• Therapeutic Science for Rehabilitation
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.63-75
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• 2021

Objective : The purpose of this study was to examine the roles and practices of occupational therapists in public health centers based on their working experience of occupational therapists who are working in these facilities. Methods : We used Giorgi's descriptive phenomenological research method. Six occupational therapists were interviewed, and their recorded data were analyzed using Claizzi's thematic analysis. Results : As a result, 4 categories, 16 themes, and 24 elements were elicited. The major roles of occupational therapists in public health centers were the evaluation of clients, home-visit occupational therapy, management of dementia programs and community connection projects. Interventions that are needed to create a healthy community include case and program management, compensatory approaches, and healthy lifestyle interventions. The difficulties experienced by occupational therapists include their limited number job insecurity, performance-oriented administrative policy, and the lack of communication among professionals. Occupational therapists require education in health management and practice in public health centers to build their capacities. Conclusion : The results of this study could be used for guidelines for occupational therapists who work in community healthcare centers, as well as basic training for competent occupational therapists in the community.

• 한국노년학
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.1359-1375
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• 2010

Expecting the expansion of the elderly population under long-term home care with the coming of the aged society, this study purposed to propose a prevention and self-reliance support model and to get practical implications for minimizing dependency on care benefits and enhancing the effectiveness of prevention and self-reliance support. Research methods employed for this study were: first, reviewing theoretical literature for clarifying the concept of prevention and self-reliance support in providing long-term care benefits for the elderly; second, identifying factors hindering prevention and self-reliance support through analyzing standard long-term care use plans and documents related to long-term care benefits at elderly welfare centers to which the research subjects belonged; and third, surveying care benefit users on factors hindering their use of prevention and self-reliance support and their needs in the use of care benefits. Based on the results of the three types of qualitative research, we proposed directions for prevention and self-reliance support modeling and suggested practical implications for enhancing the effectiveness of prevention and self-reliance support. For this study, we collected documentary materials and conducted in-depth interviews with the participants with the consents and cooperation of managers and professional social workers at day care centers and elderly welfare centers in D City. According to the results of this study, literature review suggested that long-term care prevention and self-reliance support should be provided in a way of 'strengthening user-centered support systems,' which support elderly long-term care beneficiaries' right to lead a life as the subject of their own life. Document analysis found the absence of benefits related to health and medicine and lack of social support systems for prevention and self-reliance support, and the results of in-depth interviews suggested the necessity to strengthen services related to elderly long-term care beneficiaries' prevention and self-reliance, and the keen needs of the long-term care elders for prevention and self-reliance included: ① loneliness, anxiety, fear; ② missing for and worry about children and people; ③ moving, outing; ④ health and medical services, rehabilitation programs; ⑤ desire to use day care; ⑥ inconvenience of house structure; ⑦desire for meal menus; and ⑧ the occurrence of disuse syndrome. Based on these results, we suggested the base of prevention and self-reliance support modeling with three axes: ① strengthening user-centered support systems; ② strengthening support systems connected to health and medicine; and ③ strengthening social support systems.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.347-365
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• 1995

A survey was conducted to study perception and attitudes of health workers towards health center's activities and organization of health services, from August 15 to September 30, 1994. The study population was 310 health workers engaged in seven urban health centers in Taegu City area. A questionnaire method was used to collect data and response rate was 81.3 percent or 252 respondents. The following are summaries of findings: Profiles of study population: Health workers were predominantly female(62.3%); had college education(60.3%); and held medical and nursing positions(39.6%), technicians(30.6%) and public health/administrative positions(29.8%). Perceptions on health center's resources: Slightly more than a half(51.1%) of respondents expressed that physical facilities of the centers are inadequate; equipments needed are short(39.0%); human resource is inadequate(44.8%); and health budget allocated is insufficient(38.5%) to support the performance of health center's activities. Decentralization and health services: The majority revealed that the decentralization of government system would affect the future activities of health centers(51.9%) which may have to change. However, only one quarter of respondents(25.4%) seemed to view the decentralization positively as they expect that it would help perform health activities more effectively. The majority of the respondents(78.6%) insisted that the function and organization of the urban health centers should be changed. Target workload and job satisfaction: A large proportion (43.3%) of respondents felt that present target setting systems for various health activities are unrealistic in terms of community needs and health center's situation while only 11.1 percent responded it positively; the majority(57.5%) revealed that they need further training in professional fields to perform their job more effectively; more than one third(35.7%) expressed that they enjoy their professional autonomy in their job performance; and a considerable proportion (39.3%) said they are satisfied with their present work. Regarding the personnel management, more worker(47.3%) perceived it negatively than positive(11.5%) as most of workers seemed to think the personnel management practiced at the health centers is not fair or justly done. Health services rendered: Among health services rendered, health workers perceived the following services are most successfully delivered; they are, in order of importance, Tb control, curative services, and maternal and child health care. Such areas as health education, oral health, environmental sanitation, and integrated health services are needed to be strengthening. Regarding the community attitudes towards health workers, 41.3 percent of respondents think they are trusted by the community they serve. New areas of concern identified which must be included in future activities of health centers are, in order of priority, health care of elderly population, home health care, rehabilitation services, and such chronic diseases control programs as diabetes, hypertension, school health and mental health care. In conclusion, the study revealed that health workers seemed to have more negative perceptions and attitudes than positive ones towards organization and management of health services and activities performed by the urban health centers where they are engaged. More specifically, the majority of health workers studied revealed to have the following areas of health center's organization and management inadequate or insufficient to support effective performance of their health activities: Namely, physical facilities and equipments required are inadequate; human and financial resources are insufficient; personnel management is unsatisfactory; setting of service target system is unrealistic in terms of the community needs. However, respondents displayed a number of positive perceptions, particularly to those areas as further training needs and implementation of decentralization of government system which will bring more autonomy of local government as they perceived these change would bring the necessary changes to future activities of the health center. They also displayed positive perceptions in their job autonomy and have job satisfactions.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.283-289
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• 2021

Many people with disabilities have shown interest in artificial intelligence speakers that serves as the main hub of the smart home. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify the intention of people with disabilities to use such speakers. The focus is on those with physical disabilities, a segment that accounts for the largest number of disability types. Based on the theoretical model of technology acceptance, the effect of perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness of artificial intelligence speakers by people with disabilities was analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Research has confirmed that the technology acceptance model is suitable for identifying the intention to use artificial intelligence speakers by people with disabilities, and specifically that the perceived ease of use has a significant impact on usefulness. Furthermore, the perceived ease of use for people with disabilities did not have a statistically significant effect on their intent to use whereas the perceived usefulness was shown to have a significant effect on the same. This study is meaningful as a foundation for developing customized artificial intelligence speaker services and improving the use of artificial intelligence speakers by people with disabilities.

• Therapeutic Science for Rehabilitation
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.85-94
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• 2024

Objective : This study aimed to determine the impact of an instrumental daily living activity program for adults with developmental disabilities on their daily living activities and quality of life (QOL). Methods : This study used a single-group pre-test-post-test experimental design. Participants comprised 17 adults with developmental disabilities from the Welfare Center for the Disabled. This program consisted of 10 sessions, including pre- and post-assessments, pertaining to training and education on grocery shopping, meal preparation and cleaning, home management, safety, and emergency management. The evaluation tools used in this study were the Quality of Life Questionnaire, Korean version of the Life Space Assessment (K-LSA), and Korean version of the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (K-IADL). Results : There was a statistically significant difference in the QOL and K-IADL scores before and after the instrumental activities of daily living occupational therapy program, and there was no statistically significant difference in the K-LSA scores. Conclusion : This study confirmed that implementing an IADL program for adults with developmental disabilities had a positive impact on performance and QOL. For adults with developmental disabilities to participate in daily life and society, interventions for work participation, including training in activities of daily living, must be expanded.