• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.206-214
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• 2022

Background: This study analyzed the practice of dental medical dispute prevention rules of dental hygienists to present an improvement plan for improving perceived importance and practice and provide data for the development of effective medical dispute prevention programs. Methods: A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted targeting dental hygienists who were providing assistance at dental hospitals and dental clinics in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do regions from March 22 to April 28, 2022. The questionnaire collected from 273 dental hygienists consisted of eight questions on general characteristics, 30 questions on medical dispute experience, and 14 questions on medical dispute prevention. Results: Complaints showed a high experience rate in 'Consultation & reservation', medical disputes in 'Patient handling (unkind) related', and 'Prosthesis installation and cement removal'. In both the importance and practice of medical dispute prevention rules, 'Preservation of medical records and other medical-related data' was high, and 'Management of patients on standby for a long time' was low in terms of practice. 'Lack of time' and 'Lack of manpower' were cited as reasons for not resolving dental treatment disputes. The importance of dental dispute prevention rules was found to be significant according to age and position, and it was also found to affect the level of practice. Conclusion: Seventy-six-point six percent of the respondents said that education on the prevention of medical disputes was necessary, although they lacked recognition of prevention rules compared to their perceptions and experiences. This study suggested specifying prevention rules in dental hygiene subjects and expanding education, improvement of dental treatment system, revise the law on the range of work to improve the recognition and practice of prevention rules.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.154-163
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• 2023

Objectives: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) or lupus patients usually experience various physical and psychological challenges. Since the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, these challenges have become even harsher. Using the participatory action research approach, this study evaluated how an e-wellness program (eWP) impacted SLE-related knowledge and health behaviors, mental health, and quality of life among lupus patients in Thailand. Methods: A 1-group, pretest-posttest design study was conducted among a purposive sample of lupus patients who were members of Thai SLE Foundation. The 2 main intervention components were: (1) online social support, and (2) lifestyle and stress management workshops. Sixty-eight participants completed all the study requirements, including the Physical and Psychosocial Health Assessment questionnaire. Results: After being in the eWP for 3 months, participants' mean score for SLE-related knowledge increased significantly (t=5.3, p<0.001). The increase in sleep hours was statistically significant (Z=-3.1, p<0.01), with the percentage of participants who slept less than 7 hours decreasing from 52.9% to 29.0%. The percentage of participants reporting sun exposure decreased from 17.7% to 8.8%. The participants also reported significantly lower stress (t(66)=-4.4, p<0.001) and anxiety (t(67)=-2.9, p=0.005). The post-eWP quality of life scores for the pain, planning, intimate relationship, burden to others, emotional health, and fatigue domains also improved significantly (p<0.05). Conclusions: The overall outcomes showed promising results of improved self-care knowledge, health behaviors, mental health status, and quality of life. It is recommended that the SLE Foundation continues to use the eWP model to help the lupus patient community.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.55-65
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• 2022

Caring for patients with cancer is highly stimulating and rewarding, attracting health professionals to the field who enjoy the challenge of managing a complex illness. Health professionals often form close bonds with their patients as they confront ongoing disease or treatment impacts, which may be associated with multiple losses involving function and/or eventual loss of life. Ongoing exposure to patient loss, along with a challenging work setting, may pose significant stress and impact health professionals' well-being. The prevalence rates of burnout and compassion fatigue (CF) are significant, yet health professionals have little knowledge on these topics. A 6-week continuing education program consisting of weekly small-group video-conferencing sessions, case-based learning, and an online community of practice was delivered to health care providers providing oncology care. Program content included personal, organization and team-related risk and protective factors associated with CF, grief models, and strategies to mitigate against CF. Content analysis was completed as part of the program evaluation. In total, 189 participants (93% nurses) completed the program, which was associated with significant improvements in confidence and knowledge of CF and strategies to support self and team resilience. Qualitative themes and vignettes from experiences with the program are presented. Key themes included knowledge gaps, a lack of support related to CF and strategies to support resilience, organization-and team-based factors that can inhibit expression about the impacts of clinical work, the health professional as a "person" in caregiving, and the role of personal variables, self-skill practices, and recommendations for education and support for self and teams.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.319-326
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• 2023

Objectives: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has increased the workload of healthcare workers (HCWs), impacting their health. This study aimed to assess sleep quality using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and identify factors associated with poor sleep among HCWs in Vietnam during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 1000 frontline HCWs were recruited from various healthcare facilities in Vietnam between October 2021 and November 2021. Data were collected using a 3-part self-administered questionnaire, which covered demographics, sleep quality, and factors related to poor sleep. Poor sleep quality was defined as a total PSQI score of 5 or higher. Results: Participants' mean age was 33.20±6.81 years (range, 20.0-61.0), and 63.0% were women. The median work experience was 8.54±6.30 years. Approximately 6.3% had chronic comorbidities, such as hypertension and diabetes mellitus. About 59.5% were directly responsible for patient care and treatment, while 7.1% worked in tracing and sampling. A total of 73.8% reported poor sleep quality. Multivariate logistic regression revealed significant associations between poor sleep quality and the presence of chronic comorbidities (odds ratio [OR], 2.34; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.17 to 5.24), being a frontline HCW directly involved in patient care and treatment (OR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.16 to 2.16), increased working hours (OR, 1.84; 95% CI,1.37 to 2.48), and a higher frequency of encountering critically ill and dying patients (OR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.03 to 1.95). Conclusions: The high prevalence of poor sleep among HCWs in Vietnam during the COVID-19 pandemic was similar to that in other countries. Working conditions should be adjusted to improve sleep quality among this population.

• Journal of Industrial Convergence
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• v.21 no.10
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• pp.103-110
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• 2023

This study is a descriptive comparative study to identify personal characteristics and nursing work characteristics according to the presence or absence of back pain of nurses in intensive care units in general hospitals and to explore major factors that affect back pain induction. A survey was conducted on nurses in the intensive care unit of a general hospital located in D City, and a total of 100 copies were used for analysis. For data analysis, descriptive statistics, chi-square test, Fisher accurate test, and logistic regression analysis were performed using IBM SPSS 24.0. The study found that 69% of intensive care unit nurses had back pain, 65.2% of which experienced back pain for more than three months in the past year, and 84.1% had back pain after working in the intensive care unit. In the back pain intensity score measured by NRS, 49% answered that they experienced 4 or more points. As factors related to back pain, gender (p=.03) were significant variables in personal characteristics, in the characteristics of nursing work, the number of patient assistance (p=.03) and the number of patient exchanges (p=.01), heavy lifting (p=.04), satisfaction with the condition of the shoes (p=<.001) was found to be a significant variable affecting back pain induction. It is considered that hospital organization and national policies are needed to prevent and manage low back pain in intensive care unit nurses.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.23 no.10
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• pp.976-985
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• 2022

Objective: To compare the clinical and radiological features of various etiologies of chronic diffuse lacrimal gland enlargement. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 91 consecutive patients who underwent surgical biopsy for chronic diffuse lacrimal gland enlargement and were diagnosed with non-specific dacryoadenitis (DA) (n = 42), immunoglobulin G4-related dacryoadenitis (IgG4-RD) (n = 33), and lymphoma (n = 16). Data on patient demographics, clinical presentation, and CT imaging findings (n = 73) and MRI (n = 43) were collected. The following radiologic features of lacrimal gland enlargement were evaluated: size, unilaterality, wedge sign, angle with the orbital wall, heterogeneity, signal intensity, degree of enhancement, patterns of dynamic contrast-enhanced, and apparent diffusion coefficient value. Radiological features outside the lacrimal glands, such as extra-lacrimal orbital involvement and extra-orbital head and neck involvement, were also evaluated. The clinical and radiological findings were compared among the three diseases. Results: Compared to the DA and IgG4-RD groups, the lymphoma group was significantly older (mean 59.9 vs. 46.0 and 49.4 years, respectively; p = 0.001) and had a higher frequency of unilateral involvement (62.5% vs. 31.0% and 15.2%, respectively; p = 0.004). Compared to the IgG4-RD and lymphoma groups, the DA group had significantly smaller lacrimal glands (2.3 vs. 2.8 and 3.3 cm, respectively; p < 0.001) and a lower proportion of cases with a wedge sign (54.8% vs. 84.8% and 87.5%, respectively; p = 0.005). The IgG4-RD group showed more frequent involvement of the extra-orbital head and neck structures, including the infraorbital nerve (36.4%), paranasal sinus (72.7%), and salivary gland (58.6%) compared to the DA and lymphoma groups (4.8%-28.6%) (all p < 0.005). Conclusion: Patient age, unilaterality, lacrimal gland size, wedge sign, and extra-orbital head and neck involvement differed significantly different between lymphoma, DA, and IgG4-RD. Our results will be useful for the differential diagnosis and proper management of chronic lacrimal gland enlargement.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.69 no.4
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• pp.265-270
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• 2010

Background: Psychological factors are increasingly recognized for their influence on the course of asthma, on a worldwide basis. The aim of this study was to assess the presence of depression, anxiety, and asthma-related quality of life in patients with asthma and to evaluate their impact on severity and control of asthma. Methods: We assessed the severity of asthma by comparing patients' current medications to GINA guideline. The patients were classified into the controlled group (asthma patients with controlled disease) or into the uncontrolled group (asthma patients with uncontrolled disease), which included partly controlled and uncontrolled patients, again based on GINA guideline 2004. Patient-reported depressive symptoms, anxiety, and asthma-related quality of life were evaluated using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and Korean asthma quality of life (KAQLQ). Results: One hundred and twenty patients were enrolled (mean age, $55{\pm}1$ years; 65% women). Among the 120 patients, 14 (12%) patients were classified as having mild asthma, 88 (73%) as having moderate asthma, and 18 (15%) as having severe asthma. Eighty-one (67%) of the 120 patients were controlled. The asthma-related quality of life showed the difference according to severity of asthma (p=0.002). The prevalence of depression was lower (10% vs 26%, p=0.024) and the asthma-related quality of life was higher (59.951 (29~75) vs 35.103 (18~72), $p{\leq}0.001$) in the controlled group. Higher trait anxiety score and lower asthma-related quality of life were associated with depression (p<0.001, p=0.002, respectively). Conclusion: Psychological factors, such as anxiety and depression, are strongly associated with asthma control. Therefore, screening and management of depression is needed in patients with asthma.

• Archives of Craniofacial Surgery
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.128-134
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• 2016

Background: Blowout fracture is one of the most common facial fractures, and patients usually present with accompanying ocular complications. Many studies have looked into the frequency of persistent ocular symptoms, but there is no study on assault patients and related ocular symptoms. We evaluated the incidence of residual ocular symptoms in blowout fractures between assaulted and non-assaulted patients, and sought to identify any connection among the degree of enophthalmos, defect size, and assault-related injury. Methods: A retrospective review was performed for any patient who sustained a unilateral blowout fracture between January 2010 to December 2014. The collected data included information such as age, gender, etiology, and clinical ocular symptoms as examined by an ophthalmologist. This data was analyzed between patients who were injured through physical altercation and patients who were injured through other means. Results: The review identified a total of 182 patients. Out of these, 74 patients (40.7%) have been struck by a fist, whereas 108 patients (59.3%) have sustained non-assault related injuries. The average age was 36.1 years, and there was a male predominance in both groups (70 patients [94.6%] in the assaulted group and 87 patients [80.6%] in the non-assault group). Diplopia and enophthalmos were more frequent in patients with assault history than in non-assaulted patients (p<0.05). Preoperatively, 25 patients (33.8%) with assault history showed diplopia, whereas 20 patients (18.5%) showed diplopia in the non-assaulted group (p<0.05). Preoperative enophthalmos was present in 34 patients (45.9%) with assault history, whereas 31 patients (28.7%) showed enophthalmos in the non-assaulted group (p<0.05). Conclusion: Patients with an assault history due to a fist blow experienced preoperative symptoms more frequently than did patients with non-assault-related trauma history. Preoperative diplopia and enophthalmos occurred at a higher rate for patients who were assaulted. Surgeons should take into account such characteristics in the management of assaulted patients.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.119-137
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• 1995

Maternity nurses' roles are to find out women's various responses related to the health problems during pregnancy, to intervene adequate nursing and supports, and to help them adapt satisfactorily to new situation, such as hospitalization. The purposes of this study are : firstly, to inquire about women's emotional status, feeling of discomfort, and the nursing need during hospitalization because of discomfort, and the nursing needs during hospitalization because of the possibility of abortion by threatened and habitual abortion : secondly, to provide fundamental data for developing adequate nursing intervention and improving hospital management. The subjects of this study were 62 women who were hospitalized, visited out-patient clinic for follow-up, and stayed at home after discharge since August, 1993 from one hospital located in Seoul, from March 23 to April 13, 1994. The questionnaire was consisted of 21 items of emotion(Reliability Cronbach's alpa, .77), 19 items of feeling of discomfort(.79), and 21 items of nursing needs (.89), and nurses' performance according to nursing needs,(.90). These were measured by using Likert Scale and analyzed by using SPSS / $PC^+$ with the descriptive statistics, $X^2$-test, and ANOVA. Research findings are as follows : 1) The subjects' average age, hospitalized days, and gestational age are 32.2, 15.7, 12.9 by respectively. 2) 88.7% of the subjects are getting antepatal care, 66.1% are experiencing 1.75 times of spontaneous abortion, and 82.3% are nuclear family. 3) The Emotions were mainly comprized negative and subjective state of minds such as uneasiness, anxiety, and discomfort. The domains of emotions were related to 'fetus', 'herself', 'hospitalization', and 'husband's 'families', in rank. The highest scored item was "I, above anyone else, am mostly stressed from abortion." 4) The feelings of discomforts were firstly related to 'personal discomfort arising from absolute bed rest', 'meals provided', Usage of hospital, perse', 'health team', in rank. 5) The nursing needs frequently pointed out were 'Nurses kindly explain of me the purpose, method, and results of the lab. test', 'Nurses sincerely pay attention to my word in communication'. The least nursing needs were 'Nurses observe my feces and whether I have constipation or not'. 'When I can't move, nurses help me by holding my arms or pulling my bed'. 6) The highest performed items were 'Nurses observe whether I bleed or not', and 'Nurses give me drug with exact dose in time'. The least performed items was about hospital environment, such as 'Temperature, ventilation & humidity in the room should be controlled'. 7) Besides religion that is related to nursing need with statistically significant difference, none of general characteristics were related to emotion, feeling of discomfort, and nursing needs.

• Journal of Korean Academic Society of Home Health Care Nursing
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.92-116
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• 2005

Purpose: This study was a predicative survey to provide home care clients with indwelling urinary catheters for furnishing basic educational material to their families by analyzing the family members' knowledge, educational needs and educational experience about indwelling catheter management. Method : The subjects consisted of 108 family members who cared for home care clients with indwelling catheters. Data were collected by home care nurses in nine hospitals in Pusan, who directly interviewed with them through questionnaires from Sep. 6th to 30th in 2004. The questionnaires for data collection were developed through pre-survey and reference review. The collected data was analyzed by using frequency, percentile, mean, variation, t-test, ANOVA on SPSS 10.1 package. Results : There were characters of home care clients with indwelling catheters: women(67.6%) were more than men; the average age of them was $69.60{\pm}14.99$ years old; neurogenic and cerebrovascular diseases(80.0%) were the most common disease group; 81.5% of them were totally dependent on others in terms of level of activity. Home care clients' families had these characters: women(76.9%) were more than men; the average age was $54.5{\pm}13.70$ years old; 46.3% of them were parents or sons or daughters in terms of relation with patient; tl1e average care period was $39.8{pm}34.20$ months. Level of knowledge about indwelling catheter management of the family members were 69.8% and its mean were $20.24{\pm}4.53$. Educational needs were 90.9% and its mean were $14.55{\pm}3.56$. Educational experience were 53.3% and its mean were $8.53{\pm}4.30$. 'Complications in using an indwelling catheter', 'Symptoms to call for a home care nurse' and 'Method to attach an indwelling catheter' were high ranked in both educational needs and educational experience. 'Anatomy of urinary tract', 'Functions of urinary tract' and 'Catheter placement' were low ranked in both educational needs and educational experience Level of knowledge about indwelling catheter management of the families showed a significant difference according to their age(F=5.35, p=0.01). Educational needs showed a significant difference according to care period(F=3.06, p=0.04). Conclusion: the family members' level of knowledge and educational experience about indwelling catheter management and their educational were not sufficient while their educational needs were high. In other words although the family members were acknowledged education needs, but the care for the patients with indwelling catheter weren't performed well because of their lack of related knowledge. Therefore systematic educational programs about indwelling catheter management for home care clients and their families should be made on the base of this study.