• Journal of Home Health Care Nursing
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.41-69
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• 2005

Purpose: This study was performed to evaluate the outcomes of the home care nursing program conducted jointly by thirty two catholic churches and C hospital in Seoul. Method: The subjects included 173 patients who registered for the program during a 4 month-period from November 1, 2004 to February 28, 2005 and received home care services for more than 4 times and 32 professional nurses participating in the program. Using the concept of medical outcome study (MOS), the structure, process, outcome elements were analyzed. Result: 1) A Catholic homecare nursing center and nurses of the C hospital played a central role in providing nursing care, and each church operated its own vehicle from its own office. Home care nurse's job satisfaction was 2.8 out of total score of 4. The major illness was cerebrovascular disease including stroke followed by skeletomuscular disease including degenerative arthritis cancer, and diabetes. Among reasons for accessing the home care nursing program, hypertension management was most prevalent. More than half of the registration was done through catholic churches. Most people who referred the patient to the program was through the church. Most patients received home care nursing 1-2 times a week for 30 to 60 minutes in average and the most frequent type of service provided was basic nursing. 3) The most frequent reason for terminating home care services was death. The change in PPS(Palliative Performance Scale) level from the time of registration and after 4 visits was the same in 45%, decreased in 30%, and improved in 25%. Patient satisfaction was very high, showing 3.4 out of total score of 4. Conclusion: These results proved that the home care nursing program was highly appreciated by subjects and nurses were providing professional care. Thus the two parties involved in the program were actively supporting the program to fulfill their mission. However, several areas needed to be improved such as relating with local community, relating with family doctor, and issue of improving the working conditions for home care nurses.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.164-171
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• 2013

Purpose: Laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy for early gastric cancer has gained acceptance and popularity worldwide. However, laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy for advanced gastric cancer is still controversial. Therefore, we propose this prospective randomized controlled multi-center trial in order to evaluate the safety and feasibility of laparoscopy assisted D2-gastrectomy for advanced stage gastric cancer. Materials and Methods: Patients undergoing distal gastrectomy for advanced gastric cancer staged cT2/3/4 cN0/1/2/3a cM0 by endoscopy and computed tomography are eligible for enrollment after giving their informed consent. Patients will be randomized either to laparoscopyassisted distal gastrectomy or open distal gastrectomy. Sample size calculation revealed that 102 patients are to be included per treatment arm. The primary endpoint is the non-compliance rate of D2 dissection; relevant secondary endpoints are three-year disease free survival, surgical and postoperative complications, hospital stay and unanimity rate of D2 dissection evaluated by reviewing the intraoperative video documentation. Discussion: Oncologic safety is the major concern regarding laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy for advanced gastric cancer. Therefore, the non-compliance rate of clearing the N2 area was chosen as the most important parameter for the technical feasibility of the laparoscopic procedure. Furthermore, surgical quality will be carefully reviewed, that is, three independent experts will review the video records and score with a check list. For a long-term result, disease free survival is considered a secondary endpoint for this trial. This study will offer promising evidence of the feasibility and safety of Laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy for advanced gastric cancer. Trial Registration: NCT01088204 (international), NCCCTS-09-448 (Korea).

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.167-175
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• 2014

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the variation of the dose which is delivered to the patients with glottis cancer under IMRT (intensity modulated radiation therapy) by using the 3D registration with CBCT (cone beam CT) images and the DIR (deformable image registration) techniques. The CBCT images which were obtained at a one-week interval were reconstructed by using B-spline algorithm in DIR system, and doses were recalculated based on the newly obtained CBCT images. The dose distributions to the tumor and the critical organs were compared with reference. For the change of volume depending on weight at 3 to 5 weeks, there was increased of 1.38~2.04 kg on average. For the body surface depending on weight, there was decreased of 2.1 mm. The dose with transmitted to the carotid since three weeks was increased compared be more than 8.76% planned, and the thyroid gland was decreased to 26.4%. For the physical evaluation factors of the tumor, PITV, TCI, rDHI, mDHI, and CN were decreased to 4.32%, 5.78%, 44.54%, 12.32%, and 7.11%, respectively. Moreover, $D_{max}$, $D_{mean}$, $V_{67.50}$, and $D_{95}$ for PTV were increased or decreased to 2.99%, 1.52%, 5.78%, and 11.94%, respectively. Although there was no change of volume depending on weight, the change of body types occurred, and IMRT with the narrow composure margin sensitively responded to such a changing. For the glottis IMRT, the patient's weight changes should be observed and recorded to evaluate the actual dose distribution by using the DIR techniques, and more the adaptive treatment planning during the treatment course is needed to deliver the accurate dose to the patients.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.103-109
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• 2019

Background: Four-dimensional computed tomographic (4DCT) images are increasingly used in clinic with the growing need to account for the respiratory motion of the patient during radiation treatment. One of the reason s that makes the dose evaluation using 4DCT inaccurate is a change of the patient respiration during the treatment session, i.e., intrafractional uncertainty. Especially, when the amplitude of the patient respiration is greater than the respiration range during the 4DCT acquisition, such an organ motion from the larger respiration is difficult to be represented with the 4DCT. In this paper, the method to generate images expecting the organ motion from a respiration with extended amplitude was proposed and examined. Materials and Methods: We propose a method to generate extra-phase images from a given set of the 4DCT images using deformable image registration (DIR) and linear extrapolation. Deformation vector fields (DVF) are calculated from the given set of images, then extrapolated according to respiratory surrogate. The extra-phase images are generated by applying the extrapolated DVFs to the existing 4DCT images. The proposed method was tested with the 4DCT of a physical 4D phantom. Results and Discussion: The tumor position in the generated extra-phase image was in a good agreement with that in the gold-standard image which is separately acquired, using the same 4DCT machine, with a larger range of respiration. It was also found that we can generate the best quality extra-phase image by using the maximum inhalation phase (T0) and maximum exhalation phase (T50) images for extrapolation. Conclusion: In the present study, a method to construct extra-phase images that represent expanded respiratory motion of the patient has been proposed and tested. The movement of organs from a larger respiration amplitude can be predicted by the proposed method. We believe the method may be utilized for realistic simulation of radiation therapy.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.63 no.3
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• pp.397-405
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• 2020

Objective : We retrospectively evaluated the efficacy of Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKS) for recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in patients who previously underwent radiotherapy, and analyzed the treatment outcomes over 14 years. Methods : Ten patients with recurrent NPC who had previously received radiotherapy underwent stereotactic radiosurgery using a Gamma Knife^® (Elekta Inc, Atlanta, GA, USA) between 2005 and 2018. The median target volume was 8.2 ㎤ (range, 1.7-17.8), and the median radiation dose to the target was 18 Gy (range, 12-30). The median follow-up period was 18 months (range, 6-76 months). Overall and local failure-free survival rates were determined using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results : The NPCs recurred at the primary cancer site in seven patients (70%), as distant brain metastasis in two (20%), and as an extension into brain in one (10%). The recurrent tumors in seven of the 10 patients (70%) were found on the routine follow-up imaging studies. Two patients presented with headache and one with facial pain. Local failure after GKS occurred in five patients (50%) : two of whom died eight and 6 months after GKS, respectively. No adverse radiation effects were noted after GKS. The 1- and 3-year overall survival rates after GKS were 90% and 77%, respectively. The local failure-free survival rates at 6 months, 1 year, and 3 years after GKS were 80%, 48%, and 32%, respectively. The median interval from GKS to local failure was 8 months (range, 6-12). Univariate analysis revealed that using co-registration with positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was associated with a lower local failure rate of recurrent NPC (p=0.027). Conclusion : GKS is an acceptable salvage treatment option for patients with recurrent NPC who previously received radiation therapy. PET-CT and MRI co-registration for dose planning can help achieve local control of recurrent NPC.

• Journal of the Health Care and Life Science
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.83-93
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• 2020

In this study, a practical model for health information management education using the EMR education system at universities for nurturing health care information managers was studied. Currently, there is no practical training course for health care information management in the standards for evaluation and certification of health care information management education introduced to strengthen the job competency of health care information managers. Accordingly, the program was constructed so that the practice program suggested as an educational environment in the Health and Medical Information Management Education Evaluation and Certification Manual can be practiced in the EMR education system. In addition, a practical model that can be performed according to the on-site practice guidelines for health and medical information management for each program was studied. Using the health care information management education EMR system, master data management, patient registration, doctor prescription, medical cost calculation, health insurance claim management, form management, discharge registration, cancer registration, unrecorded management, health care data management, health care statistics, A practice model was studied so that practice on information protection/security management can be performed. It will be possible to play a role as a health care information management expert by raising the quality level of health care information management education through systematic and standardized health care information management practice courses at universities. Accordingly, it is necessary to cultivate health care information management experts who develop and manage medical services based on medical data analysis through practical training of health care information managers.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics and Information Engineers
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• v.51 no.6
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• pp.162-168
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• 2014

'Personal Healthcare Records' (PHR) is a service for providing individual clinical data to patients. PHR service should be useful for the patient and healthcare service providers. This study has aimed at not only providing patients' clinical data but also developing optimized healthcare service for every patients. The research has been conducted as 3 phases: formal case analysis, caregivers interviews and patients interviews. The patients interviews were limited to cancer patients. As results, 3 key functions have been developed. First, it offers patient's clinical pathway as a personalized medical treatment scheduler. Second, it supplies Question & Answer board on online. Last, it supports patients to input their healthcare record. This Myongji PHR service has 3 months of pilot test on web and mobile application(android version). For further commercialized PHR service, the standardization for clinical pathway registration and user convenience need to be considered.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.206-219
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• 2010

To establish the fundament for EBM of Traditional Korean Medicine, the papers on Sagunja-tang(Sijunzi-tang) frequently used in medical institutions of Traditional Korean Medicine were analyzed through researching domestic and international papers. The papers were classified by the registration of domestic or international journals, the year of publishment, experimental fields and the kinds of studies on biological activities. Of total 228 papers on Sagunja-tang(Sijunzi-tang), 121 volumes were selected according to creteria. 47 volumes were published in domestic journals, 71 in Chinese journal, 2 in Japanese journal, and 1 in Taiwan journal. The papers on instrumental analyses were preceeded by HPLC, MS, GC with standard compounds of herbal medicine in Sagunja-tang(Sijunzi-tang). The papers on biological activities of Sagunja-tang(Sijunzi-tang) showed improvement of gastrointestinal activity and blood circulation, immunoactivity, anti-cancer, anti-oxidant, anti-fatigue, anti-stress, pharmacokinetics, hepatic protection, radioprotection, muscular activity, hematopoiesis and nontoxical effect. Further studies including gastrointestinal disorder, immune related disease, cancer, oxidative injury and pharmacokinetic study need to be preceeded to establish the fundament for EBM of Sagunja-tang(Sijunzi-tang).

• IEMEK Journal of Embedded Systems and Applications
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.267-275
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• 2023

This paper presents the development of specialized software for annotating volume-of-interest on ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT images with the goal of facilitating the studies and diagnosis of head and neck cancer (HNC). To achieve an efficient annotation process, we employed the SE-Norm-Residual Layer-based U-Net model. This model exhibited outstanding proficiency to segment cancerous regions within ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT scans of HNC cases. Manual annotation function was also integrated, allowing researchers and clinicians to validate and refine annotations based on dataset characteristics. Workspace has a display with fusion of both PET and CT images, providing enhance user convenience through simultaneous visualization. The performance of deeplearning model was validated using a Hecktor 2021 dataset, and subsequently developed semi-automatic annotation functionalities. We began by performing image preprocessing including resampling, normalization, and co-registration, followed by an evaluation of the deep learning model performance. This model was integrated into the software, serving as an initial automatic segmentation step. Users can manually refine pre-segmented regions to correct false positives and false negatives. Annotation images are subsequently saved along with their corresponding ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT fusion images, enabling their application across various domains. In this study, we developed a semi-automatic annotation software designed for efficiently generating annotated lesion images, with applications in HNC research and diagnosis. The findings indicated that this software surpasses conventional tools, particularly in the context of HNC-specific annotation with ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT data. Consequently, developed software offers a robust solution for producing annotated datasets, driving advances in the studies and diagnosis of HNC.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.329-334
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• 2015

Purpose: This study was aimed at analyzing the characteristics and symptoms in home-based hospice-palliative care (HBHPC) patients registered at local public health centers. Methods: A retrospective study was performed; Data of 144 HBHPC patients registered at six public health centers in Pusan City were analyzed, including their initial visit records (registration cards, initial pain evaluation and symptom evaluation). Results: The average age of the patients was 67.7 years old. Among all, 46.2% of the patient lived alone, and 65% had middle school education or lower. The most popular (36.3%) religion was Buddhism, and 47.5% received medical assistance from the government. The most frequent diagnosis was lung cancer followed by stomach cancer and liver cancer in that order. Of all, 48.9% were functionally too weak to lead a daily life, 39.6% were under cancer treatment when registered at the public health center, and 84.5% were aware of the fact that they have reached the terminal phase. Moreover, 83.6% complained about pain, and the pain level was moderate or severe in 36.5% of them. Besides pain, fatigue was the most complained symptom (84.7%), and 49.3% of them rated their fatigue as moderate or severe. Conclusion: Most of the HBHPC patients were socio-economically underprivileged and complained about moderate or worse pain and symptoms. Therefore, it appears necessary to develop an integrated strategy that is tailored for each patient reflecting their characteristics.