• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.147-156
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• 2001

This study was designed to describe the most common and most intense demands of illness in people with cancer in outpatient settings. The sample for this study who were at least 21 years old and had been treated for cancer. They recruited from outpatient setting in Seoul and Kyungsangnam-do. The questionnaire was a Likert type 5 point scale with 55 items on four need categories; informational, physical care emotional care and socioeconomic care. There were significant differences in degree of care need according to gender, religion, marital status, economic status, public insurance status, and the past regimen. In conclusion, emotional needs perceived by patients with cancer and family members were higher than the others. Based upon this result, it is recommended that the research to compare needs between cancer patients who have a same illness and family member are necessary.

• Journal of Home Health Care Nursing
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.139-149
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• 2012

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to provide the basic data required for quality improvement of home health care nursing and development of nursing services for cancer patients by examining the frequency of practices, level of service needs and satisfaction for nursing services. Methods: The subjects were 231 patients who agreed in participating on this study and were receiving home health care nursing services by the home health care advanced practice nurse from two national hospitals and four subsidiary general hospitals, located in Seoul from September 30, 2008 to February 28, 2009. Data were analyzed by frequency, percentage, t-test and ANOVA, using SPSS WIN 12.0 program. Results: The most frequent practices were 'checking vital sign' and 'explaining what patient want to know.' Total service need had an average of 3.03 point and emotional domain showed the highest average of 3.44 point. Total satisfaction had an average of 4.23 point and satisfaction along diseases had the highest average of 3.65 point in case of non-metastasis cancer. Conclusion: The subjects were highly satisfied with home health care nursing services which gave positive effect to them. It will be helpful to give cancer patients physical and spiritual care complementally when home health care nurses provide nursing services.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.11 no.12
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• pp.4935-4944
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceived difficulties during both pre-treatment period and admission period for radioactive iodine therapy (RAIT), the level of information about RAIT provided by medical staffs and the satisfaction of RAIT process in thyroid cancer patients receiving RAIT. Participants were 165 thyroid cancer patients, who had total thyroidectomy and had been offered RAIT. The data were collected using structured questionnaire and open-ended questions and analyzed by descriptive statistics and content analysis. The most frequent perceived difficulties of RAIT was associated with thyroid specific symptoms during both pre-RAIT period and RAIT admission period(38.2% vs 43.0%). The rating of RAIT information provided by medical staffs was evaluated as over moderate level(mean $3.63{\pm}0.80$). The RAIT process satisfaction was investigated as moderate level(mean $6.43{\pm}2.21$). the satisfaction of RAIT was the highest in medical attention and coping procedure (mean $7.64{\pm}2.37$) however it was the lowest in adequacy of RAIT information(mean $5.67{\pm}2.78$). Thus the nursing intervention program for thyroid cancer patient undergoing RAIT should be developed to support needs of thyroid cancer patients related to thyroid specific symptoms and to improve patients' understanding about RAIT procedure so that patients have competence to participate in therapeutic activities efficiently.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.114-124
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• 1999

Purpose : To clarify the relation between psychosocial variables and cancer in Korea. Methods : Case-control study. Participants: 239 subjects in 2 university hospitals in Seoul completed a series of psychometric instruments(the Olson's FACES III and the Lee's 98-items life event scale). Results : In bivariable analysis, there were statistically significant difference in age and economic status(income): marginal significance in education status and marital status between the cases and controls. The family function type and stress score were not significantly different. The result of multivariable logistic regression, analysis showed that the risk of cancer was associated with economic status and marital status, but neither the family function nor the life event stress. Conclusion : In this study, we cannot prove the statistical association between the family function, life event stress and cancer. It is necessary to persevere in our efforts to clarify the relation between stress and disease and to develop the useful tools to measure the Korean family function and life event stress.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.382-390
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• 2017

This study was conducted to identify the factors affecting the quality of life of cancer patients based on demographic characteristics, health status, and mental health using the results of the 6th National Health and Nutrition Survey. The research tool used the demographic characteristics, health status, mental health, and quality of life of the KNHANES VI-2. Data analysis was conducted using SAS 9.3 version. There were significant differences in the quality of life in the study results by age, gender, economic activity, individual income quartile, subjective health status, mental health status, activity limitation, stress perception, and experience of depression symptoms. Factors influencing the quality of life of cancer patients included age, sex, income quintiles(individual), subjective health status, activity limitation, and experience of depression symptoms, which together explained 39.1% of the quality of life. To improve the quality of life of cancer patients, comprehensive management is required from diagnosis to treatment to return to society. It is also necessary to develop and apply long-term programs including multidimensional approaches and improvement of quality of life, early screening of cancer and cancer prevention education, management of depression symptoms, and social support.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.63 no.2
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• pp.179-205
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• 2011

Recently, problems regarding marital adjustment of cancer patients are recognized as serious matter of concern for it had been reported that these issues have severe negative effects on relationship stability within marriage. It is noteworthy how marital adjustment is found to be critical for the cancer patient's mental stability, healing process and chances of survival as reported in the research. Thus, the ultimate goal of this research is to contribute to improvement of the stable relationship and also to formulate the social service related strategy for marriage adjustment for married cancer patient married couples in Korea. Actor and Partner Interdependence Model was formed in order to observe how the communication of the married couple affects marital adjustment and how this has an actor effect as well as partner effect. In order to authenticate this research model, dyadic data which sample the cancer patient and the spouse as a pair. Survey was conducted as the cancer patients who had been diagnosed with cancer and their respective spouses. The survey was taken from 160 married couples which totals to 320 people all together. Results indicated the cancer patient and the spouse have a significant relationship in marital adjustment. Through this, it had been concluded that marital adjustment is not separated but co-dependent with dynamic relationship. And the mutual constructive communication had proven to have a significant positive effect on one's marital adjustment. In demand-withdrawal communication, its negative effect on the self effect was found to be significant in both the patient and the spouse to both of their marital adjustment. Mutual avoidance communication had shown to only cause significant negative effect on self effect to the patient. In verifying the partner effect, significant negative effect was caused by patient's demand-withdrawal communication in partner effect on the spouse's marital adjustment. The results of this study are discussed in term of their implications for clinical interventions for the betterment of marital adjustment among cancer patients and their spouses. The suggestions for future research are discussed also.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.132-139
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• 2013

Objectives: The aims of this study were to know the prevalence of cognitive disorders in patients with thyroid cancer, and identify related variables to them. Methods: Subjects were consisted of fourty-two patients with thyroid cancer, who were admitted for radioiodine ablative therapy at 6-12 months after total thyroidectomy. The data were obtained from interviews about history and assessments of depression and cognitive function(Korean Version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, MoCA-K). Results: 1) Among subjects, those with below 22 of total score of the MoCA-K were twenty-one(50.0%). 2) Upon age, education, Pre-radioiodine therapy thyroid stimulating hormone(TSH), there were statistically significant difference between subgroup with above 23 of the total MoCA-K score and those below 22. 3) The total scores of the MoCA-K in subjects had significant correlation with age, education, comorbidity, Pre-radioiodine therapy TSH, total score of the HDRS-17. Conclusions: Cognitive disorders were more prevalent among patients with thyroid cancer before radioiodine therapy. Therefore, further study should be needed to clarify the mechanism for the cognitive disorders in thyroid cancer. Furthermore, physicians should pay attention to the cognitive function and prepare preventative measures for cognitive disorder during management of thyroid cancer.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.59-69
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• 2004

By studying on the characteristics of cancer patients who receive radiotherapy and the attitudes of medical social workers, this thesis aims to suggest of requirements for medical social work intervention. The study was conducted using SPSS 10.0 for Windows to analyze data taken from a survey involving 90 cancer patients receiving radiotherapy in 4 general hospitals in Daejeon city. The data were collected form Oct. 1st to 15th, 2003, and its analyses used averages, correlation, and regression. The results were summarized as follows ; 1. The average family income in 67.8% of the cases was less than 2,000,000 won, which is a lower income bracket. In the disease characteristics, fatigue ware the highest (2.78) in the side effects of radiotherapy, which most patients were receiving alongside other forms of treatment. 2. It was shown that cancer patients receiving radiotherapy receive a high level of psychological and social support from doctors and other medical staffs, and that they also received a high average (4.38) of individual care and encouragement from family members. 3. In the psychosocial status, the need for financial assistance in the form of a national aid program or an expansion of medical insurance was great, especially in the need for house keeping service and night nurses. The need for psychosocial counselling rose following rises in treatment side effects and depression. Information for cancer patients was especially needed in the areas of treatment plans, treatment costs, and side effects of radiotherapy. The need for information rose in accordance with an elongation of hospital treatment and an escalation of care from family members.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.43-47
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• 2007

Decision-making of antibiotics use in infected patients with terminal stage of cancer was difficult for physicians, because of responsibility of solving a medical problem and burden on patients distressed by worthless life expansion. Korean Family Medicine Palliative Medicine Research Group discussed this subject using a case of a 65 year-old male having terminal stage of sigmoid colon cancer with extended cutaneous infection who was treated local antibiotics, improved but expired at the 12th hospital day. We reviewed related literatures and proposed a guide for antibiotics use in inferred patients with terminal stage of cancer. Antibiotics should be used for symptom control as major indication, especially when patients suffered from urinary symptoms. Appropriate antibiotics should be chosen based or sensitivity test. the most important considering factor should be patient and family members' wish about antibiotics use.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.216-222
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• 2014

Purpose: This study was performed to identify the symptoms and care needs of home-based cancer patients in Korea and to add to the scarce literature on this topic. Methods: Data were collected from patients who subscribed to home-based cancer care services in Jinju. Assessments were performed by nurses at the local public health center. The Edmonton Symptom Assessment System with a numeric rating scale (NRS) was used to identify symptoms, and a four-point Likert scale was used to assess psychological, social, and spiritual needs. Results: Cross-sectional data were collected in October 2013. A total of 209 patients participated and their median age was 65 years (range, 17~89 years). Most patients were diagnosed in the early stage of cancer (n=188); only 19 patients were diagnosed in the advanced stage. More than half the patients lived alone (n=115, 55.0%) and took care of themselves (n=128, 61.2%). Anorexia and fatigue were the most common symptoms (median NRS, 5 and 4, respectively). Patients needed economic support the most, whereas spiritual care was least needed (n=138 [67.3%] vs. n=128 [62.1%], respectively). Conclusion: Patients who signed up for home-based cancer care services in Jinju are struggling with a financial issue and physical symptoms. A customized approach is needed to improve the quality of the home-based care services.