• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.117-124
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• 2005

Before twentieth centuries and during early twentieth centuries, communicable diseases were the major cause of morbidity and mortality in Korea. But reliable data are not available. After 1975, the overall morbidity and mortality from communicable diseases, rapidly declined. Recently many new pathogenic microbes were recognized: L. monocytogenes, Hantaan virus, Y. pseudotuberculosis, P. multocida, L. pneumophilia, Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), G. seoi, H. capsulatum, C. burnetii, V. cholerae O139, C. parvum, F. tularensis, E. coli O157:H7, B. burgdorferi, S. Typhimurium DT104, Rotavirus, hepatitis C virus and so on. Since the first HIV infection recognized in 1985, the reported cases of infection and deaths from HIV/AIDS have been steady increased each year. Legionnaire's disease, E. coli O157:H7 colitis, listeriosis and crytosporidiasis have been occurring just sporadically among immunocompromized cases. Many re-emerging communicable diseases were occurred in Korea: leptospirosis, malaria, endemic typhus, cholera, tsutsugamushi disease, salmonellosis, hepatitis A, shigellosis, mumps, measles, acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis, brucellosis and so on. Leptospirosis and tsutsugamushi diseases have been noticed as major public health problems since 1980s. The malaria that had been virtually disappeared for a decade has reappeared from 1993 with striking increase of patients in recent 3-4 years. The distributions of salmonella and shigella serotypes have been changed a lot in recent few decades. Furthermore rapid emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains induces more difficult and complex problems in control of communicable diseases. We must recognize on the importance of environment and ecosystem conservation and careful prescription of anti-microbial agent in order to prevent communicable diseases.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.259-264
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• 2007

Effective communicable disease surveillance systems are the basis of the national disease prevention and control. Following the increase in emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases since late 1990s, the Korean government has strived to enhance surveillance and response system. Since 2000, sentinel surveillance, such as influenza sentinel surveillance, pediatric sentinel surveillance, school-based sentinel surveillance and ophthalmological sentinel surveillance, was introduced to improve the surveillance activities. Electronic reporting system was developed in 2000, enabling the establishment of national database of reported cases. Disweb, a portal for sharing communicable disease information with the public and health care workers, was developed. In general, the survey results on usefulness and attributes of the system, such as simplicity, flexibility, acceptability, sensitivity, timeliness, and representa-tiveness, received relatively high recognition. Compared to the number of paid cases of national health insurance, reported cases by national notifiable disease surveillance system, and various sentinel surveillance system, the result of the correlation analysis was high. According to the research project conducted by KCDC, the reporting rate of physicians in 2004 has also greatly improved, compared with that in 1990s. However, continuous efforts are needed to further improve the communicable disease surveillance system. Awareness of physicians on communicable disease surveillance system must be improved by conducting education and information campaigns on a continuous basis. We should also devise means for efficient use of various administrative data including cause of death statistics and health insurance. In addition, efficiency of the system must be improved by linking data from various surveillance system.

• The Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.421-432
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• 2022

Purpose: As coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and other emerging infectious diseases continue to threaten health security, a strategy is required to increase nursing students' care intention for patients with such diseases. This study aimed to identify factors influencing Korean nursing students' care intentions in regard to patients with emerging infectious diseases. Methods: The care intention, COVID-19 knowledge level, ethical sensitivity, beliefs, attitudes toward the care intention, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control were investigated using the theory of planned behavior. An online survey was completed from December 2020 to January 2021 by 227 nursing students who had complete a clinical practicum. Descriptive statistics, correlation, and hierarchical regression analyses were conducted on the data. Results: The care intention was higher in men than in women nursing students and in junior than in senior students. Behavioral and normative beliefs, attitude toward the behavior, and perceived behavioral control significantly predicted care intention. Ethical sensitivity increased the predictability of nursing students' care intentions for emerging infectious disease patients. Conclusion: The theory of planned behavior predicted nursing students' care intentions for emerging infectious diseases. Therefore, an experience-based response program on emerging infectious diseases is required for nursing students.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.294-300
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• 2018

The development and management of epidemiology intelligence service (EIS) officer with more specialized competence to cope with and prepare for health threats, including pandemic of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, is a high priority policy issue in Korea. First of all, we need to establish the training goal of EIS officer. It is necessary to establish manpower training and management system with at least three tiers including quantitative and qualitative targets. Second, at least 50% of all EIS officer must secure a physician and secure expertise and competence for epidemic. Third, for the ultimate purpose of EIS officer, the establishment of a public health expert should expand the scope of epidemiologist's work to health and medical care, occupational environment, and various disasters. Fourth, it is essential to expand the epidemiologist training and education program to the level of advanced countries. Especially, the training course should be expanded at least twice of current times. Fifth, it is necessary to independently install and operate the 'EIS Officer Training Center' as a mid- and long-term goal. Stewardship and governance are secured with the organization, personnel, etc. that can fully manage the planning, management, and evaluation of the EIS system. In the future, it will be necessary to establish a systematic and phased operational base of education and training programs for EIS officer, and establish a sustainable implementation system for strategy development. In addition, it is urgent to revise the guidelines for training public health professionals and strengthening competencies, and for establishing professional educational institutions.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.175-185
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• 2023

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of nurses on the nursing intentions in patients with emerging infectious diseases. Methods: Data were collected from 201 nurses with over one year of clinical experience in a general hospital located in Seoul, South Korea. A structured self-report questionnaire was utilized to measure belief factors, core factors, rewards, and nursing professional pride, as well as nursing intentions in patients with emerging infectious diseases. Results: The results revealed that nurses' intentions to provide care for patients with emerging infectious diseases were significantly influenced by perceived behavioral control (β=.26, p<.001), clinical experience (β=-.14, p=.008), behavioral beliefs (β=.31, p=.010), feeling of vocation (β=.29, p=.012) and attitudes toward behaviors (β=.08, p=.034). Conclusion: Enhancing nurses' intentions to provide care for patients with emerging infectious diseases requires the implementation of systemic and educational strategies aimed at strengthening their confidence and beliefs.

• The Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.71-81
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• 2024

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the relationship between nursing professionalism and nursing intention for patients with emerging infectious diseases of nursing students who had experienced coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), with a focus on the mediating effect of e-Health literacy. Methods: The study surveyed 177 nursing students who had experienced COVID-19. The data were collected using self-reported questionnaires. The collected data were analyzed using IBM SPSS statistics 25.0, and the mediating effect was analyzed through the SPSS Process macro model 4. Results: Nursing professionalism (β=.26, p=.002) and e-Health literacy (β=.18, p=.021) were found to be significant predictors of nursing intention for patients with emerging infectious diseases. In addition, e-Health literacy partially mediated the relationship between nursing professionalism and nursing intention for patients with emerging infectious diseases. Conclusion: e-Health literacy was a mediating factor in the relationship between the nursing professionalism and nursing intention of nursing students for patients with emerging infectious diseases. In order to improve nursing intention of nursing students for patients with emerging infectious diseases, it is important to develop an education program that can enhance their e-Health literacy as well as nursing professionalism.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.80 no.2
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• pp.113-135
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• 2017

Asthma is traditionally regarded as a chronic airway disease, and recent literature proves its heterogeneity, based on distinctive clusters or phenotypes of asthma. In defining such asthma clusters, the nature of comorbidity among patients with asthma is poorly understood, by assuming no causal relationship between asthma and other comorbid conditions, including both communicable and noncommunicable diseases. However, emerging evidence suggests that the status of asthma significantly affects the increased susceptibility of the patient to both communicable and noncommunicable diseases. Specifically, the impact of asthma on susceptibility to noncommunicable diseases such as chronic systemic inflammatory diseases (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis), may provide an important insight into asthma as a disease with systemic inflammatory features, a conceptual understanding between asthma and asthma-related comorbidity, and the potential implications on the therapeutic and preventive interventions for patients with asthma. This review discusses the currently under-recognized clinical and immunological phenotypes of asthma; specifically, a higher risk of developing a systemic inflammatory disease such as rheumatoid arthritis and their implications, on the conceptual understanding and management of asthma. Our discussion is divided into three parts: literature summary on the relationship between asthma and the risk of rheumatoid arthritis; potential mechanisms underlying the association; and implications on asthma management and research.

• Archives of Obesity and Metabolism
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.47-52
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• 2022

Digital therapeutics (DTx) are emerging as a novel solution to improve lifestyle and prevent non-communicable diseases. Obesity is a complex, multi-factorial, chronic condition that requires patient-centered lifestyle modification. DTx, such as mobile applications and wearables, may offer easily accessible, efficient, and personalized care in the field of obesity and metabolic diseases. Yet, there is controversy over its clinical usefulness. This review will provide a comprehensive overview of DTx, including its potential role and current limitation in obesity care, based on recent literature.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.356-367
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• 2022

Background: The emergence of new infectious diseases threatens public health, increasing socioeconomic damage, and national risks. This study aimed to develop an evidence-based risk assessment tool to quickly respond to new infectious diseases. Methods: The risk elements were extracted by reviewing the risk assessment methods of the World Health Organization, United States, Europe, United Kingdom, and Germany, and the validity and priority of elements were determined through expert meetings and Delphi surveys. Then, the scale and level for each risk element were defined and a final score calculation method according to the risk evaluation result was derived. The developed risk assessment tool was verified using data at the time of domestic transmission of an emerging infectious disease. Results: In case of spread of actual infectious diseases, priority is determined based on the criticality of the elements in each area of transmissibility and severity, from which the weighted score of the risk assessment is derived. Then, the risk score for each element was calculated by multiplying the average value of the risk evaluation by its weight and the evaluation risk assessment score for the two areas was calculated. At last, the final score is plotted in a matrix where the x-axis indicates the transmissibility and the y-axis the severity and plotted on the coordinate plane for time series use. Conclusion: With respect to transmissibility and severity, this risk assessment method to respond to new and re-emerging infectious diseases enables rapid and evidence-based evaluation by quantitatively and qualitatively assessing various risk elements.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.380-388
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• 2022

Background: Emerging infectious diseases, such as Middle East respiratory syndrome or coronavirus disease 2019, pose a continuous threat to public health, making a risk assessment necessary for infectious disease control and prevention. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the risk assessment methods for infectious diseases used by major foreign countries and organizations. Methods: We conducted an investigation and comparative analysis of risk assessment and risk determination methods for infectious diseases. The risk assessment tools included the strategic toolkit for assessing risks, influenza risk assessment tool, pandemic severity assessment framework, and rapid risk assessment methodology. Results: The most frequently reported risk elements were disease severity, antiviral treatment, attack rate, population immunity, and basic productive ratio. The risk evaluation method was evaluated quantitatively and qualitatively by the stakeholders at each institution. Additionally, the final risk level was visualized in a matrix, framework, and x and y-axis. Conclusion: Considering the risk assessment tools, the risk element was classified based on the duplicate of each indicator, and risk evaluation and level of risk assessment were analyzed.