• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.146-156
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• 2006

Purpose: 1) to construct cohorts according to risk scores calculated with the Gail Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool (Gail et al., 1989) (Gail) and the Breast Cancer Risk Appraisal (Lee et al,. 2003) (Lee) 2) to identify the distribution of risk factors and preventive behavior stages between the cohorts 3) to identify abnormal breast conditions in risk cohort. Method: Using convenience sampling, 775 rural women were selected. Risk appraisal was scored using Gail and Lee. Preventive behavior stages for BSE (Breast self examination) and mammography were measured using 4 stages of the Transtheoretical Model (Prochaska & DiClemente, 1983). Results: 1) The risk cohort according to Gail was 12.3% (n=95), and Lee, 3.1% (n=24). 2) There were significant differences in the distribution of risk factors (age, family history, age at 1st live birth, age at menarche, number of breast biopsy, history of breast disease, and breast-feeding) between cohorts. 3) There was a significant difference in the distribution of the stage of BSE according to Lee. 4) Six women in the risk group detected masses or nodules and physician consultation and ultrasonography were recommended. Conclusion: On the basis of the constructed cohorts, further longitudinal studies of cohorts are recommended with interventions according to characteristics of cohorts.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.14 no.11
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• pp.164-174
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• 2014

The purpose of this study is to explore ways to resolve the conflicting issues that are currently applied in medical Act and medical privacy Act through the comparative Analysis of the Privacy Act and the Medical Information Protection Act foreign. the results run to establish the Public Health Act coming for the protection of health information is a characteristic of many countries, France in Europe, the United States and Canada had been running an independent medical information laws are enacted. Prescribes penalties of up to a fairly systematic method from the case records of patients would not have occurred in the management and implementation of the law and the protection of the author of the book focuses on the subject of medical records and physician records between patient confidentiality and privacy it can be seen that the method defined in. This indicates the need for the establishment of an independent medical information laws to protect all records relating to the patient systematically Korea also.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.2901-2904
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• 2014

The incidence of colorectal cancer has been increasing in many Asian countries including Malaysia during the past few decades. A physician recommendation has been shown to be a major factor that motivates patients to undergo screening. The present study objectives were to describe the practice of colorectal cancer screening by primary care providers in Malaysia and to determine the barriers for not following recommendations. In this cross sectional study involving 132 primary care providers from 44 Primary Care clinics in West Malaysia, self-administered questionnaires which consisted of demographic data, qualification, background on the primary care clinic, practices on colorectal cancer screening and barriers to colorectal cancer screening were distributed. A total of 116 primary care providers responded making a response rate of 87.9%. About 21% recommended faecal occult blood test (FOBT) in more than 50% of their patients who were eligible. The most common barrier was "unavailability of the test". The two most common patient factors are "patient in a hurry" and "poor patient awareness". This study indicates that colorectal cancer preventive activities among primary care providers are still poor in Malaysia. This may be related to the low availability of the test in the primary care setting and poor awareness and understanding of the importance of colorectal cancer screening among patients. More awareness programmes are required for the public. In addition, primary care providers should be kept abreast with the latest recommendations and policy makers need to improve colorectal cancer screening services in health clinics.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.1141-1145
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• 2013

Delay in seeking treatment for breast cancer is a barrier to the early diagnosis and management of the disease, resulting in a poorer prognosis. We here estimated the prevalence of delayed presentation for breast cancer and identified possible influential sociodemographic factors in a cross-sectional study of 250 patients diagnosed with primary breast cancer at the Radiotherapy and Oncology Clinic in Kuala Lumpur Hospital. Data were collected by face-to-face interview using a structured questionnaire and from medical records. We examined associations between delayed presentation (presenting to a physician more than 3 months after self-discovery of a symptom) and sociodemographic characteristics, practice of breast self examination (BSE), history of benign breast disease, family history of breast cancer and type of symptom, symptom disclosure and advice from others to seek treatment using multiple logistic regression. Time from self-discovery of symptom to presentation ranged from tghe same day to 5 years. Prevalence of delayed presentation was 33.1% (95%CI: 27.4, 39.3). A significantly higher proportion of delayers presented with late stages (stage III/IV) (58.3% vs. 26.9%, p<0.001). Divorced or widowed women (OR: 2.23, 95% CI: 1.11, 4.47) had a higher risk of delayed presentation than married women and women who never performed breast self examination were more likely to delay presentation compared to those who regularly performed BSE (OR: 2.74, 95% CI: 1.33, 5.64). Our findings indicate that delayed presentation for breast cancer symptoms among Malaysian women is high and that marital status and breast self examination play major roles in treatment-seeking for breast cancer symptoms.

• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.167-186
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• 1982

Financial barrier is well known as a determinant of the perceived need for and utilization of medical care in urban areas. This study aims to; a) estimate the levels of the perceived need for and utilization of medical care, b) analyze the reasons for not receiving medical care, and c) determine factors affecting the levels of need and utilization, and major reasons for not receiving medical care. The data of household interview survey in urban areas collected for a National Survey on Reorganization of Nationwide Health Care Delivery Network is used. An interview was conducted with a total of 2, 538 households in urban areas during a 28 day period of October through November, 1981, giving an overall response rate of 99 percent. The results show a factor of third-party payer is most influential to utilization (physician visits by patient), and living standard is a determinant to explain the variance of major reasons for not receiving medical care. Therefore, financial burden is still a major determent in utilization of medical care in urban areas. Improved level of living standard and expanded coverage of the third-party payer such as health insurance and public medical assistance will increase both an overall levels of utilization of and the need for medical care in urban areas in the future. The major statistics are as follows; a) rate of the need for medical care during a 15 day period per 100 persons was 33 percent: the differential rates appeared in sex, age, living standard, and third- party payer variables, b) percent of treatment employed per 100 persons who are wanting medical care was 82: the percents were high in young ages, high levels of living standard and education, and persons covered by third-party payer, and c) economic reasons for not receiving medical care per 100 persons who are wanting medical care were occupied with 60 percent: the rates are high in old ages, low levels of living standard and persons not covered by third-party payer.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.576-590
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• 1996

Advanced countries such as the USA and Japan are eagerly seeking ways to improve health and welfare of the elderly. One of the services is home health care service using the telephone. Various types of services using the telephone have been developed, improved and are being utilized ranging from the basic consulting to emergency response systems in the area of health care for the elderly. A demonstration project was launched to study the feasibility of a consulting system and telemedicine for the elderly using the public phone system in Korea. For this project, a gathering site for the elderly was selected and those who visited this place were interviewed to find out what kinds of services they wanted and what kind of system they needed to provide the required services. Based on the users' requests and the surrounding environment, a telephone consulting facility was established at the Research Institute of Nursing Science at Seoul National University and consulting personnel was recruited, trained and posted at the center. An Application program for home health care nurses to use when they visited the patients at their homes was developed. This system operates on a notebook Computer and allows nurses to communicate with a doctor at a local hospital through a modem and telecommunication line. These systems were implemented for three months and problems which developed during operation of the systems were identified and progressively modified. Through system evaluation, it was found that a consulting system using phone service will be an invaluable system for the welfare of the elderly in the future. But in order to meet the elderly's need, more services than mere consultation are needed. That is, communication with physicians and hospitals are needed. Thus, when there is any need for physicians' attention, physicians or hospitals should be contacted directly. Similarly for telemedicine, when the home health care nurse visits elderly patients she can assess the patient's problem and provide nursing care, access a physician or hospital to refer her patient to or consult directly using the telecommunication the system. The above mentioned system is a basic form of futuristic telemedicine for the elderly and those who have chronic disease problems. This kind of system will be of great value when it is used on the national information super-highways in the future. In order to get to that stage, of course, this project needs great improvement in the technical, academic, and legal aspects.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.103-113
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• 1999

The authors surveyed the inhabitants of a rural area to assess the patterns of medical utilization on dermatoses. Seven hundred and sixty new outpatients of dermatoses were examined and surveyed with formed questionnaire from March 1997 to February 1999. The results are as follows; 1. Among 760 new outpatients, the number of male patients was 283(37.2%) and that of female patients was 477(67.3%). 2. The most common dermatoses was Tinea pedis(34.9%), and follows senile pruritus, contact dermatitis, housewife eczema, seborrheic dermatitis, numular dermatitis, atopic dermatitis, Tinea corporis, Tinea ungium, acne vulgaris, impetigo, keratolysis exfoliativa, chronic urticaria, Tinea cruris and Molluscum contagiosum in orders. 3. Drug store was the most frequent places where patients initially visited for their skin diseases(39.6%) and followed by non dermatologic clinic, dermatologic clinic and general hospital in orders. 4. One hundred and twenty one(15.9%) patients have been experienced folk treatment. It was founded that the topical vinegar application or soaking was the most common method. Many patients felt no symptom improvement after the folk treatment(48.8%). Seventeen point four percent of patient felt symptom worsened. The results of this study suggest that many of the rural inhabitants are lack of understanding on their dermatoses. So many physician who are in charge of the primary care in rural area have to pay attention to the common dermatoses and educate patients on their medical utilization.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.28 no.3 s.51
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• pp.623-639
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• 1995

We have never seen any method to cope basically with complicated situation and problems around medical reimbursement rates here in Korea since 1977 witnessed by the beginning of medical insurance. By the way researchers concerned are beginning to propose some kinds of innovative and detailed ideas to government these days. They are Diagnosis-related group(DRG) and Resource-based .elative value scale(RBRVS). In the light of this situation it is so encouraging that our government can come up with that and move. In case of RBRVS research we have already been reaching even to the level of reviewing and revising methodology for its further development after naive pilot study on internal medicine and general surgery last year. However there might be something different conditions between USA and Korea to apply the same Dr. Hsiao's method and it must be vital to check so called' total work approach' compared with 'intra-service work approach' before expanding to the whole medical fields. According to the' Intra-service approach', the physician's work is supposed to be divided into three sub-works by the name of intraservice work, pre, and post service work. These sub-works, again should be merged together to be the pre-postwork subset through some statistical methods of the estimation process applied by Dr. Hsiao's methodology in RBRVS development later on. But in this paper that estimation process was not taken because we could have real values for all of those surveyed items related to just one specialty, OB & GY. Instead, We used some statistical comparison procedures relevant to demographic characteristics, reliability & validity and correlation analysis with American RVU(Relative value unit) between the total work and merged total work from intraservice work approach. The unit of analysis was individual physicians of OB & GY and 300 physicians were selected for each approach through statistical sampling method based on national population of OB & GY physicians in Korea. And also with the thankful help of Advisory Committee under Korean Association of OB & GY, questionnaires were made and mailed to the subjects, two times. As a result there were not any statistically significant differences in demographic characteristics between the two approaches except for the variable 'Response time for the questionnaires', but in other sections of comparisons, response rate, representative values, reliability & validity test, correlation analysis with American RVU, all showed 'Total approach' was not only more rational and statistically meaningful than 'Intra-service approach' but also had considerable merits. But we are not absolutely sure about this paper's robustness. Because of some limitations, we'd rather like to suggest further researches should be followed. In that sense the first thing would be a research for the influence of doctor's characteristics, especially 'frequency' on the rating of work and the way to define total work more clearly.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.157-174
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• 1998

A survey was conducted to study the influence of socia-demographic factors on health-related behaviors. from June 1 to July 31, 1996. The study population was 1,903 adults in Kyongju City. A questionnaire method was used to collect data. Health-related behaviors included 24 items for men and 26 items for women. The followings are summaries of findings : The compliance of health promotion activities was higher when the age was older in men, when married, when having no religion and when the education level was higher than the other groups. And it was significantly higher when the income was lower in men and higher in women, in the residents living in apartment, in white collar workers, in the chronic ill people and when the body weight was lower than the other groups. Notable differences were found in the composition of health behavior factors for socio-demographic characteristics. Men used more tobacco, coffee and tea, salt and alcohol than women. However, the practice rates of regular exercise and physical examination were higher in men than women. On the other hand, the practice rates of fruit/vegetable intake, milk drinking and regular tooth brushing were higher in women than men. When the age was old, the amount of fruit/vegetable intake, the frequency of physician visit and health check-up, and regularity of meal were increased. When the income was high, the use rate of seat-belts, the amount of coffee, milk, fruit/vegetable and red meat intake were increased. The frequency of regular exercise. tooth brushing, health check-up, pap test and breast self examination were higher in the rich than the poor. When the education level was high, the frequency of regular exercise and tooth brushing, and the use rate of seat belts were increased, and the amount of alcohol consumption and salt intake were decreased. These findings suggest that socio-demographic factors are significantly associated with the patterns of health behaviors. In conclusion public health programs and individual counseling efforts should be multifaceted and behavior-specific to encourage to practice healthy life-style.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.31 no.4 s.63
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• pp.708-718
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• 1998

To investigate the effect of smoking and drinking habit on the health status in lead using industries, 2,785 male workers in lead using industries (7 storage battery industries, 7 secondary smelting and related industries, and 4 primary metal and other manufacturing industries) were selected for this study. This study was carried out as a part of periodic health examination. Selected study variables were zinc protoporphyrin in whole blood (ZPP), SGOT and SGPT for laboratory test. Questionnaire for lead related symptoms and smoking and drinking habit was provided to all the workers and filled up by themselves and reconfirmed by physician. The results obtained were as follows; 1. The overall smoking and drinking rate of study population were 69.8% and 73.6%, respectively. While the smoking and drinking rate of storage battery workers were 68.8% and 72.3%, those of secondary smelting industries and other industries were 66.0% & 66.4% and 74.6 & 80.3% respectively. 2. While the mean values of blood ZPP of lead exposed workers were significantly higher than other group, those of SGOT of storage battery workers were significant higher than other worker. But there were no differences of mean values of other variables. 3. Smoking habit did not affect on the mean value of blood ZPP of workers in special health examination group, but there were significant differences of blood ZPP and SGOT between drinker and non-drinker. 4. Symptom prevalence of lead exposure were higher in drinking and smoking group than non-drinking and non-smoking group. 5. In multiple regression analysis of the total lead related symptoms, blood ZPP, SGOT, and SGPT as dependent variable, respectively, and age, work duration, blood ZPP, pack year and amount of alcohol drinking as independent variables, work duration, pack year, amount of alcohol drinking, age contributed to total symptoms; and age, work duration, pack year contributed to blood ZPP; and age, amount of alcohol drinking, work duration contributed to SGOT; and pack year contributed to SGPT.