This study examined national efforts to expand the certified electronic medical record (EMR) among small hospitals in five countries: the United States, United Kingdom, Taiwan, Australia, and Canada. The results of this study showed that the five countries have commonly invested in substantial incentives and provided education to expand the certified EMR among small hospitals. Although each country had different backgrounds and procedures for the certified EMR expansion, the common goal was to establish an inter-operable EMR system. This study suggests that the Korean government should consider providing financial incentives to small hospitals and closely collaborating with the EMR vendors in order to facilitate the process of converting existing systems to the new certified systems. Also, it is needed to increase perceptions of small hospitals about benefits of using the certified EMR system.

This study aims to answer what are the association between automation and in-work poverty and whether factors related to workers’ bargaining power play the role of moderator between those variables in a comparative perspective. To achieve the objectives, this study sets up hypotheses related to the research questions by reviewing the literature of how automation influences employment structures and earnings. The hypotheses are as follows: - Automation is likely to increase the incidence of in-work poverty by expanding precarious employment. - Factors related to workers’ bargaining power are unlikely to alleviate the impact of automation on the incidence of in-work poverty because they are mainly concerned with insiders rather than outsiders in the labor market. To test the hypotheses above, we analyze micro-data sets provided by Luxembourg Income Study and various kinds of macro-data sets including “Installations and Operational Stock for Industrial Robots Data” collected by International Federation of Robotics. The findings demonstrate that automation and in-work poverty have a significantly positive association. In contrast, it has been found that the interactions between automation and variables to indicate workers’ bargaining power do not have significance or rather amplify the impact of automation on the incidence of in-work poverty. Thus, the results support our hypotheses. Considering the findings, to prevent automation from raising in-work poverty risk, welfare states are recommended to regard automation as a new external shock to the existing labor market and welfare systems and expand policies and programs to enhance vulnerable workers’ employability and job stability.

The current City/Do Social Security Committee was introduced as Regional Social Welfare Committee to advise mayor/governor, together with Central Social Welfare Committee to advise the Minister of Health and Welfare, when the Social Welfare Services Act was enacted in 1970. It preceded 20 years the Si/Gun/Gu Social Welfare Committee, which was introduced by reorganizing the Si/Gun/Gu Regional Social Welfare Consultative Body when the Social Welfare Services Act was completely amended in 1993. Despite the history of City/Do Social Security Committee, however, in-depth discussion has not been made about its function and role, and also it is difficult to find independent studies on the committee. This study starts out of the following awareness of problem: To strengthen the role of broad-area autonomous entities and solidify the foundation for the balanced growth of regional social security from the aspects of strengthening welfare decentralization and enhancing the autonomy of local autonomous entities. it is necessary to strengthen the function of City/Do Social Security Committee and enhance its status. With this awareness, this study analyzes the current state of City/Do Social Security Committee operation and suggests tasks for the activation of City/Do Social Security Committee.

Grandparent caregiving is becoming common and plays an important role as one of the informal care in many countries. This study examines whether grandparent caregiving has a causal effect on grandparents’ health, cognitive functioning and satisfaction with life. To assess the causal effect, we estimate a fixed effects instrumental variable model by using the presence of a child aged 30-39 years and a married child as instruments. The estimation results reveal that grandparent caregiving has a positive effect. Grandparent caregiving is predicted to increase the probability of considering own health status as above average by 46.1%p, improve cognitive functioning by 10.256 points and overall satisfaction with quality of life by 20.047 points. In addition, the effect is noticeable among females as well as aged 55-74 years.

This study examines the long-term effect of contributions subsidy for Individually Insured Persons (hereafter CS) on their old-age income security by using the dynamic microsimulation model. The main results are as follows. First, the study estimated that the CS in National Pension has a negligible impact on insured periods - 0.6 months increase on average - and the take-up rate of the pension benefit - 0.1~0.2%p increase on average-. Second, the effect of CS on monthly pensions is expected to be negligible. Is is expected that the CS will increase the monthly benefit amount by about KRW 1,000. Third, for all old-age pension beneficiaries, the effect of CS is more significant in the middle-income group than in the lower-income group. In the case of CS beneficiaries, the effect is expected to be the biggest in the lowest-income group. Fourth, even if the level of CS, support periods, and percentage of renewing the payment are raised, the additional effect is not expected to be significant. Finally, This study suggests expanding the target of the CS and extending the level of CS and support period.

This study aims to find a rational structural reform strategy for the public pension system in Korea. As there are various reform strategies for the public pension system, we objectively reviewed various discussions and tried to suggest reasonable alternatives. For this purpose, we have diagnosed the problems of the current public pension system and reviewed the reform discussions and trends abroad(Chapter 2). Also, we examined the limitations of parametric reform of the public pension system and proposed basic principles of pension reform such as adequacy, financial sustainability, universal coverage, political neutrality, and simplicity(Chapter 3). Afterwards, we suggested two rational restructuring strategies applicable to the public pension system in Korea, based on the above discussions (Chapters 4-5). The strategies suggested in this study will be realistic policy alternatives that promote financial sustainability and adequacy, expand coverage, and separate roles and functions of the National Pension System and the Basic Pension in Korea.