| Objectives : The purpose of this study was to identify factors that affect the utilization of Korean medicine (KM) among children with cerebral palsy (CP) and explore a processing model of decision-making by their parents. Methods : We conducted an individual in-depth interview with 21 mothers of children with CP who were recruited during the observational study. A grounded theory of Strauss and Corbin was used for qualitative analysis. Thus, collected data were classified into open coding including 121 concepts, 27 sub-categories and 7 categories. Results : The central phenomenon of the process of using KM for children with CP is ‘KM as an optional treatment not essential’. Therefore there are many obstacles to starting KM treatment and it is easily interrupted for various reasons, unlike general rehabilitation treatment. However, if the patient experiences the therapeutic effect, the parents want to continue KM treatment. They try to provide treatment as much as possible if they can afford it. The parents give priority to general rehabilitation treatment and value the information and experience provided by the caregivers in similar situation as well as expert opinions. Conclusions : To expand and generalize KM treatment for children with CP, efforts to change interventional conditions such as treatment effect, treatment cost, treatment compliance, and convenience of treatment based on the understanding of the strategy used by the parents in KM utilization. |
| Objectives : The study was aimed to analyze the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) test-takers’ favor of entering Korean Medicine college and their perception toward the Korean Medicine. The study will present information that can be used for university administrator and in medical education field. Methods : A questionnaire was developed, comprising categories about the favor of entering Korean Medicine college, the experience and reason of receiving Korean Medicine healthcare treatment, and the perception toward the Korean Medicine. Face validity and content validity of the developed questionnaire were tested before survey. Then the questionnaires were distributed to 168 CSAT test-takers. Results : The most positive reason of entering Korean Medicine college is the characteristic of job, while the negative one is of the characteristic of the discipline. Respondents who answered as positive toward Korean Medicine are more than those who answered as negative. The most positive reason of receiving Korean Medicine healthcare treatment and perceiving Korean Medicine positively is because of its medical effectiveness. The most negative reason is responded as et cetera in both categories. Conclusions : The results of the survey may indicate that by promoting recent research progresses in Korean Medicine and benefits from choosing a career as medical professions, more CSAT test-takers will have positive attitude toward Korean Medicine college entrance. Also by promoting the medical effectiveness of Korean medicine to CSAT test-takers, more CSAT test-takers will receive or have positive attitude toward Korean Medicine healthcare service. |
| Objectives : This study aimed to analyze price variance by year, region and company of raw herbal medicines to draw payment system for herbal medicine insurances in the National Health Insurance. Methods : To analyse price variance, we used 2015-2017 data of ‘Quality test results of imported herbal medicines’ provided by Korea Pharmaceutical Traders Association and ‘Price data of 56 raw herbal medicines’ that was surveyed by the Association of Korean Medicine. We analysed gap of highest price and lowest price those were compared with average price and coefficient of variation(CV) of prices by year, region and company of raw herbal medicines. Results : In analysing 3 years data, the highest price was 23.2% higher, and the lowest price was 19.1% lower than the average price. As of 2018, the average price of domestic produced herbal medicines was 1,8 times higher than that of imported herbal medicines. By companies, the highest price was 117.5% higher, and the lowest price was 57.3% lower than the average price. Conclusions : The price of herbal medicines varied by production year, region and company. This results suggest that comprehensive payment model needs to be considered in modeling the health insurance coverage for herbal medicine decoctions. |
| Objectives : The study was aimed to analyze the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) test-takers’ favor of entering Korean Medicine college and their perception toward the Korean Medicine. The study will present information that can be used for university administrator and in medical education field. Methods : A questionnaire was developed, comprising categories about the favor of entering Korean Medicine college, the experience and reason of receiving Korean Medicine healthcare treatment, and the perception toward the Korean Medicine. Face validity and content validity of the developed questionnaire were tested before survey. Then the questionnaires were distributed to 168 CSAT test-takers. Results : The most positive reason of entering Korean Medicine college is the characteristic of job, while the negative one is of the characteristic of the discipline. Respondents who answered as positive toward Korean Medicine are more than those who answered as negative. The most positive reason of receiving Korean Medicine healthcare treatment and perceiving Korean Medicine positively is because of its medical effectiveness. The most negative reason is responded as et cetera in both categories. Conclusions : The results of the survey may indicate that by promoting recent research progresses in Korean Medicine and benefits from choosing a career as medical professions, more CSAT test-takers will have positive attitude toward Korean Medicine college entrance. Also by promoting the medical effectiveness of Korean medicine to CSAT test-takers, more CSAT test-takers will receive or have positive attitude toward Korean Medicine healthcare service. |
