• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.376-380
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• 2004

The purpose of this study is the develop a questionnaire for measuring Yin-Deficiency and examine the reliability and validity for its' value as a barometer for evaluating Yin-Deficiency. Questionnaire was developed according to the symptoms of Yin-Deficiency suggested in the 'Standardization of diagnostic terms and requirements of Korean Medicine', With and as a reference, each symptom has been worked on to be put on the questionnaire. Visual analogue scales(VAS) was used as a barometer for measuring frequency of manifestation of symptoms. A study was performed to measure validity and reliability of the final questionnaire for analysis. reliability of YinDQ was measured by Cronbach's alpha coefficient and test-retest method. This study utilized factor analysis and clinical validity for evaluation of validity. For the purpose of decreasing the amount of data-the number of factors, and at the same time minimize the loss of information factor analysis was performed Component factors were extracted using Principal Component Analysis. This study evaluated the clinical validity for examination of difference between the normal group and the patient group. Evaluation on the's internal consistency showed strong internal consistency with value of 0.8615. reliability from test-rest with three-week interval, followed by comparisons of the correlation coefficient and mean values of each item between the two. The Spearman correlation coefficient was 0.54-0.79. By factor analyse two factors with Eigen value of greater than 2.2 were selected. Factor 1 consists of items of 'irritable fever on the five Hearts', 'flushing of the zygomatic region in the afternoon', 'tidal fever', 'night sweats', and 'dryness on the mouth or the throat'. Factor two consists of items of 'emaciation', 'dizziness', 'insomnia', 'decreased amount of urine with yellowish color', and 'constipation'. The comparison between the patient group and the normal group showed significant differences for every ten questions. The results implies that YinDQ is a barometer with sufficient reliability and validity. The questionnaire for Yin-Deficiency may not be enough to replace the specific differential diagnosis by a doctor of Oriental medicine. Nevertheless, it can be effectively utilized as an assisting method in consultation or a method of measuring the degree of Yin-Deficiency in a group.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2004

Objectives: We investigated the factors related to health examination behaviors, sociodemographic aspects and lifestyles of elderly persons with different social backgrounds, and compared sexual and regional differences in urban and rural elderlies. Methods: The total study subjects(464 individuals) from urban(236) and rural areas(228), recruited by a stratified cluster random sampling were interviewed and examined about their sociodemographic profiles, daily lifestyles, subjective health status, conditions concerning use of medical resources, hearing acuity, visual acuity and ADL(activity of daily living), and whether they receive health examination or not. For statistical analysis, Chi-square test was used for sexual and regional comparisons among the groups who have been given a health examination and the one who have not. Results: In urban areas, the rate of having underwent health examination was 54.5% in men and 46.9% in women, and in rural areas, it was 59.8% in men and 42.7% in women, showing its higher rate in men than in women in both areas. For regional differences between the group who have taken a health examination and the one who have not, there was a significant difference in terms of age, family pattern, current job, monthly household income, owning a house, drinking status, eating habit, subjective health status, whether they have taken outpatient medical service for the recent 3 months or not, anxiety for the health, and IADL conditions according to whether the community is rural or urban. In multiple regressions, the influential factors on the health examination behaviors were selected such as having their own house, their family doctor, amnesia, urinary incontinence and chronic disease in urban districts. But in rural districts, the variables were selected such as having or not of their family doctor, urinary incontinence, anxiety for the health, educational level, their own house and chronic disease. Conclusions: It is suggested that the approach to the health examination of an older patient requires substantial consideration of highly variable individual sociodemographic characteristics involving regional attributes as well as their daily life styles, subjective health status, status of performing health examination, physical health status and ADL conditions.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.24-56
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• 2002

The purpose of this study was to analyze the characteristics of socio-demographic, organizational culture, organizational conflict and organizational commitment, and to examine the interrelation of influential factors in the organizational commitment. The data for this study were collected through a self-administrated survey with a structured questionnaire to 1,027 subjects from several medical doctor staff members, nursing staff members, administration staff members, pharmacist, and technical expert of eleven hospitals. The data were collected by self-reporting questionnaire from July 29 to September 7, 2002. In this analysis frequency test, t-test, ANOVA, multiple regression were used. The main results of this research is as following; 1. According to socio-demographic characteristics the respondents' level of the organizational commitment was higher in a administration staff members than others, for males than females, and for employees aged more than forty, as working for longer time, and as higher level of the working position. 2. According to the organizational culture characteristics the progressive culture, affiliative culture, and task-focused culture among many types of organizational culture were moderately and positively correlated with the level of the organizational commitment while the hierarchical culture was negatively correlated. 3. According to the organizational conflict characteristics as the respondents who got less conflict experience in the organization, their level of the organizational commitment was higher. And, technical conflict experiences were expressed greater than hierarchical conflict experiences. 4. According to the job satisfaction characteristics as his or her satisfaction that is about the promotion, working itself, salary, and fellowship in the organizational was higher, the level of the organizational commitment was higher. The most important factor of the satisfactions was the fellowship among the respondents while the level of job satisfaction for the promotion and salary was average. 5. Overall, according to the result of Multiple Regression as older age and longer working hours, the level of the organizational commitment was higher and as a higher level of the satisfaction for the promotion, working itself, salary, and fellowship in the organization, it caused more effective factors for the organizational commitment. 6. According to the result of Multiple Regression for the doctor staff members in special hospitals rather than general hospitals the hierarchical culture and task focused culture was positively correlated with the satisfaction of working itself while hierarchical conflict factors in the organizational conflict characteristics was negatively correlated with the organizational commitment. For the nursing staff members the affiliative culture and the job satisfaction for the promotion, working itself, salary, and fellowship were positively correlated with the organizational commitment. For the administration staff members as the job satisfaction for the fellowship was positively correlated with the organizational commitment. For medical and pharmacy staff members as more working experience, correlation with the organizational commitment was positive. Besides, as he or she has a high perception of the affiliative culture, it caused statistically more effective factors for the organizational commitment. For the skill and technicians, male worker expressed greater organizational commitment in the organization than female worker. And also older age along with higher education also showed higher organizational commitment. Moreover, the job satisfaction for the fellowship was positively correlated with the organizational commitment. This study identified the major effective factors of the organizational commitment and analyzed the differences among the job category. In that respect, it is significant for the study to be able to provide a reference for managing hospital of industrial accident and organizational development. However, this study has a problem, which is not to identify a valuable model for examining the relationship between organizational factors such as organizational culture, conflict, satisfaction, and commitment. Therefore, further study is needed and strengthened in the field of organizational commitment for hospital for industrial accident.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.443-451
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to examine the views of dental hygiene students about the possible countermeasure of domestic hospitals for the opening of the medical market. The subjects in this study were 269 dental hygiene sophomores, juniors and seniors at two different colleges in the region of Busan. The findings of the study were as follows: The opening of the medical market and views of possible countermove, whether they agreed to that or not made a statistically significant difference to their opinions on the necessity of customer-oriented marketing strategy(p=0.023), analysis of foreign medical markets/attempt to make inroads into the markets(p<0.000) and the improvement of the quality of medical services/the diversification of the services(p=0.025). As to an intention of going to a foreign hospital, they had a statistically significantly different intention about whether to go to a foreign hospital regardless of medical bills(p<0.000), whether to consult a doctor in a foreign hospital after going to a domestic hospital first (p<0.000), whether to consider the distance between their houses and a foreign hospital(p=0.05) and whether to take considerations on the assistance of an interpreter(p=0.023). In regard to preference for foreign hospitals, American hospitals ranked first(41.9), followed by Australian hospitals(19.9) and Canadian ones(14.2).

• Journal of Korean Medical classics
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.211-250
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• 2007

1. The 'Kao Zheng Pai(考證派) comes from the 'Zhe Zhong Pai' and is a school that is influenced by the confucianism of the Qing dynasty. In Japan Inoue Kinga(井上金娥), Yoshida Koton(吉田篁墩) became central members, and the rise of the methodology of historical research(考證學) influenced the members of the 'Zhe Zhong Pai', and the trend of historical research changed from confucianism to medicine, making a school of medicine based on the study of texts and proving that the classics were right. 2. Based on the function of 'Nei Qu Li '(內驅力) the 'Kao Zheng Pai', in the spirit of 'use confucianism as the base', researched letters, meanings and historical origins. Because they were influenced by the methodology of historical research(考證學) of the Qing era, they valued the evidential research of classic texts, and there was even one branch that did only historical research, the 'Rue Xue Kao Zheng Pai'(儒學考證派). Also, the 'Yi Xue Kao Zheng Pai'(醫學考證派) appeared by the influence of Yoshida Kouton and Kariya Ekisai(狩谷掖齋). 3. In the 'Kao Zheng Pai(考證派)'s theories and views the 'Yi Xue Kao Zheng Pai' did not look at medical scriptures like the "Huang Di Nei Jing"("黃帝內經") and did not do research on 'medical' related areas like acupuncture, the meridian and medicinal herbs. Since they were doctors that used medicine, they naturally were based on 'formulas'(方劑) and since their thoughts were based on the historical ideologies, they valued the "Shang Han Ja Bing Lun" which was revered as the 'ancestor of all formulas'(衆方之祖). 4. The lives of the important doctors of the 'Kao Zheng Pai' Meguro Dotaku(目黑道琢) Yamada Seichin(山田正珍), Yamada Kyoko(山田業廣), Mori Ritsi(森立之) Kitamura Naohara(喜多村直寬) are as follows. 1) Meguro Dotaku(目黑道琢 1739${\sim}$1798) was born of lowly descent but, using his intelligence and knowledge, became a professor as a Shi Jing Yi(市井醫) and as a professor for 34 years at Ji Shou Guan mastered the "Huang Di Nei Jing" after giving over 300 lectures. Since his pupil, Isawara Ken taught the Lan Men Wu Zhe(蘭門五哲) and Shibue Chusai, Mori Ritsi(森立之), Okanishi Gentei(岡西玄亭), Kiyokawa Gendoh(淸川玄道) and Yamada Kyoko(山田業廣), Meguro Dotaku is considered the founder of the 'Yi Xue Kao Zheng Pai'. 2) The family of Yamada Seichin(山田正珍 1749${\sim}$1787) had been medical officials in the Makufu(幕府) and the many books that his ancestors had left were the base of his art. Seichin learned from Shan Ben Bei Shan(山本北山), a 'Zhe Zhong Pai' scholar, and put his efforts into learning, teaching and researching the "Shang Han Lun"("傷寒論"). Living in a time between 'Gu Fang Pai'(古方派) member Nakanishi Goretada(中西惟忠) and 'Kao Zheng Pai' member Taki Motohiro(多紀元簡), he wrote 11 books, 2 of which express his thoughts and research clearly, the "Shang Han Lun Ji Cheng"("傷寒論集成") and "Shang Han Kao"("傷寒考"). His comparison of the 'six meridians'(3 yin, 3 yang) between the "Shang Han Lun" and the "Su Wen Re Lun"("素問 熱論) and his acknowledgement of the need and rationality of the concept of Yin-Yang and Deficient-Replete distinguishes him from the other 'Gu Fang Pai'. Also, his dissertation of the need for the concept doesn't use the theories of latter schools but uses the theory of the "Shang Han Lun" itself. He even researched the historical parts, such as terms like 'Shen Nong Chang Bai Cao'(神農嘗百草) and 'Cheng Qi Tang'(承氣湯) 3) The ancestor of Yamada Kyoko(山田業廣) was a court physician, and learned confucianism from Kao Zheng Pai 's Ashikawa Genan(朝川善庵) and medicine from Isawa Ranken and Taki Motokata(多紀元堅), and the secret to smallpox from Ikeda Keisui(池田京水). He later became a lecturer at the Edo Yi Xue Guan(醫學館) and was invited as the director to the Ji Zhong(濟衆) hospital. He also became the first owner of the Wen Zhi She(溫知社), whose main purpose was the revival of kampo, and launched the monthly magazine Wen Zi Yi Tan(溫知醫談). He also diagnosed and prescribed for the prince Ming Gong(明宮). His works include the "Jing Fang Bian"("經方辨"), "Shang Han Lun Si Ci"("傷寒論釋司"), "Huang Zhao Zhu Jia Zhi Yan Ji Yao"("皇朝諸家治驗集要") and "Shang Han Ja Bing Lun Lei Juan"("傷寒雜病論類纂"). of these, the "Jing Fang Bian"("經方辨") states that the Shi Gao(石膏) used in the "Shang Han Lun" had three meanings-Fa Biao(發表), Qing Re(淸熱), Zi Yin(滋陰)-which were from 'symptoms', and first deducted the effects and then told of the reason. Another book, the "Jiu Zhe Tang Du Shu Ji"("九折堂讀書記") researched and translated the difficult parts of the "Shang Han Lun", "Jin Qui Yao Lue", "Qian Jin Fang"("千金方"), and "Wai Tai Mi Yao"("外臺秘要"). He usually analyzed the 'symptoms' of diseases but the composition, measurement, processing and application of medicine were all in the spectrum of 'analystic research' and 'researching analysis'. 4) The ancestors of Mori Rits(森立之 1807${\sim}$ 1885) were warriors but he became a doctor by the will of his mother, and he learned from Shibue Chosai(澁江抽齋) and Isawaran Ken and later became a pupil of Shou Gu Yi Zhai, a historical research scholar. He then became a lecturer of medical herbs at the Yi Xue Guan, and later participated in the proofreading of "Yi Xin Fang"("醫心方") and with Chosai compiled the "Jing Ji Fang Gu Zhi"("神農本草經"). He visited the Chinese scholar Yang Shou Jing(楊守敬) in 1881 and exchanged books and ideas. Of his works, there are the collections(輯複本) of "Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing"(神農本草經) and "You Xiang Yi Hwa"("遊相醫話") and the records, notes, poems, and diaries such as "Zhi Yuan Man Lu"("枳園漫錄") and "Zhi Yuan Sui Bi"("枳園隨筆") that were not published. His thoughts were that in restoring the "Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing", "the herb to the doctor is like the "Shuo Wen Jie Zi"("說文解字") to the scholar", and he tried to restore the ancient herbal text using knowledge of medicine and investigation(考據). Also with Chosai he compiled the "Jing Ji Fang Gu Zhi"("經籍訪古志") using knowledge of ancient text. Ritzi left works on pure investigation, paid much attention to social problems, and through 12 years of poverty treated all people and animals in all branches of medicine, so he is called a 'half confucianist half doctor'(半儒半醫). 5) Kitamurana Ohira(喜多村直寬 1804${\sim}$1876) learned scriptures and ancient texts from confucian scholar Asaka Gonsai, and learned medicine from his father Huai Yaun(槐園). He became a teacher in the Yi Xue Guan in his middle ages, and to repay his country, he printed 266 volumes of "Yi Fang Lei Ju("醫方類聚") and 1000 volumes of "Tai Ping Yu Lan"("太平禦覽") and devoted it to his country to be spread. His works are about 40 volumes including "Jin Qui Yao Lue Shu Yi" and "Lao Yi Zhi Yan" but most of them are researches on the "Shang Han Za Bing Lun". In his "Shang Han Lun Shu Yi"("傷寒論疏義") he shows the concept of the six meridians through the Yin-Yang, Superficial or internal, cold or hot, deficient or replete state of diseases, but did not match the names with the six meridians of the meridian theory, and this has something in common with the research based on the confucianism of Song(宋儒). In clinical treatment he was positive toward old and new methods and also the experience of civilians, but was negative toward western medicine. 6) The ancestor of the Taki family Tanbano Yasuyori(丹波康賴 912-955) became a Yi Bo Shi(醫博士) by his medical skills and compiled the "Yi Xin Fang"("醫心方"). His first son Tanbano Shigeaki(丹波重明) inherited the Shi Yao Yuan(施藥院) and the third son Tanbano Masatada(丹波雅忠) inherited the Dian You Tou(典藥頭). Masatada's descendents succeeded him for 25 generations until the family name was changed to Jin Bao(金保) and five generations later it was changed again to Duo Ji(多紀). The research scholar Taki Motohiro was in the third generation after the last name was changed to Taki, and his family kept an important part in the line of medical officers in Japan. Taki Motohiro(多紀元簡 1755-1810) was a teacher in the Yi Xue Guan where his father was residing, and became the physician for the general Jia Qi(家齊). He had a short temper and was not good at getting on in the world, and went against the will of the king and was banished from Ao Yi Shi(奧醫師). His most famous works, the "Shang Han Lun Ji Yi" and "Jin Qui Yao Lue Ji Yi" are the work of 20 years of collecting the theories of many schools and discussing, and is one of the most famous books on the "Shang Han Lun" in Japan. "Yi Sheng" is a collection of essays on research. Also there are the "Su Wen Shi"("素問識"), "Ling Shu Shi"("靈樞識"), and the "Guan lu Fang Yao Bu"("觀聚方要補"). Taki Motohiro(多紀元簡)'s position was succeeded by his third son Yuan Yin(元胤 1789-1827), and his works include works of research such as "Nan Jing Shu Jeng"("難經疏證"), "Ti Ya"("體雅"), "Yao Ya"("藥雅"), "Ji Ya"("疾雅"), "Ming Yi Gong An"("名醫公案"), and "Yi Ji Kao"("醫籍考"). The "Yi Ji Kao" is 80 volumes in length and lists about 3000 books on medicine in China before the Qing Dao Guang(道光), and under each title are the origin, number of volumes, state of existence, and, if possible, the preface, Ba Yu(跋語) and biography of the author. The younger sibling of Yuan Yin(元胤 1789-1827), Yuan Jian(元堅 1795-1857) expounded ancient writings at the Yi Xue Guan only after he reached middle age, was chosen for the Ao Yi Shi(奧醫師) and later became a Fa Yan(法眼), Fa Yin(法印) and Yu Chi(樂匙). He left about 15 texts, including "Su Wen Shao Shi"("素間紹識"), "Yi Xin Fang"("醫心方"), published in school, "Za Bing Guang Yao"("雜病廣要"), "Shang Han Guang Yao"(傷寒廣要), and "Zhen Fu Yao Jue"("該腹要訣"). On the Taki family's founding and working of the Yi Xue Guan Yasuka Doumei(失數道明) said they were "the people who took the initiative in Edo era kampo medicine" and evaluated their deeds in the fields of 'research of ancient text', 'the founding of Ji Shou Guan and medical education', 'publication business', 'writing of medical text'. 5. The doctors of the 'Kao Zheng Pai ' based their operations on the Edo Yi Xue Guan, and made groups with people with similar ideas to them, making a relationship 'net'. For example the three families of Duo Ji(多紀), Tang Chuan(湯川) and Xi Duo Cun(喜多村) married and adopted with and from each other and made prefaces and epitaphs for each other. Thus, the Taki family, the state science of the Makufu, the tendency of thinking, one's own interests and glory, one's own knowledge, the need of the society all played a role in the development of kampo medicine in the 18th and 19th century.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.23-37
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• 2011

Objectives : The pulse diagnosis is an important method in Oriental Medicine. The aim of this study is to measure the similarity of the diagnosis by a traditional method using doctor's hand for feeling of pulse and by pulse diagnosis apparatus using Hwang-Je (HJ) pulse analyser, Hui-Su (HS) pulse analyser on Chon, Kwan and Chuk. Methods : Four korean medical doctors and HJ pulse analyser, HS pulse analyser have measured the speed (遲數), the size (微細弱緩大), and the depth (浮沈) of pulse waves of 23 volunteers. First, four korean medical doctors measured pulse waves of volunteers. And then, the pulse waves of volunteers were measured by HJ pulse analyser, HS pulse analyser. This was performed on the right Chon, Kwan and Chuk. Results : The traditional method and the HJ pulse analyser method had the 60.9% matches on the values of the pulse speed condition, the HS pulse analyser method had the 78.3% matches on the values of the pulse speed condition. The traditional method and the HJ pulse analyser method had the 56.5% (Chon), 65.2% (Kwan), 78.3% (Chuk) matches on the values of the pulse size condition, the HS pulse analyser method had the 65.2% (Chon), 13.0% (Kwan), 39.1% (Chuk) matches on the values of the pulse size condition. The traditional method and the HJ pulse analyser method had the 43.5% (Chon), 26.1% (Kwan), 47.8% (Chuk) matches on the values of the pulse depth condition, the HS pulse analyser method had the 45.5% (Chon), 30.4% (Kwan), 36.8% (Chuk) matches on the values of the pulse depth condition. Conclusions : According to these results, we suggest that the pulse analyser is necessary to develope for its high similarities with the traditional pulse diagnosis.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.178-190
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• 2003

Background : The committee of tuberculosis(TB) survey planning for the year 2000 decided to construct the Korean Tuberculosis Surveillance System (KTBS), based on a doctor's routine reporting method. The successful keys of the KTBS rely on the precision of the recorded TB notification forms. The purpose of this study was to determine that the accuracy of the TB notification form written at a private general hospital given to the corresponding health center and to improve the comprehensiveness of these reporting systems. Materials and Methods : 291 adult TB patients who had been diagnosed from August 2000 to January 2001, were enrolled in this study. The lists of TB notification forms were compared with the medical records and the various laboratory results; case characteristics, history of previous treatment, examinations for diagnosis, site of the TB by the international classification of the disease, and treatment. Results : In the list of examinations for a diagnosis in 222 pulmonary TB patients, the concordance rate of the 'sputum smear exam' was 76% but that of the 'sputum culture exam' was only 23%. Among the 198 cases of the sputum culture exam labeled 'not examined', 43(21.7%) cases proved to be true 'not examined', 70 cases(35.4%) were proven to be 'culture positive', and 85(43.0%) cases were proven to be 'culture negative'. In the list of examinations for a diagnosis in 69 extrapulmonary TB patients, the concordance rate of the 'smear exam other than sputum' was 54%. In the list of treatments, the overall concordance rate of the 'type of registration' in the TB notification form was 85%. Among the 246 'new' cases on the TB notification form, 217(88%) cases were true 'new' cases and 13 were proven to be 'relapse', 2 were proven to be 'treatment after failure', one was proven to be 'treatment after default', 12 were proven to be 'transferred-in' and one was proven to be 'chronic'. Among the 204 HREZ prescribed regimen, 172(84.3%) patients were taking the HREZ regimen, and the others were prescribed other drug regimens. Conclusion : Correct recording of the TB notification form at the private sectors is necessary for supporting the effective TB surveillance system in Korea.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.182-201
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• 2001

This Study has attemped to compare the health care systems of South and North Korea. There has been a wide difference in the health care System between the South and North of Korea. In this paper, I have also shown that each health care system has its own unique response to the social, political, and economic conditions of the country. Therefore the author analyzed and summarized the important difference of health care system between the South and the North of Korea as follows. 1. Compared with the Laissez-faire health care system of South Korea, North Korea has the state socialistic health care system which provide health care services to the people free of charge. And the North Korea is marking positive efforts toward the scientification and systemization of Oriental Medicine which is called Dongui-Hak in the North-on the basis of Ju-Che idea. 2. North Korea's health care system appears to be strongly geared toward extensive and preventive treatment and launched the massive sanitary propagation campaign. which have resulted in a great success. North Korea has a system of universal comprehensive care for its population. The government has a central role in planning and regulating health care. 3. The government also employs physicians, nurses, and other professionals to provide health care to patients at public expense. In North Korea, health professionals are government employees. They work for a salary and the system is funded through general taxation. 4. In the North Korea, health services area system of the cities and countre's unit is strictly conducted along with the doctor's area responsibility system. And so without referal card, patients can not use the upper-grade medical facilities. The health care delivery system of North Korea is made up of the fourth level procedue unlike South Korea. 5. General office of Oriental Medicine, Academy of Oriental Medical Science and Guidance Bureau of Oriental Medicine are established in the organization of the Department of Health in the North Korea. And nowadays much emphasis are equally placed on the Oriental Medicine as well as Western Medicine. Both South and North Korea have faced with a critical moment of developing a mutually agreeable and acceptable system of health care for the unified nation.

• Korean Journal of Oriental Medicine
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.119-124
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• 2007

Introduction: In Oriental medicine, the status of tongue is the important indicator to diagnose one's health, because it represents physiological and clinicopathological changes of inner parts of the body. The method of tongue diagnosis is not only convenient but also non-invasive, so tongue diagnosis is most widely used in Oriental medicine. By the way, since tongue diagnosis is affected by examination circumstances a lot, its performance depends on a light source, degrees of an angle, a medical doctor's condition etc. Therefore, it is not easy to make an objective and standardized tongue diagnosis. In order to solve this problem, in this study, we tried to design a discriminant function for thick and thin coating with color vectors of preprocessed image. Method: 52 subjects, who were diagnosed as white-coated tongue, were involved. Among them, 45 subjects diagnosed as thin coating and 7 subjects diagnosed as thick coating by oriental medical doctors, and then their tongue images were obtained from a digital tongue diagnosis system. Using those acquired tongue images, we implemented two steps: Preprocessing and image analyzing. The preprocessing part of this method includes histogram equalization and histogram stretching at each color component, especially, intensity and saturation. It makes the difference between tongue substance and tongue coating was more visible, so that we can separate tongue coating easily. Next part, we analyzed the characteristic of color values and found the threshold to divide tongue area into coating area. Then, from tongue coating image, it is possible to extract the variables that were important to classify thick and thin coating. Result : By statistical analysis, two significant vectors, associated with G, were found, which were able to describe the difference between thick and thin coating very well. Using these two variables, we designed the discriminant function for coating classification and examined its performance. As a result, the overall accuracy of thick and thin coating classification was 92.3%. Discussion : From the result, we can expect that the discriminant function is applicable to other coatings in a similar way. Also, it can be used to make an objective and standardized diagnosis.

• Journal of Home Health Care Nursing
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.24-32
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• 2006

The purpose of this study is to predict the degree of taking the complementary & alternative therapy in the home care nursing service and provide basic data for the application of it. To accomplish this, degree of general recognition of the complementary & alternative therapy, experiences, degree of concern, applicability of the therapy, and educational need should be studied. This study is a descriptive research survey on the home care nurses working at 73 medical centers out of 125 nationwide who provide hospital based home nursing care. The data was collected from Sep. 20, to Oct. 20, 2004 by ChoiHeyran's questionaries (2002). The data was analyzed by the frequency and the percentage. The results of this study are as follows ; 1. The degree of pre-cognition on the complementary & alternative therapy is very high. Information about the therapy was mostly obtained through medias. Home care nurses understand that he desirable treatment is to practice medical treatment and complementary & alternative therapy simultaneously. While 50% of them have already practiced complementary & alternative therapy among their patients. The most commonly used therapy is Acupressure. And Home care nurses have open and positive attitudes about the complementary & alternative therapy as to answer they aye ready to recommend it to their patients. 2. Over half of the Home care nurses met patients taking complementary & alternative therapy. 94.5% of them think scientific diagnosis on the effect of the therapy. advice from the doctor. and the special working staff is required to apply it on to the home care nursing. 3. 68.5% of the Home care nurses have taken education on the therapy through general comprehensive instructions and supplementary. Most of them want to have a opportunity education on the therapy because they want to provide comprehensive nursing and diversified nursing service. The preferred educations are Hand acupuncture, Acupressure & Massage and Aromatherapy, in that order. Based on the above results, the followings are recommended. 1. A study that stipulates the types, applications, and efficiency assessment of the complementary & alternative therapy practiced by Home care nurses in the home care nursing care procedure. And systematic and scientific nursing intervention be developed.