• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.528-538
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• 2009

Purpose: This study was done to develop and test a palliative care program based on home care nursing. Methods: A quasi-experimental design was employed. Changes in the variables were evaluated to test effects of the developed program. Participants were patients with terminal cancer and their families receiving home care nursing from six hospitals (experimental group: 24 and control group: 22). Data collection was conducted from February to October, 2006. Chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, t-test, Mann-Whitney U test and repeated measures ANOVA were used to analyse the data. Results: Hypothesis 1, the experimental group receiving this program will experience less pain (severe, average, weak pain) than the control group, was supported. Hypothesis 2, the experimental group will have less symptom experience than the control group, was supported. Hypothesis 3, the experimental group will have higher QOL than the control group, was supported and the last hypothesis 4, family burden in the experimental group will be less than the control group, was supported. Conclusion: The home care nursing based palliative program developed in this study was found to be an effective program to reduce patient pain and symptom experience, to improve patient QOL and to decrease family burden.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.176-181
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• 2008

Stomach cancer shows the highest incidence among cancer patients in Korea and it deteriorates the patients' health-related quality of life considerably. This study measured utility weights of severe stomach cancer symptoms using VAS (Visual Analogue Scale), TTO (Time-trade Off) and EQ-5D (EuroQol-5 Dimension) methods. A survey questionnaire was developed to describe the symptoms of severe stomach cancer comprehensively and concisely using VAS, TTO and EQ-5D. A face-to-face interview was conducted for 21 cancer inpatients in a hospital and 25 non-patients. The mean utility weight is 0.498 for VAS, 0.375 for EQ-5D and 0.300 for TTO. Using VAS or TTO methods, there were no statistically significant differences between patients and non-patients while there was significant difference in EQ-5D. The utility weight with VAS and EQ-5D has shown similar trend - higher score in patient group, male and aged while it has opposite trend with TTO.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.16 no.9
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• pp.25-33
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• 2018

Purpose - The purpose of the study is to analyze the empowerment intermediary role on the relationship between the job distribution and the quality of life. A research on empowerment and social service staffs' job distribution also should be conducted to improve the quality of their lives. Because empowerment, particularly, affects the quality of life, it should be taken a detail discussion for empowerment improvement. Research design, data, and methodology - This paper conducted a questionnaire survey. In total, 722 copies of the structural questionnaire were analyzed. Five parameter subsets were selected to measure the empowerment such as task significance, role performance capability, self-determination, task impact, then, the survey consists of 10 questions. For data analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, discriminant and concentration validity analysis, path coefficient significance, and mediation effectiveness verification were employed. Results - As evidenced from the data analysis, job distribution variables such as job impact, job autonomy, and feedback affect the quality of their lives. Empowerment also affects the quality of their lives. Next, the empowerment functions as meditating role in the relationships with job impact, job autonomy, feedback and the quality of their lives. On the other hand, the empowerment do not function as meditating role in the relationships with social service staffs' function diversity and the quality of their lives. Conclusions - It is necessary to conduct ways for various job performance and outside educational facilities to improve social service staffs' function diversity. The mission, vision, strategic purposes, detailed execution goals need to be set by all their organization members' participation. Empowerment also requires social welfare facilities' drastic delegation on their authority and responsibilities with their active decentralization in the organization.

• The Journal of the Society of Stroke on Korean Medicine
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.53-64
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• 2019

■ Objectives The purpose of this case is to report the effectiveness of Korean medicine in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea. ■ Methods The patient was diagnosed as a Soeumin, one of the 4 constitution types in Korean medicine, and treated with herbal medicine, Osuyubujaijung-tang and acupuncture treatment. The severity of symptom was assessed using daily defecation frequency, Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) of abdominal pain, Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS) score and Irritable Bowel Syndrome - Quality of Life (IBS-QOL) score. ■ Results After treatment, the defecation frequency was reduced from 6 to 2 times a day, and the severity of abdominal pain was reduced from NRS 6 to NRS 2. Also, GSRS score was decreased from 18 to 4 and IBS-QOL score was improved from 70.59 to 81.18. ■ Conclusion This study suggested that Korean medical treatment could be an effective option for treating irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea.

• Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.584-592
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• 2018

Background/Aims There is uncertainty about how to measure outcomes reported by patients in gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). This study was conducted to develop an instrument and to determine of the definition of respondent for a patient reported outcomes to assess the efficacy of a treatment used for GERD treatment. Methods A structural process has developed a self-evaluation questionnaire for GERD (SEQ-GERD); health-related quality of life questionnaire for GERD (GERD-QOL) was translated through cross-cultural validation. Two-week reproducibility was evaluated and construct validity was assessed by correlating the SEQ-GERD with the Patient Assessment of Gastrointestinal Disorders (PAGI-SYM), the reflux disease questionnaire (RDQ), and GERD-QOL. Changes in SEQ-GERD scores were compared to assess the discriminative validity following 4 weeks of proton pump inhibitor administration. Results A total of 83 Korean patients were included (mean age $46{\pm}14$ years, females 61.4%). The internal consistency of the 19-item SEQ-GERD was good (alpha = 0.60-0.94) and the test-retest reliability was high (intra-class correlation coefficient = 0.67-0.95). The SEQ-GERD highly correlated with the GERD domain of the PAGI-SYM (correlation coefficient r = 0.894, P < 0.001), the RDQ-GERD (r = 0.877, P < 0.001), and GERD-QOL (r = -0.536, P < 0.05). SEQ-GERD scores significantly varied according to the overall treatment effectiveness scale of drug responsiveness and significantly decreased after drug treatment (mean differences according to the overall treatment effectiveness scale, P = 0.020). Conclusion This study supports that SEQ-GERD is reliable and valid, and can be used to evaluate the treatment response in patients with GERD.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.353-358
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• 2004

Objective : To determine the quality of life and cost consequences for deaf adults who received a cochlear implant. Methods : The data from 11 patients, post-lingual deaf adults who received cochlear implants from 1990 to 2002, underwent cost-utility analysis. The average age of the participants was 49.6 years. The main outcomes were direct cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) using the visual analog scale (VAS), health utility index (HUI), EuroQol (EQ-5D), and quality well-being (QWB), with costs and utilities being discounted 3% annually. Results : Recipients had an average of 5.6 years of implant use. Mean VAS scores increased by 0.33, from 0.27 before implantation to 0.60 at survey. HUI scores increased by 0.36, from 0.29 to 0.65, EQ-5D scores increased by 0.26, from 0.52 to 0.78, and QWB scores increased by 0.16, from 0.45 to 0.61. Discounted direct costs were $22,320, yielding $19,223/QALY using VAS, $17,387/QALY using HUI, $24,604/QALY using EQ-5D, and $40,474/QALY using QWB. Cost-utility ratios using VAS, HUI, and EQ-5D were all below $25,000 per QALY, except using QWB. Conclusion : Cochlear implants in post-lingual deaf adult have a positive effect on quality of life at reasonable direct costs and appear to produce a net saving to society.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.121-133
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• 2022

Purpose: This study examined the impact of a virtual reality intervention program based on psychological needs on behavioral and psychological symptoms, apathy, and quality of life (QOL) in patients with dementia or mild cognitive impairment living in nursing facilities. Methods: This study is nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design of quasi-experimental study. The study collected data from November 18, 2020 to July 24, 2021 from patients with dementia or mild cognitive impairment (30 in the experimental group and 30 in the control group) at three nursing facilities in G city using self-reporting and caregiver-informant reporting methods. The analysis employed the chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, paired t-test, independent t-test, Wilcoxon signed rank test, Mann-Whitney U, repeated measures ANOVA, GEE, using SPSS/WIN 27.0. Results: The severity of behavioral and psychological symptoms (Wald 𝛘² = 2.68, p = .102) and the care burden of caregivers (Wald 𝛘² = 1.72, p = .190) were not significant and was no significant time and group interaction effect (Wald 𝛘² = 0.63, p = .426, Wald 𝛘² = 0.52, p =. 471). The difference in apathy and QOL score were statistically significant for the group-time interaction (F = 43.65, p < .001; F = 4.35, p = .041). Conclusion: The virtual reality intervention program of this study shows a positive effect on the apathy reduction and QOL of patients with dementia or mild cognitive impairment residing in nursing facilities.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.67-75
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• 2019

Background: Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is an involuntary leakage of urine from the urethra when intra-abdominal pressure increases, such as from sneezing, coughing, or physical exertion. It is caused by insufficient strength of the pelvic floor and sphincter muscles, resulting from vaginal delivery, obesity, hard physical work, or aging. The pelvic floor electrical stimulator is a conservative treatment generally used to relieve the symptoms of urinary incontinence. it recommended to applied before surgery is performed. Objects: The purpose of this study was to determine if the transcutaneous electrical stimulation (TCES) would be effective for the physiological symptoms and psychological satisfaction of women with SUI for an 8-weeks intervention. Methods: Easy-K is a specially designed user-friendly TCES. Five female who were diagnosed with SUI by a gynecologist but who did not require surgical intervention were included in this study. Intervention was implemented over an 8-week period. Outcome measures included vaginal ultrasonography, Levator ani muscle (LAM) contraction strength, incontinence quality of life (I-QOL), and female sexual function index (FSFI) questionnaires. Results: The bladder neck position significantly decreased across assessment time. Funneling index and urethral width significantly decreased after 8 weeks of intervention (p<.05). The bladder necksymphyseal distance and posterior rhabdosphincter thickness statistically increased and the anterior rhabdosphincter thickness showed a tendency to increase. All participants demonstrated a significant increase in the LAM contraction score across three assessment times (p<.05). Although the total score of the I-QOL did not show significant improvement, it steadily increased and among I-QOL subscales, only the "avoidance" subscale showed statistical improvements (p<.05). The total score of the FSFI statistically improved and the "desire" score significantly changed (p<.05). Conclusion: The TCES is recommended for women who want to apply conservative treatments before surgery and who have suffered from SUI in aspects of sexual function and quality of life.

• 재활복지
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.169-194
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• 2018

The aim of this study is to examine changes in swallowing function and quality of life with therapeutic singing-based music therapy for patients with dysphagia. The music therapy program was based on the previous study (Kim, 2010), and designed to improve breathing, phonation, and swallowing functions focusing on laryngeal elevation. Three patients with dysphagia participated in this study and each participant received a total of 11 or 12 individual music therapy sessions and each session was conducted for 30 minutes. In this study, three kinds of measurements were used. First, the measures of maximum phonation time (MPT), fundamental frequency, average intensity, jitter, shimmer, noise to harmonics ratio (NHR) by Praat test, second, laryngeal-diadochokinesis (L-DDK) to investigate laryngeal elevation, and last, the Swallowing-Quality of Life (SWAL-QOL) was measured. These cases have shown improved breathing, phonation, swallowing function, and the scores of SWAL-QOL in all of the patients. It suggests that this music therapy intervention was effective on laryngeal elevation, and the music intervention with therapeutic singing can be effectively implemented in further research for patients with dysphagia.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.18 no.7
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• pp.193-199
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• 2017

The purpose of this study was to provide basic data for the development of fall prevention programs for the elderly and for improvement of quality of life based on history of falls, chronic diseases, location, fear of falling, daily living activities, and quality of life. This study was conducted from 15th August to 17th September of 2016 on 185 elderly subjects above the age of 65 living in four centers of J city and four centers of J rural. The results of this study are as follows: There were no statistically significant differences in daily living activities, fear of falls, and quality of life regarding falls in the past. There were statistically significant differences in fear of falling and quality of life regarding chronic diseases. There were statistically significant differences in daily living activities and quality of life regarding residence. This study confirms that there were relations among daily living activities, fear of falling, and quality of life, and there was a negative correlation between fear of falling and accomplishment of daily living activities(r=-.386, p<.000). There was also a positive correlation between accomplishment of daily living activities and quality of life(r=.513, p<.000). Therefore, avoiding outings on slippery roads and creating safe environments for the elderly are important to reduce fear of falling. Additionally, a system should be developed for the elderly to acquire necessary information for daily life.