• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.190-202
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• 2000

Background : The objectives of this study were to examine patients' satisfaction with the DRG based payment method and its association with their awareness of the method, to examine patient reported changes in doctors' caring attitude, level of their out-of-pocket payments, providers' acceptance of patients' request for additional services after the program, and to examine changes in service utilization recorded in medical records. Method : One hundred-four patients who had cesarean sections before and after the demonstration program at two hospitals located in Seoul participated in the study. Patients were surveyed before discharges when their charges were finalized. Their medical records were reviewed as well to collect data for service utilization during hospital stays. The association between patients' satisfaction with the payment method and their awareness of the method was analyzed by ${\chi}^2$-test, and the significance of changes in providers' acceptance of patients' request for additional services and service utilization after the program were examined by ${\chi}^2$-test and t-test, respectively. Results : A large proportion of patients did not know of the DRG based payment method at the time of survey and a significantly larger proportion of patients who came to the hospitals with the knowledge satisfied with the method. About the same proportion of patients reported improvement and deterioration in doctors' caring attitude compare to the previous hospitalizations and a similar result was found concerning out-of-pocket payments. Providers' acceptance of patients' request for medication, PCA and painless delivery decreased significantly after the program whereas the acceptance for additional hospital days and laboratory and radiology tests did not. Length of stay, the numbers of days on antibiotics and antianemic medication, and the number of blood tests decreased significantly after the program, however, decreases in the rate of antianemic medication and the number of urine analyses were not statistically significant. Re-operation, in-hospital death, and complications were not observed before and after the program. Conclusion : The study findings indicated a need for better patient education and publicity about the newly introduced payment method to improve their satisfaction with the system. Other study findings concerning service utilization and quality of care indicators were consistent with the government funded evaluation studies.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.179-190
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• 2001

The purposes of the study were to develop an instrument for family value and to identify the relationships of family value, family hardiness, and family adaptation by appling the family value scale to family with cancer children. The study was conducted in three phases. 1) A survey was conducted from July 20 to August 20, 1999 and 18 items of general family value scale was modified from the data of 153 fathers and 164 mothers. 2) In-depth interviews were made with 29 parents of cancer children from April 20, 1998 to May 20, 1999 to develop family value scale with cancer children, and 12 statements were developed. 3) The final survey was conducted from July 18, 2000 to August 30, 2000 and the data from 309 parents of children who are diagnosed as cancer, 18 or less years of age, and treated either hospitalized or at the outpatient clinics were analyzed to identify the relationships of the concepts. The data analysis utilized SAS 6.12 and LISREL 8 for descriptive statistics, correlation, and Regression for path analysis. The study findings are as follows. The psychometric testing of general family value scale was Cronbach's alpha = 0.78. The reliability of the family value scale with cancer children showed the reliability as Cronbach's alpha = 0.73. Demographic characteristics showing significant correlations were cancer children's age, period of illness, period after completing treatment, mother's age, mother's education level, monthly income, payment type, confidence with health professional, and severity of children's illness. The correlation coefficients among major variables showed that family stressor was positively related with family strains(r=0.33, p<.001), and negatively related with family hardiness(r=-0.21, p<.001). Family strains was negatively related with family hardiness(r= -0.41, p<.001) and family adaptation(r=-0.46, p<.001). Correlations of family hardiness was positive with family value with cancer children(r=-0.31, p<.001), and negative with general family value(r=-0.16, p<.01). Family hardiness was positively related with family adaptation(r=0.35, p<.001). The causal relationship between study variables showed that family strains predicts general family value(γ=0.12, t=2.02), family value with cancer children predicts family hardiness(γ=0.31, t=6.30), family strains predicts family hardiness(γ=-0.40, t=-7.70), family value with cancer children predicts family adaptation(γ=-0.23, t=-4.11), and family hardiness predicts family adaptation(γ=0.43, t=7.78).

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.144-157
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• 2000

This study was done to understand nonpharmacologic pain management for pediateric patients and nurses' knowledge and attitudes toward it. The aim of this study was that which method did the patient's use according to the nurses' age, and how did they effectively use these methods in their field. The subjects of this study were 77 nurses working in the Pediatric unit in the Kyung Medical Center from September 2 to 15, 1999 using questionnaire form. The results of this study were as follows : 1. We divided the subjects into four groups : Younger than one year old, 1-6 years, 6-12 years, 12-18 years group. In the group younger one year old, most of the nurses participating in this study used speaking in soft quiet tones, supportive touch, toys, pacifiers. In the group of 1-6 years, they used speaking in soft quiet tones, toys, distracting attention, story talking, and visual stimulus. In the group of 6-12 years. they used pop-up books, providing information, cold therapy, speaking in soft quiet tones, supportive touch. In the group of 12-19 years, most of them used providing information, controling respiration and supportive touch. 2. The effective nursing intervention used in their field are speaking in soft quiet tones, pacifiers and nesting with blanket in the group of younger than one year old. Un the group of 1-6 years old, speaking in soft quiet tones, toys, and supportive touch were effective method in the control of nonp-harmacologic pain management. In the group of 6-12 years old, story talking, supportive touch, and speaking in soft quiet tones were effective method and in the group of 12-18 years old, providing information, cold therapy and supportive touch were effectively used to control nonpharmacologic pain management. 3. To compare the general characteristics and non-pharmacologic pain nursing intervention, in the group of younger than one year, touching stimuli is widely used. In the groups of 1-6, and 6-12 years old, visual and audio method were widely used. In the group of 12-18 years old, sensitive intervention were used as well as education, information and guided imagery. In conclusion, there was no significant difference in nurses' demographic characteristics, child's age and nonpharmacologic pain management. There was significant difference only in the nurses working area, that is nurses working in the surgical department used more audio-visual-tactile pain management methods than medical department.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.399-406
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• 2015

The purpose of this study was to investigate the performance of dental infection control. This survey was performed on 158 of the dental hygienist in certain areas. The research was performed using a self-reported questionnaire and interview method from June to July, 2014. The collected data was analyzed by PASW Statistics ver. 18.0. Guideline of infection management, infection controller, regular infection control training, Sterilization of the handpiece/per head resulted 57~74% for dental hospital. It was higher than 13~20% for dental clinics (p<0.05). Infection control guidelines and vaccination recognition of dental were more performed in dental hospital. Patient's hand hygiene performed, tooth brushing before treatment, cross infection educational experience was less than 20%, research cooperation of medical history was over 90% (p<0.05). Performing rate of the dental hospital workers were investigated higher in protective personal devices, infection control of treatment room. A correlation analysis about institutional support, infection control of dental hygienists, patients with infection control cooperation showed a positive correlation statistically significant. Infection control can be enhanced when the medical staff, the patient, the organization combined cognitive and practice. Dental hygienist is required to recognize and practice the infection control guidelines through continuing education.

• Therapeutic Science for Rehabilitation
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.29-38
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• 2012

Introduction : This study reviews the main areas of cognitive rehabilitation including executive dysfunction, memory dysfunction, perceptual dysfunction, attention deficit, and dysfunctions in activities of daily living in order to apply to the adaptation of occupational therapy. Body : Cognition programs based on the virtual reality are being used not only to evaluate but to train the overall components of human's cognition. Because the cognitive program is concentrating on the real environment, it is known to bring a remarkable transitional effect to the actual environment, compared to the basic computer-based evaluation and training. Applying virtual reality to the rehabilitation program can develop and advance the high technology and can result in a major effect on the innovative treatment technology. Conclusions : In this process, virtual reality is expected to be researched more in the near future. Particularly in the cognitive realm, it is imperative for researchers to pay attention to the improved transitional effect of the virtual reality toward the actual environment, rather than the already existing method of evaluations. Therefore, application of the virtual reality for the cognitive training should be researched for various types of subjects in the diverse aspects of congnitive function. Application of the virtual reality in the cognitive function has its unlimited potential, thus the rehabilitation program integrated with not only evaluation but training and education is expected extensively in the future.

• Journal of Music and Human Behavior
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.19-40
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• 2016

This study provides numerical data on the status of music therapy practices in 54 hospice and palliative care settings in Korea. Two different questionnaires for music therapists and coordinators were sent to 54 coordinators via email, and 47 (87%) hospitals and centers replied by email or post. The survey period was October 30 through December 5, 2014. Music therapists were asked to respond to 65 questionnaire items regarding working conditions, environment, session process, and personal competence. Coordinators were asked to complete 28 questionnaire items regarding the status of music therapy in their perspective setting. Twenty-two (46.8%) hospitals and centers were running music therapy programs with 28 music therapists, and 19 (67.9%) of these music therapists majored in music therapy. There was a significant difference between music therapists (M= 3.43, SD = 0.96) and coordinators (M= 2.73, SD = 0.77) regarding conditions and environment of music therapy sessions (p < .05). The circumstances and conditions for music therapy are inad quate for optimal implementation of music therapy practice. However, the perceived benefits of music therapy by coordinators suggest that music therapists do play an important role in hospice and palliative care. This research provides the first quantitative baseline data of music therapy status in hospice and palliative care settings in Korea.

• Journal of Music and Human Behavior
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.19-39
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• 2014

This study investigated whether a song psychotherapy based on the change stages of alcohol addiction impacted the change readiness of alcoholics. The song psychotherapy intervention consists of six activities (listening to a song, singing, songwriting, song sharing, lyrics analysis, and discussion and analysis of a song), which considers the change stages of alcohol addiction. A total of 64 inpatients diagnosed with alcoholism were randomly assigned to either the control (n = 33) or experimental group (n = 31). The experimental group took part in the intervention program for 45 minutes twice a week for 6 weeks (total of 12 sessions). The intervention effect was evaluated with SOCRATES-K. The results showed that the SOCRATES-K score significantly increased by 14.6% (p < .001) for the experimental group, whereas it remained almost unchanged (0.8% increase, p = .141) in the control group. For subcategory scales, the experimental group showed the highest increase in the ambivalence factor, followed by the recognition and taking-steps factors. Meanwhile, no significant changes in all three scales were found in the control group. Therefore, the song psychotherapy intervention based on the change stages of alcohol addiction was found to significantly increase the change readiness of alcoholics.

• Journal of Labour Economics
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.97-127
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• 2003

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the expected earnings differentials by major of university graduates. Usually the achievement in labor market has been measured by the earnings of those being with job. But such simple comparisons of earnings might fail to bring out correct evaluation once if the probabilities of getting a job are quite different across the major of university graduates. So it is necessary to compare the expected lifetime eatings which can be computed using the earnings of those with job and the probabilities of taking a job. In this paper, we showed that the expected earings of university graduates are quite different by major and not only the difference of earnings but also the difference of job-taking probabilities are considerably contributing such differentials. Especially the expected earnings of medicine and education are considerably higher than those of other majors. These results are maintained almost identically with the change of estimation methods. But despite of these findings. it should be admitted that it was not possible to exactly measure the magnitude of differentials by major.

• Nutritional Sciences
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.75-83
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• 2002

A case-controlled, 12 week follow-up, study was designed to investigate the effect of dietician-delivered medical nutrition therapy (MNT) on the nutritional status and quality of life in hemodialysis patients. Subjects were recruited at Kyung-Hee Medical Center and were randomly assigned to two groups : the control and the MNT group. The MNT group received individualized MNT for 12 weeks. The results were as follows: 1) The mean ages of the control (n = 20) and MNT (n = 24) groups were 50.6 $\pm$ 14.8 and 45.7 $\pm$ 14.0 years, and the mean durations of dialysis were 2.3 $\pm$ 2.3 and 1.7 $\pm$ 1.9 years, respectively. The interdialysis weight gain of the subjects was higher than that recommended. 2) The indicators of the subjects nutritional status showed that S to 25% of the subjects had some degree of malnutrition, with most of them in the mild malnutrition category. 3) After 12 weeks of the experiment, the percentage of the ideal body weight (% IBW) of the control group decreased, but that of the MNT group increased. Changes in other anthropometric parameters in both groups during the study period were not significantly different. 4) At the beginning of the study, the 54% of the MNT group consumed more than 28 kcal/kg body weight/day and 50% consumed more than 1.0g protein/kg body weight/day. However, these percentages rose to 71% and 75%, respectively, after 12 weeks of the individualized MNT. 5) The serum albumin and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels of the control group decreased significantly artier 12 weeks of the experiment, while those of the MNT group did not change. 6) After 12 weeks of individualized MNT, the mean score of nutrition knowledge and total mean score of quality of life (QL) of the MNT group were significantly higher than that of th\ulcorner control group. Body pain and social functioning scores of the MNT group were significantly higher than those of the control group. The positive effect of individualized MNT on the hemodialysis patients consisted of their improved nutritional status, nutritional knowledge, and the quality of life. These results suggest that individualized MNT continuously performed by a dietitian can be helpful for hemodialysis patients. However, larger and longer term studies are needed to confirm these positive effects of MNT. In addition, the development of nutritional education programs for MNT is needed to increase the positive impact of MNT.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.34-39
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• 2007

Lichen thalli of Dirinaria applanata heavily colonized on the twigs of dead or dying Rhododendron trees in Solok island, Jeonnam province in Korea. Pathogenesis of the lichen on the trees was investigated to find out the possibility of lichen as a causal agent. Histological examination of the lichen colonized twigs was attempted with differential staining technique. Lichen-forming fungus colonized only on the surface of bark and there was no direct penetration of fungal hyphae into the plant tissues. Symbiotic algae of the lichen was also examined. The isolated algal cells were inoculated on artificially induced wounds of the healthy trees. Histological examination of the inoculated tissues showed that some algal cells were successfully colonized inside the tissues without any pathogenic symptoms, even 2 months later, The extract of the lichen thalli was also examined using 10% of DMSO solution. Treated tissues showed no pathogenic symptoms, even 4 weeks later. The results suggested that the lichen was not directly involved in the death of the trees.