficient use of care resources act as barriers to providing comprehensive healthcare for older beneficiaries. Through active participation in the long-term care system, health professionals can help older patients navigate through the complex long-term care terrain to obtain quality healthcare.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Delivery of Health Care/*economics ; Disability Evaluation ; Humans ; Insurance, Long-Term Care/*economics ; Middle Aged ; National Health Programs/economics

In recent years, the physician's professionalism seemed to be facing or experiencing a phase of change. To investigate this phenomenon, social perception and attitude toward physicians were surveyed and analyzed. The subjects consisted of three types of sample group, namely, the general public, physicians, and medical students. Data were collected through interviews, mailing, and self-administered questionnaire surveys to each sample, respectively. The results of analysis showed us that social evaluation of physicians in Korean society exhibited ambivalent perceptions toward physicians. The physician's occupational status was generally evaluated by the three samples as being in a higher stratum in the social structure. But there were great gaps between their perceptions of the change in the physician's occupational status. While the general public perceived that the physician's status might improve in the future, physicians and medical students predicted an absolute declination of the status. Although the general public sympathized with the physician's characteristics as a professional group, an apparent tendency to assume the attitude of a fairly equal relationship toward physicians has increased. The transitional change in the physician's professionalism could be observed through the ubiquity in the perception of the patient's rights in doctor-patient relationships. Such phenomena are believed to have caused physicians to think that not only has their status declined in recent years but also that this declination of social status would continue in the future.
Attitude ; Human ; *Physician-Patient Relations ; Professional Practice/*trends ; Public Opinion ; Questionnaires ; Social Perception ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't