• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.145-152
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• 2016

Objectives : This study aimed to investigate both cancer patients' willingness to participate (WTP) in clinical trials and its associated factors. Methods : We searched MEDLINE (PubMed) for studies that had investigated cancer patients' WTP in clinical trials. Search terms included 'willingness to participate', 'cancer' and 'trial'. Studies published within the last five years up to July 26, 2016 were potentially eligible. Results : Of 44 initial hits, 14 studies (12 quantitative and 2 qualitative) were included. Two out of the 14 studies investigated WTP in an acupuncture trial. Study designs, such as WTP measurement methods, investigation settings, and type of cancer, varied. The proportion of participants with a WTP was widely distributed between the studies (median 48.6 %, range 11.1 % to 88.3 %). Factors associated with WTP included various socio-demographic factors, clinical factors, participants' knowledge/attitudes toward clinical trials, travel distance, information from physicians, and trust toward physicians. Conclusion : WTP and its associated factors were variable across the reviewed studies, which might be due to different research methods and contexts. Whether or not common factors associated with cancer patients' WTP in clinical trials exist remains unclear and thus warrants further research.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.158-167
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• 2014

Objectives : The results from randomized controlled trials on traditional medicine have been negative or ambiguous. The appropriateness of the research methodology started to be questioned. However, the research methodology appropriate for studying traditional medicine has not been well-established. This study aims to explore the appropriate research methodologies for clinical studies on acupuncture. Methods : Clinical researches evaluating the efficacy and effectiveness of acupuncture for back pain were systematically searched and evaluated focusing on research methodology. The acupuncture treatment protocol is evaluated by 9 items which is individual treatment based on diagnosis, combining proximal and distal acupoints, exact location of acupoint, De Qi, adequate stimulation, duration of acupuncture, treatment sessions, treatment interval, and establishing relationship between patients and doctors. Results : Systematic review of acupuncture researches on low back pain suggested that observational studies and pragmatic trials rather than explanatory studies could incorporate these elements. Qualitative studies also could help understanding complex characteristics of acupuncture treatment which could not be evaluated by quantitative studies. Conclusions : In designing clinical researches on acupuncture, various study designs, especially observational study and pragmatic study, should be considered according to research objectives and subjects. The efforts to incorporate the core characteristics of acupuncture practiced in everyday clinical setting are also essential.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.33-44
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• 2021

PURPOSE: This study analyzed the research trends related to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) to suggest an ICF utilization plan in the Korean clinical field. METHODS: In the RISS, KISS, NSDL, and PubMed databases, papers published between 2016 and July 2021 were collected by applying the search terms, 'ICF', 'international classification of functioning, disability and health', 'clinic', 'patient', and 'diagno'. The 44 papers selected were classified according to the analysis criteria, and the frequency and percentage were calculated. RESULTS: In domestic clinical trials, the frequency of ICF-related studies was in the order of physical therapy (n = 19) and occupational therapy (n = 14). The frequency of each study subject was observed in the order of studies related to a specific disease (n = 34) and prior studies (n = 7). The research topics were in the order of studies using ICF as a measurement tool (n = 21) and case studies with patients with specific diseases (n = 11). There were 18 studies using ICF codes and 14 papers applying the ICF domains. CONCLUSION: Over the last five years, ICF-related research in the domestic clinical field targeted patients with more diverse diseases in more expertise fields. Research for the unification of terms should be conducted for communication among various experts in clinical practice. To promote the use of ICF in the clinical field, it will be necessary to conduct research, such as the unification of terms, standardized education, development of ICF casebook, and development of ICF coding programs and guidelines.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.15-21
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• 2014

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the current trends in research on pharmacopuncture in Korea since 2007. Methods: A literature review was performed by using the search engines 'Science and Technology Society Village', 'Korean Studies Information Service System', 'National Discovery for Science Leaders', and 'Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System' in Korea from January 2007 to December 2013. Searched key words were 'pharmacopuncture', 'herbal acupuncture', 'aqua-acupuncture', and 'bee venom'. Finally, we selected 457 papers, including Korean experimental studies and clinical studies. Selected papers were classified according to year of publication, type of pharmacopuncture, disease & topic, research type and the publishing journal. Results: One hundred fifty pharmacopunctures were studied in 457 papers. Single compound pharmacopuncture was the most studied pharmacopuncture in experimental studies while animal-based pharmacopuncture was the most studied pharmacopuncture in clinical studies. Bee venom placed first among the various pharmacopunctures, followed by placenta, sweet bee venom, mountain-ginseng, and anti-inflammatory pharmacopunctures. Experimental research on pharmacopuncture has fallen since 2007 when 55 papers were published. However, clinical research has been increasing steadily. In clinical studies, case reports were numerous than randomized clinical trials (RCTs). Musculoskeletal diseases were the most frequently-treated diseases in studies on pharmacopuncture; among the musculoskeletal diseases, rheumatoid arthritis was the most frequently-treated disease in experimental studies and low back pain was the most frequently-treated condition in clinical studies. Since 2007, 45 different journals have published studies on pharmacopuncture, with the Journal of the Korean Acupuncture and Moxibustion Medicine Society having the largest number of papers on pharmacopuncture and the Journal of Pharmacopuncture the second largest number. Conclusion: The trends in research on pharmacopuncture published in studies from 2007 to 2013 were similar to those in studies published before 2006. Many studies on pharmacopuncture focused on bee venom and musculoskeletal diseases. Additional studies on diverse types of and indications for pharmacopuncture are needed.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.28 no.3 s.71
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• pp.116-125
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• 2007

Objective : To overview the protocols of clinical acupuncture research on cancer in the USA. Methods : Using 'acupuncture' and 'cancer' as keyword search terms in Clinical Trials. gov, 28 clinical studies were found. Three studies by non-American institutions were excluded and 25 studies were analyzed. Analytic parameters were cancer condition, primary outcome, research institution, study design, and acupuncture intervention. Results : Breast cancer was the most frequent single condition in the searched protocols. Pain and quality of life were the primary outcomes in many studies. Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centerin New York has performed the largest number of acupuncture cancer studies. The majority of studies were randomized controlled trials with active controls or placebo/sham controls. Total enrollment varied between the range of 10 and 700 subjects and ages of these subjects were at least above 18 years old (except one protocol). Most protocols had strict exclusion criteria for acupuncture needling such as bleeding disorders, infection, heart disorder, and central nervous system disorder. Conclusions : Clinical acupuncture studies for cancer patients have focused on pain, quality of life, and side effects induced by anti-cancer therapies. Re-evaluation and cautions for strict exclusion criteria in foreign countries are required to perform multi-national acupuncture trials.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.141-162
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• 2018

Objectives The purpose of this study is to provide evidence of traditional Korean medicine treatment in children and adolescents by reviewing previous studies published in the journal of pediatrics of Korean medicine. Methods We have reviewed clinical studies of children and adolescents in the journal of pediatrics of Korean medicine from 2008 to 2017. Results Eighty-seven clinical studies of children and adolescents were reviewed. Total number of patients were 1644 in the studies. Among these, top 5 most commonly reported diseases in children and adolescents were atopic dermatitis, growth, autism, juvenile idiopathic arthritis and obesity. The most common intervention to treat those was taking herbal medicine. Most of the clinical studies showed effectiveness of this approach in treating children and adolescents. Conclusions More double-blinded randomized controlled clinical trials of Korean medicine interventions treating children and adolescents are needed to establish evidence-based treatment.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.1085-1104
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• 2018

Objectives: The purpose of this research is to investigate recent clinical studies of Intestinal Metaplasia (IM) based on a search of the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI). Methods: We investigated recent clinical studies of Oriental medicine therapies in traditional Chinese medical journals for IM through a CNKI search. 20 clinical articles published from 2010 to 2016 were analyzed. This study examined the authors, publication years, types of studies, criteria for diagnosis and evaluation, periods, purposes of study and articles classified by methods of treatment. Results: Most of articles were classified as randomized controlled trial. IM was diagnosed using gastroscopy, pathological examination and clinical symptoms in a high proportion of articles. The criteria for evaluation most frequently used were the effective ratios of clinical symptoms, gastroscopy and pathological tests. The methods of treatment in all studies were Chinese herb medicine. Acupuncture, acupoint injection therapy, and embedding therapy were also used in several studies. Conclusion: In this study, the Chinese treatment for IM was markedly effective. To improve the treatment of IM in Korea, many clinical studies and case reports are required, based on Chinese medicine.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.66-81
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• 2021

Objectives: The purpose of this review is to analyze the domestic study trends on Korean medicine treatment for patients after hysterectomy. Methods: We investigated the studies on Korean medicine treatment for patients who undertaken hysterectomy via searching 4 online databases up to October 2020. After searching studies, we analyzed selected studies. Results: 12 clinical studies were selected and all studies were case reports. The most common cause of hysterectomy was myoma of uterine, followd by adenomyosis. The major complaints of post-hysterectomy were abdominal pain, low back pain and fatigue, general weakness. Herbal medicine was used in all studies. In addition, acupuncture, moxibustion and cupping were performed. The duration of inpatient treatment ranged from 5 to 39 days. All cases showed that chief complaints and accompanying symptoms were improved. Conclusions: Korean medicine treatment is an effective treatment option for patients after hysterectomy. Further large, well-designed studies are needed to establish the foundation of Korean medicine treatment after hysterectomy.

• The Journal of the Korean dental association
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• v.45 no.3 s.454
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• pp.169-181
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• 2007

In this second part of series report on evidence-based dentistry, the level of evidence and the methods for critical appraisal are discussed. The epidemiologic studies, namely clinical studies have some bias per se, and the degree of bias is somewhat predetermined by the study design. The level of evidence can be defined as the reliability of the clinical study and it is dependent on the degree of bias. Thus, it is important to determine the type of the study and to understand its structure before critically appraising them. Systematic reviews of primary studies, randomized controlled trials, nonrandomized clinical trials, cohort studies, case-control studies, and case reports / series constitute the clinical studies and the level of evidence follows the order of the studies listed above. Critical appraisal is the most important procedure in evidence-based dentistry. It is done to determine the credibility of research papers and their usefulness in the clinician s own practice. Critical appraisal is consisted of multiple questions that are helpful for evaluating validity and usefulness of the studies concerning therapy, diagnosis, prognosis, and causation.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.520-539
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• 1996

Based upon Shennong's Ancient Chinese Medical Textbook and Tsorngji Mingyi Byelu. Ginseng has been widely used for over 2,000 years in oriental countries. Scientific basic medical study or clinical study on ginseng was seal·toed 1910's in Eastern countries and from the 1950's in Western countries To obtain kotvledge of clinical studies on Korean ginseng. I investigated the following items 1) Oriental pharmacological documents. 2) the start and corrent state of ginseng research. 3) Clinical studies, 4) epidemiological studies. 5) non-medical human studies. 6) Foreign evaluation in published papers, and 7) future perspectives of clinical study. Although wide and profound research has been carried on the effect of ginseng (diabetes cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, liver diseases. gastrointestinal disorders soress, bram function. aging, antiradiation effect. anemia. hemopoiesis. immuomodulating effect. and tonic effect). Systemic clinical study to determine the therapeutic effects of speciblc disease have hardly been done even in other countries Clinical study or researches with human as the target. on ginseng has been performed in the field of body tenperazure. Pulse, clinical symptoms and hematological findings . fatigue, porformances. anemia. essential hypertension. blood sugar. serum cholesterol. lipid and prolactin. adrenocortical function. impotence. hypospermia. male sterility, climacteric disorder. anticancer effects. cancer preventive effects. and viral hepatitis. adverse effects. and prefered type of ginseng. At the same time as trying preventives or therapeutics from dietary oi natural products scientific research to support that ginseng is not a mystery. should be porformad to prove the effectiveness of Korean ginseng in the treatment of certain diseases using scientific methods or epidemiological approach.