• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.2329-2336
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• 2016

Background: Despite the existence of established guidelines advocating the use and value of chemotherapy order templates, chemotherapy orders are still handwritten in many hospitals in Lebanon. This manuscript describes the implementation of standardized chemotherapy order templates (COT) in a Lebanese tertiary teaching hospital through multiple steps. Initial Assessment: An initial assessment was conducted through a retrospective appraisal of completeness of handwritten chemotherapy orders for 100 adult patients to serve as a baseline for the project and identify parameters that might afford improvement. Choice of solution: Development of over 300 standardized pre-printed COTs based on the National Comprehensive Cancer Network templates and adapted to the practice culture and patient population. Implementation: The COTs were implemented, using Kotter's 8-step model for leading change, by engaging health care providers, and identifying and removing barriers. Evaluation: Assessment of physicians' compliance with the new practice (122 orders assessed) was completed through two phases and allowed for the identification of areas of improvement. Lessons Learned: Overall, COT implementation showed an average improvement in order completion from 49.5% (handwritten orders) to 77.6% (phase 1-COT) to 87.6% (phase 2-COT) reflecting an increase of 38.1% between baseline and phase 2 and demonstrating that chemotherapy orders completeness was improved by pre-printed COT. As many of the hospitals in Lebanon are moving towards standardized COTs and computerized physician order entry (CPOE) in the next few years, this study provides a prototype for the successful implementation of COT and demonstrates their role in promoting quality improvement of cancer care.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.248-254
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• 2023

Objectives: Measuring the quality of care is paramount to inform policies for healthcare services. Nevertheless, little is known about the quality of primary care and acute care provided in Korea. This study investigated trends in the quality of primary care and acute care. Methods: Case-fatality rates and avoidable hospitalization rates were used as performance indicators to assess the quality of primary care and acute care. Admission data for the period 2008 to 2020 were extracted from the National Health Insurance Claims Database. Case-fatality rates and avoidable hospitalization rates were standardized by age and sex to adjust for patients' characteristics over time, and significant changes in the rates were identified by joinpoint regression. Results: The average annual percent change in age-/sex-standardized case-fatality rates for acute myocardial infarction was -2.3% (95% confidence interval, -4.6 to 0.0). For hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke, the age-/sex-standardized case-fatality rates were 21.8% and 5.9%, respectively in 2020; these rates decreased since 2008 (27.1 and 8.7%, respectively). The average annual percent change in age-/sex-standardized avoidable hospitalization rates ranged from -9.4% to -3.0%, with statistically significant changes between 2008 and 2020. In 2020, the avoidable hospitalization rates decreased considerably compared with the 2019 rate because of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Conclusions: The avoidable hospitalization rates and case-fatality rates decreased overall during the past decade, but they were relatively high compared with other countries. Strengthening primary care is an essential requirement to improve patient health outcomes in the rapidly aging Korean population.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.264-270
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• 2022

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the usefulness of bone single-positron emission tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) of the hip in predicting the later occurrence of avascular necrosis (AVN) after slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) or femoral neck fracture in pediatric patients. The quantitative parameters of SPECT/CT useful in predicting AVN were identified. Materials and Methods: Twenty-one (male:female, 10:11) consecutive patients aged < 18 years (mean age ± standard deviation [SD], 11.0 ± 2.7 years) who underwent surgery for SCFE or femoral neck fracture and postoperative bone SPECT/CT were included. The maximum standardized uptake value (SUV), mean SUV, and minimum SUV of the femoral head were measured. The ratios of the maximum SUV, mean SUV, and minimum SUV of the affected femoral head to the contralateral side were determined. Patients were followed up for > 1 year after the surgery. The SPECT/CT parameters were compared between patients who developed AVN and those who did not. The accuracy of SPECT/CT parameters for predicting AVN was assessed. Results: Six patients developed AVN. There was a significant difference in the ratio of the mean SUV among patients who developed AVN (mean ± SD, 0.8 ± 0.3) and those who did not (1.1 ± 0.2, p = 0.018). However, there were no significant differences in the ratios of the maximum and minimum SUV between the groups (all p = 0.205). For the maximum, mean, and minimum SUVs, no significant differences were observed between the groups (p = 0.519, 0.733, and 0.470, respectively). The cutoff mean SUV ratio of 0.87 yielded a 66.7% sensitivity and 93.2% specificity for predicting AVN. Conclusion: Quantitative bone SPECT/CT is useful for evaluating femoral head viability in pediatric patients with SCFE or femoral neck fractures. Clinicians should consider the high possibility of later AVN development in patients with a decreased mean SUV ratio.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.179-186
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• 2012

Purpose: The use of 18F-2-deoxy-2-fluoro-D-glucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography as a routine preoperative modality is increasing for gastric cancer despite controversy with its usefulness in preoperative staging. In this study we aimed to determine the usefulness of preoperative positron emission tomography-computed tomography scans for staging of gastric cancer. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 396 patients' positron emission tomography-computed tomography scans acquired for preoperative staging from January to December 2009. Results: The sensitivity of positron emission tomography-computed tomography for detecting early gastric cancer was 20.7% and it was 74.2% for advanced gastric cancer. The size of the primary tumor was correlated with sensitivity, and there was a positive correlation between T stage and sensitivity. For regional lymph node metastasis, the sensitivity and specificity of the positron emission tomography-computed tomography were 30.7% and 94.7%, respectively. There was no correlation between T stage and maximum standardized uptake value or between tumor markers and maximum standardized uptake value. Fluorodeoxyglucose uptake was detected by positron emission tomography-computed tomography in 24 lesions other than the primary tumors. Among them, nine cases were found to be malignant, including double primary cancers and metastatic cancers. Only two cases were detected purely by positron emission tomography-computed tomography. Conclusions: Positron emission tomography-computed tomography could be useful in detecting metastasis or another primary cancer for preoperative staging in gastric cancer patients, but not for T or N staging. More prospective studies are needed to determine whether positron emission tomography-computed tomography scans should be considered a routine preoperative imaging modality.

• Journal of Korean Medical Science
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• v.33 no.51
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• pp.328.1-328.12
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• 2018

Background: In cardiac arrest, the survival rate increases with the provision of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), of which the initial response and treatment are critical. Telephone CPR is among the effective methods that might increase the provision of bystander CPR. This study aimed to describe and examine the improvement of neurological outcomes in individuals with out-of-hospital acute cardiac arrest by implementing the nationwide, standardized telephone CPR program. Methods: Data from the emergency medical service-based cardiac arrest registry that were collected between 2009 and 2014 were used. The effectiveness of the intervention in the interrupted time-series study was determined via a segmented regression analysis, which showed the risk ratio and risk difference in good neurological outcomes before and after the intervention. Results: Of 164,221 patients, 148,403 were analyzed. However, patients with unknown sex and limited data on treatment outcomes were excluded. Approximately 64.3% patients were men, with an average age of 63.7 years. The number of bystander CPR increased by 3.3 times (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.1-3.5) after the intervention, whereas the rate of good neurological outcomes increased by 2.6 times (95% CI, 2.3-2.9 [1.6%]; 1.4-1.7). The excess number was identified based on the differences between the observed and predicted trends. In total, 2,127 cases of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) after the intervention period received additional bystander CPR, and 339 cases of OHCA had good neurological outcomes. Conclusion: The nationwide implementation of the standardized telephone CPR program increased the number of bystander CPR and improved good neurological outcomes.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.62 no.1
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• pp.71-82
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• 2019

Objective : To determine the prevalence of osteoporosis (OP) and osteoporotic vertebral fracture (OVF) in people with Parkinson's disease (PD) in Korea and its association with socioeconomic status. Methods : Using Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service-National Inpatient Sample (HIRA-NIS) data from 2009 to 2013, we estimated the annual prevalence of PD, OP, and OVF and investigated its association with socioeconomic status using data from National Health Insurance (NHI) beneficiaries and Medical Aid (MA) recipients. This study was supported by research funding from Korean Society for Bone and Mineral Research 2015. There were no study-specific biases related to conflicts of interest. Results : The number of PD patients in the HIRA-NIS increased each year from 2009 to 2013. Among patients with PD, the standardized prevalence rates of OP and OVF increased from 2009 to 2013; from 23.2 to 27.8 and from 2.8 to 4.2, respectively. Among patients with PD with OP, the prevalence of OVF were 12.2% and 15.1% in 2009 and 2013, respectively. The standardized prevalence rates of PD with OP and PD with OVF were significantly higher in MA recipients than in NHI beneficiaries. Conclusion : The prevalence of PD both with OP and with OVF increased and the prevalence was higher in MA recipients than in NHI beneficiaries. These findings may suggest that age over 65 years, female and low income may be a significant factor related to PD occurring with OP and OVF.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.26 no.8
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• pp.165-172
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• 2021

The purpose of this meta-analysis was to determine the efficacy of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation training on Gait. We included all randomized controlled trials assessing the efficacy of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation training on gait ability control in patients after stroke. This study was conducted according to the PRISMA guideline. CINAHL, PubMed and RISS were searched for studies published up to December 2020, and all randomized controlled trails assessing PNF intervention were included. This analysis included only randomized controlled trials. A total of 12 studies were selected from 1475 records obtained from the databases. The meta-analysis was performed using the R software. The overall intervention effect was moderate (standardized mean difference (SMD): 0.67, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.50-0.84). Additionally, Gait rite (SMD: 0.69), 10m walking test (SMD: 0.59) had medium effect sizes. These findings indicate that PNF is an effective intervention for improving gait ability in patients stroke.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.136-142
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• 2017

Background: Dementia is one of important social and economic healthcare issues in the aging age. Therefore, it signifies to analyze the relationship between chronic disease or cardiovascular drug use and the incidence of dementia to establish a basis for increasing or preventing the risk of dementia. The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between the prevalence of chronic diseases and the use of cardiovascular drugs in patients diagnosed with dementia. Methods: In this study, we used data from sample of elderly patients from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. We analyzed by logistic regression analysis with age, gender, and medication as covariates. KCD-7 was used to diagnosis of the disease, and drugs were analyzed using ATC codes and Korean standardized drug classification codes. Results: A total of 1,276,331 patients were analyzed in the sample of the elderly population, of which 532,075 (41.7%) were male and 744,256 (58.3%) were female. The patients have the higher risk of dementia in the older, women, and lower socioeconomically status. Cerebral infarction and ischemic heart disease increases risk of dementia. Patients taking statins, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) or angiotensin II receptor antagonists (ARB) showed low incidence of dementia. Conclusion: This study has been shown that ACEI, ARB, and statin drugs may associate with lower incidence of Alzheimer's and other dementia except vascular dementia.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.185-193
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• 2009

Purpose: Loneliness may be a typical psychological consideration in chronically ill patients, linking with low life satisfaction. We aimed to determine if loneliness would be independently associated with life satisfaction in pneumoconiosis patients hospitalized in long-term care facilities. Methods: We recruited 164 patients from 3 pneumoconiosis-specialized hospitals in M and S cities, South Korea, and measured loneliness and life satisfaction by using the University of California Los Angeles loneliness and life satisfaction index-Z scales. The Multiple regression analysis was performed to examine an independent association between loneliness and life satisfaction after adjustment for age, the levels of dyspnea and bronchitis-emphysema symptom, length of institutionalization, marital status, previous coal work experience, perceived socioeconomic status, and presence of caregivers. Results: The mean of loneliness was 46.4. We found a significant association between loneliness and life satisfaction (standardized beta=-0.16, p=0.049), independent of all the covariates. Conclusions: Loneliness was an independent associate of life satisfaction in patients with pneumoconiosis who were institutionalized in long-term care facilities. Thus, a nursing intervention strategy for relieving loneliness is needed to increase life satisfaction in these patients.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.31-36
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• 2009

Purpose: Pusher syndrome in stroke patients is the tendency to push strongly toward the paretic side with the non-affected limbs. The purpose of this study was to estimated inter-rater and intra-rater reliability of the Scale for Contraversive Pushing (SCP). Methods: Fourteen patients in the acute phase after stroke onset were diagnosed with pusher syndrome. Two physical therapists randomly assessed the same patients on different occasions on the same day. Almost all patients were assessed on more than one day. The inter-rater and intra-rater reliability of the SCP was estimated by calculation of the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Results: The intra-rater reliability of the SCP ranged from 0.87 to 0.97; the inter-rater reliability of the SCP ranged from 0.71 to 0.99 in sitting and standing positions. These results show good reliability for the calculated variables. Conclusion: The results provide support for the use of the SCP in assessing pusher syndrome based on its reliability in stroke patients. It may use the standardized clinical assessments in clinical implication.